Plenković: Croatia is closely monitoring the incredible process of Serbia's armament

Croatia is closely monitoring the incredible process of Serbia's armament, which acts almost like a 'shopping mania', said Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, emphasizing that Croatia is developing its armed forces solely as a means of deterrence.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković received the Bavarian Minister-President Markus Soeder in Zagreb on Friday. Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Plenković commented on an earlier statement by the Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anušić, who spoke about the offensive and hostile rhetoric coming from Serbia in recent months and noted that Serbia is increasingly expanding its military.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Croatia is "monitoring very closely indeed" the situation in Serbia, and that this was also discussed at the Defense and National Security Councils.

This is an "incredible process of armament, almost a 'shopping mania' across all parts of the world," Plenković said, adding that all countries neighboring Serbia must ask themselves why Serbia is arming itself so much.

He said that Croatia, as a member of the EU and NATO, takes care of its own security and has tripled its defense budget over the last ten years, but that the capabilities it is developing "are not a threat to anyone" but rather a means of deterrence to prevent a repeat of the aggression of the nineties.

Croatia "is talking to all of its partners" about Serbia's arming, and they are familiar with the situation, the Prime Minister said.

Source: HRT