Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosted Croatian Minister of Defense Mario Banožić for a meeting at the Pentagon today to underscore the strength of the bilateral defense relationship.
Secretary Austin expressed his appreciation for Croatia's contributions to international and regional security, its reliability as a NATO Ally, and its support of Ukraine and stability in the Western Balkans. The leaders discussed the bilateral military relationship, including Croatia's defense modernization efforts to provide a mechanized infantry brigade to meet a NATO capability, the upgrade of its helicopter fleet with UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, and the use of Croatian training areas by U.S. forces.
The two Secretaries signed the inaugural U.S.-Croatia Framework for Defense Cooperation covering the period 2023-2028, which will guide cooperation in a number of areas over the next five years – ranging from cyber-security and combating disinformation to defense institution resilience, training, education, and logistics.
Secretary Austin also expressed appreciation for Croatia's strong State Partnership with the Minnesota National Guard.