Grabar-Kitarovic: UNSTABLE BIH BIGGEST SECURITY THREAT OF CROATIA IN THE REGION

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said in an interview with Defense News that the instability of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the biggest security threat in the neighborhood.When reporters asked what is the greatest security threat to Croatia in the immediate region, the president replied that it was "the instability of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a country that is not yet fully politically emancipated."

- Then, there we see the centrifugal force. One of the entities, the Republic of Serbian, recently held a referendum on 'National Day', but we see it as a potential first step towards a series of referendums or even to the independence of the RS. If they decide to take that step, there will be a reaction from the Federation and then potentially we see a new conflict - said Fischler.

- And since Russia is quite involved in hybrid warfare, and there are strong links between (RS President Milorad) Dodik and Russia, we would then have the Russian influence through weapons, tactics, intelligence war information and disinformation ... - said the Croatian president.

And other countries are interfering in BiH

Grabar-Kitarovic believes that there are other threats to BiH. "Some other countries are interfering in BiH, not only politically but also a way of life. Islam as we know it in BIH is changing, becoming more radical, especially in rural areas, changing the way of life, even the appearance of people in terms of dress and behavior and a much more rigid interpretation of the values of Islam, "said Fischler.

She pointed out that it is therefore vital to maintain the stability of the Islamic Community in BiH, but also in Croatia.

- In Croatia, we have a small, but very active, excellent Islamic community that does its best to manage the processes in the region and isolate the radicals, fundamentalists, in order to maintain inter-ethnic and inter-religious communication and full integration of the Islamic community, not assimilation, but integration usually Croatian society - said Fischler.

Russia should be approached positively despite Putin

The president said that Croatia is on track to increase spending on defense and confirmed its intent to be sent to a company to Lithuania next year, part of the German contingent, in part to strengthen NATO forces on the border with Russia.NATO does it to keep the Russian expansionist policies of the Baltic Sea. "This is a response to the deployment of the Russian army along the borders of NATO," said Fischler.

- We would prefer that he did not come to that, but it is. It seems to me that people are looking for clear and visible signals, and it is in this case the presence of the army in the field - said the president, but also added that are equally important and talks that are under way in the background.

- It is positive to include Russia in spite of the atmosphere created by the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin. We have to convince them that our behavior is not directed against Russia, but to protect the territory of NATO members, because it is primarily a defensive alliance that does not want destabilization nor occupation of any country that would be a threat to Russia -

• 2 Dec, 2016
• 952 views