Croatia boosts defence fund to 3% of GDP amid regional tensions
Croatia will allocate 3 per cent of its GDP to defence by 2030, said Croatian Defence Minister Ivan Anuszić while opening the Adriatic Defence and Aerospace Conference (ASDA) in Zagreb.
This year, Croatia has spent 2 per cent of its GDP on defence. The minister emphasised that by 2027, it plans to reach 2.5 per cent and 3 per cent by 2030.
He added that many countries have started to seriously think about security and preparations for scenarios currently threatening Europe.
Anuszić noted that Zagreb will "intensively develop its own defence sector in cooperation with allies".
Our strategy is to support local companies that develop new technologies and new knowledge. We also want to become self-sufficient in terms of some or most of the equipment and weapons our army will use, he remarked.
The ASDA 2025 fair, which opened on Tuesday, will last until Thursday. 235 companies from 27 countries will present their weapons, equipment, and technology at the fair.
Revitalised military agreements
In recent weeks, two military agreements—Croatia with Albania and Kosovo and Serbia with Hungary—have revitalised the debate on security and armament issues in the Balkans.
As part of these, both blocs agreed to deepen military cooperation. Commenting on the first agreement, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić assessed that "it has initiated a new arms race in the region."
