After it gained independence, achieved international recognition and defended itself in the Croatian War of Independence, the Republic of Croatia made NATO membership one of its strategic priorities, along with its membership in the EU. Croatia has perceived this political-military alliance not only as the crucial factor in achieving peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic region, but also as a community of free democratic countries with which it shares the same values.
Institutional relations between the Republic of Croatia and NATO can be traced back to May 2000, when the Republic of Croatia entered NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme. In May 2002, Croatia received an invitation to join the Membership Action Plan (MAP) and, in autumn 2002, the first Croatian Annual National Programme (ANP) was submitted to NATO. This was a document that outlined political, security and defence, and economic reforms initiated as part of Croatia's preparations for membership.
The Republic of Croatia received an invitation to join NATO in April 2008, during the NATO summit in Bucharest. Short accession talks were followed by the signing of the Accession Protocol on 9 July 2008 in Brussels and the Protocol was then ratified by the parliaments of the NATO member states. The national ratification instruments were deposited in the U.S. Department of State, the North Atlantic Treaty depository. The Republic of Croatia became a NATO member by depositing its ratification document on 1 April 2009. This newly attained status allowed it to participate in the NATO summit that took place on 3 and 4 April 2009 in Strasbourg and Kehl. The Croatian flag was raised in front of the NATO headquarters in Brussels on 7 April 2009.
Over the past ten years, Croatia has proved itself a devoted and reliable NATO member. Its membership in the Organization has strengthened its international position in security, political, economic and geopolitical terms. It has been taking an active part in NATO's collective decision-making system, so the Organization’s unanimous decisions also reflect Croatia's national stances, priorities and interests. By making a significant contribution to NATO's missions and operations, such as the ones in Afghanistan and Kosovo,the Republic of Croatia has demonstrated its solidarity with its allies, fulfilled its international duties concerning the stabilization of crisis spots, has been passing on the knowledge it has gained so far, especially the knowledge it accumulated during the Croatian War of Independence, and it has been developing the competence of its own armed forces. NATO membership will continue to deter all potential threats to the security of Croatia and it will remain one of the pillars of its future development and progress.
