ZAGREB, March 23, 2018 - Croatian Defence Minister Damir Krstičević and his Bosnia and Herzegovina counterpart Marina Pendeš agreed at talks in Zagreb on Friday to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries' armies so that they could respond more efficiently to natural disasters and accidents.

Bosnia and Herzegovina considers Croatia and its defence ministry a friend and partner, the more so as Sarajevo's two main foreign policy goals are accession to NATO and the EU, and Zagreb has been very supportive in that regard, said the visiting Bosnian minister.

Pendeš and Krstičević described the defence cooperation between the two countries as good, notably in the field of military training, service in joint missions and the military industry.

Pendeš inquired about Croatia's experience regarding the army's assistance to civil institutions, Krstičević said, pointing to the Croatian army's assistance to civil institutions in cases of wildfires and floods and expressing readiness to share that experience with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The two ministers also discussed cooperation in tactics and in the defence industry.