Croatian Defence Minister Mario Banozic held talks in Munich on Saturday with the chief of the United States National Guard Bureau, General Daniel Hokanson, and thanked the US, Croatia's "most important" partner in defence, for the donations that are helping to modernise the Croatian Army.

Banozic and Hokanson talked about the importance of cooperation between the armed forces with a view to upgrading capabilities and interoperability, the importance of supporting Ukraine, and the current situation in Southeast Europe, the Croatian Defence Ministry said in a press release.

Croatia-US cooperation is “excellent” in nearly every area, such as the training of Croatian Armed Forces personnel, equipment, modernisation, cooperation in missions and operations, and the organisation of joint military exercises and training, the two officials said.

“The United States is our most important partner in defence. I use this opportunity to thank our allies for the donations which have significantly advanced and modernised the capabilities of the Croatian Army,” said Banozic.

He underlined the successful 27-year-long cooperation with the Minnesota National Guard, which plays an important part in the development of the Croatian Armed Forces and directly supports the meeting of NATO’s capability targets.

Banozic and Hokanson said they strongly supported Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that they would continue to provide it with the necessary assistance.

Hokanson said Croatia-US relations were excellent and that he was glad to have met with Banozic on the fringes of the Munich Security Conference.