A military delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has paid an official visit to Croatia's Defence Ministry to discuss the promotion of bilateral relations, training of Bosnian cadets at Franjo Tudjman Military Academy, and joint participation in regional initiatives, the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

State Secretary Zdravko Jakop, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, General Sinisa Jurkovic, and their aids held talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Deputy Defence Minister Mijo Kresic and the Deputy Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brigadier General Ivica Jerkic.

Jakop said that the defence cooperation between the two countries had always been wide and varied, and that one of the most important areas of cooperation was the training of Bosnian military personnel in Croatia where the Croatian Defence Ministry provides continued support to the Bosnian Defence Ministry.

Jakop expressed hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina would meet the criteria for EU membership candidate status, and welcomed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cooperation with NATO as well as the progress made in the implementation of the reform programme in the country’s security and defence sector.

Kresic and Jerkic thanked Croatia for supporting the reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina aimed at achieving full equality of its three constituent peoples.

The Bosnian delegation attended a military pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Marija Bistrica where they met with Defence Minister Mario Banozic.