US Ambassador to NATO visits Zagreb

The US diplomat’s visit comes as Iran has re-closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and the US navy seizing an Iranian cargo vessel. Tensions in the Persian Gulf remain strained and do not look to get better in the short term as Tehran has said that it will not participated in a second round of talks with the United States.

US Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, arrived in Zagreb on Monday, where he met with both Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ivan Anušić. Speaking after their meeting the Prime Minister announced that along with discussing the state of global affairs, they had also addressed the issue of the modernization of the Croatian military and defense spending. Both of which were emphasized as being very important to US President Donald Trump.

Defense Minister Anušić met with Ambassador Whitaker at the “Colonel Marko Živković” barracks at the Pleso Air Base, where they toured the Croatian Air Force’s Rafale fighter jets, its Black Hawk helicopters, Patria and, Bradley armored vehicles, and Orca drones. After the meeting, which was also attended by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, General Tihomir Kundid, it was announced that the US is Croatia’s most important ally in the field of security and defense.

Source: HRT