1. ROLE OF THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL OF CROATIA
ON THE WAY TOWARDS NATO -
Informing, researching, monitoring,
understanding and identifying problems,
reacting, advocating, taking part in forming
public opinion, staying involved
Monika Begovic PhD
Vice-President of the Atlantic Council of Croatia
September 2016

2. Atlantic Council of Croatia
 association with the aim of promoting euro-atlantism
 Member of the Atlantic Treaty Association – umbrella independent organization
created in 1954, which acts as a network facilitator and supporter of NATO values
and promoter of democracy, individual liberty and rule of law
 The YATA – youth branch of the ATA formed in 1996 to reach younger generations
and bringing together groups of young professionals interested in international
security policies, providing opportunity for networking

3. Road to NATO: step-by-step
 Croatia joined Partnership for Peace (PfP) in 2000, beginning the process of
accession
 In 2002 Croatia joins Membership Action Plan (MAP). In MAP framework Croatia
set out its reform plans
 Croatia received an invitation to join NATO during Bucharest Summit in 2008
 Croatia joined NATO Alliance in April 2009 at Strasbourg/Kehl Summit

4. Road to NATO: step-by-step
 NATO membership became one of the foreign policy priority already in 1991,
when this was passed unanimously in the Croatian Parliament, while the next step
was adopting the ‘Study on NATO Enlargement’ in 1996, however NATO had
specific demands from Croatia:
support of Dayton Accord agreements, return of refugees and displaced
persons, full cooperation with the UN ICTY 
public opinion formed with the help of certain media began to not welcome
these demands
 Change of the approach in official politics, resulted with Croatia joining the PfP 
in 2000 the Atlantic Council of Croatia was established, when the NATO
popularity was at its lowest level, and the civil society just began to form its
structure

5. Campaigns and polls
 Media campaign of joining NATO by the Croatian Government started in 2006
 In the period between 2000 – 2003 only around 35% of population supported
Croatia to join NATO
 In the period between 2004 – 2006 that number increased to around
45-55% of population supported Croatia to join NATO
 In the period between 2006 – 2007 the support fell to 35-40% again
 In 2008 support to join NATO was 55-60%

6.  The downturn happened because of the war in Afghanistan and growing number
of casualties, invasion of Iraq, threat of military attack against Iran  reasons:
seeing NATO as the USA
 This resulted in Croatian Government reaching a decision of not submitting the
protocol on NATO membership to a referendum, but have it ratified by the
Parliament

7. Fears of Croatian public towards joining
NATO
 Fear of Croatian soldiers would die abroad in NATO missions that country actually
doesn’s need;
 Fear that NATO generals would command the Croatian Amred Forces
 Fear of NATO military basis on the Adriatic (tourism)
 Fear of increased defence spending

8. Benefits of NATO membership
 Article 5: whenever any of its member or country attacked by any external party,
other members and countries come forward for collective defense
 Modernizing defence institutions and democartic reforms (political system based
on market economy)
 Participation in decision-making process (especially for small countries)
 Burden sharing
 International visibility
 Ability to address new security challenges
 Improved relations with other European countries, but also US and Canada
 enlargement of NATO – promoting regional stability
 Stability and prosperity (economic prosperity promotes democracy and political
stability

9. What does the Atlantic Council of Croatia
do?
 Informing the public on benefits of joining NATO
 Stresses NATO values as core values of every democratic country
 Identifies problems, researches, publishes
 Reacts
The work depends on political, institutional and social climate  the attitudes of
decision makers

10. What does the Atlantic Council of Croatia
do
 Being involved means to have specific goals and objectives, identify target group,
find partners and work strategically
 Specific: working with students
 Advocating and written contributions (in Croatian and English language) +
distribution
 Overviews of polls and official politics – recommending improvements
 Finding partners

11. What does the Atlantic Council of Croatia
do – after NATO membership
 It is important to have public confidence and to constantly boost that confidence
 Increasing the awareness on NATO values:
individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law
 Trying to point out the importance of the stability in the Western Balkans, not only
for regional security, but globally

12. What does the Atlantic Council of Croatia
do – after NATO membership
 International Summer School – invite participants and sepakers from all around
the world. This year- jubilee15th School, and we always dedicate to contempirary
topics in international security. We put the accent on the region and a need in
developing a better cooperation with NATO to adequately respond to the
challenges coming from new security threats. Outcomes: contribution to regional
and cooperative security and stability and achieving better mutual understanding;
networking among invitees – speakers and young professionals
 For participants we organize simulation during which young students can better
imagine how it is to be a politician, public person, someone who reaches decisions

13. What does the Atlantic Council of Croatia
do – after NATO membership
 We publish a Yearbook with the papers and essays of our distinguished speakers
 boosting confidence and raising the importance of our contribution to certain
topics in the public
 The project – the School itself is based on 5 days active engagement of all
participants and speakers in foreseen topics, developing discussion and
exchanging opinions and ideas, especially on NATO core values, future NATO’s role
in this part of the world
 Since Croatia joined NATO we organize a celebration of the anniversary of being a
full NATO memebr country in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence

14. Croatia in NATO
 As a NATO member country Croatia contributes to the Aliance’s cohesion and
strength and its global security role