Suchergebnisse

In its 45 years of existence, NATO has evolved dramatically. This has occurred due to the changes happening within the alliance itself (increased number of member countries, changes within the countries, & in the relations among them) & to the influence of outside factors ensuing from the developments in international relations in general & within the adversarial bloc in particular. The cessation of the Cold War & the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact in the early 1990s confronted NATO with new challenges, particularly in relation to the countries of Eastern & Southeastern Europe & Russia. The fact that the document "Partnership for Peace" was adopted at the start of 1994 (representing a platform for the relations with the countries of "new democracy") & that it was signed by 26 countries meant the overall acceptance of the conceptual document of European security on the threshold of the 21st century. This document provides democratic countries outside NATO with the possibility of cooperating with its political & military bodies & paves the way for their full membership. If regular criteria were applied, Croatia & Bosnia & Herzegovina could count on joining "Partnership for Peace" only after they have resolved internal conflicts & frictions with their neighbors by political means. Nevertheless, depending on further developments in the region, it is possible that Croatia might jump the queue & be accepted in "Partnership for Peace" before its turn. 2 Tables, 32 References. Adapted from the source document.

Defense strategy is a critical component of the politics of national security that includes the political/military chain of resources, goals, & the theory of a given country on how to best "carry out" security for itself. Ideally, this includes an explanation of why that theory is expected to function. The defense strategy as a component of the politics of national security must identify possible threats for the country & must invent political, economic, military, & other means for elimination of these threats. Considering possible responses, defense strategies can be grouped into three categories: offensive, defensive, & deterrent. The goal of offensive strategies is to disarm the opponent -- to destroy his armed forces. The goal of defensive strategy is to not allow the opponent to reach his desired objectives. In the deterrent strategy when one punishes the attacker (aggressor) -- it increases his costs, although it does not decrease one's own. In the creation & development of an army & defense system in Croatia, a defense strategy is profiled that is bounded by the three possibilities outlined above, & limited by the following factors: the national strategy, the military strategy of the opponent, & international pressure. These factors are discussed in greater detail with the aim of determining their influence on the Republic of Croatia's defense strategy, & general defense strategies. 8 References. Adapted from the source document.

Seen in its totality, the defense system of France is enclosed within the NATO pact. The French do not deny this & even stress it as a fact of essential significance, because the mutual support & solidarity with allies in case of danger & aggression is a matter of interest to all. An analysis of the French conception of national security shows nevertheless that the stress is on independence, especially where making decisions about the use of particular forces (nuclear ones, in particularly) & the use of its territory by its allies. The French cherish their alliance, but in ways that will allow them to decide their own destiny without being obligated to accept common solutions & decisions on the part of the organs of the NATO pact. This fact explains the heightened interest for the study of the conception of national security & the defense system of France & its specific features when compared to the defense systems of other countries within NATO. 24 References. Adapted from the source document.

At the invitation of the belligerent parties, the UN became an active participant in efforts to end the war in Croatia. To bring peace to Croatia, the UN Security Council expressed its readiness to send its military formations to Croatia & deploy them in the crisis areas. It must be said that the withdrawal of Yugoslav Army forces from Croatian territory was especially important for the Republic of Croatia, & this is one of the key points of the plan. The UN forces came to Croatia in two stages, with related substages. The first stage meant getting to know the lay of the land, the deployment of headquarters & logistics, & planning the deployment of UN units. The second stage of the peace activities began simultaneously in all the protected zones. In this stage the peace operation could no longer easily be stopped, regardless of the frequent breaches of the cease fire. The implementation of the peace operation in fact started with the third stage. The course of the peace operation depended on the complete & successful implementation of this third stage. It involved constant maintenance of connections & cooperation with the belligerent parties in the sector of activities. In the next stage, the UNPROFOR should have worked completely independently within its mandate. The fifth stage meant extending or decreasing the UNPROFOR mandate, & the sixth stage was to have been the end of the peace operation. In each of the stages, UNPROFOR met with different problems. UNPROFOR members were constantly in danger of losing their lives to mines, sudden ambushes, & kidnapping. These & other challenges to the personal safety of peace-force members were geared toward creating fear & trying to slow down the peace operation. The paramilitary formations in areas under UNPROFOR protection could not be disarmed in a one-year mandate, which was shown when hostilities were renewed at the beginning of 1993 in South Sector. 1 Figure, 7 References. Adapted from the source document.

During 2015, Europe was faced with the migration crisis, which was the
consequence of the peak of the perennial migration movements from Africa and
Asia, primarily towards the EU member states. Along with the unprecedented
number of migrants, the distinctive feature of migration movements was a
redirection of the migration route towards the so-called Balkan migration
route. Such a dynamic and the direction of movements presented the challenge
for the EU and transit countries of Southeastern and Central Europe, which
required sustainable solutions in the scope of crisis management. The paper
analyzes factors that affected the high increase in the movement of migrants
towards the EU member states, primarily into Germany, as well as those that
contributed to the opening of the Balkan route, which extended from Greece
through Austria towards the other Western European states. Additionally, the
paper discusses different actions taken by states affected by the crisis,
which were in the span from the humanitarian approach to the securitization.
The authors note that domestic and foreign policy goals usually determined
different approaches, while sustainability of the approach directly
correlated with the ability of the receiving countries to accept migrants.
The analysis shows that the only sustainable solution is the one that is
based on the factors affecting the migration movements. This applies equally
to the migration policies of the emissive, the receiving as well as transit
countries.

In search for security stability in the Balkans, one of mechanisms with great potential for solving numerous security issues between states of the region is the Stability Pact. Its primary scope of activities lies not in area of military security, but in a combat against new "soft" security threats (illegal trafficking of narcotics & weapons, illegal immigration, combat against organized crime in the region, ecological security). For Croatia, the framework of the Stability Pact could be one of the means for improving Croatian relations with neighbor states, especially with Bosnia & Herzegovina. In that regard, the Stability Pact is one of the means for achieving the Croatian strategic goal -- membership in the Euroatlantic institutions (NATO & EU). 11 References. Adapted from the source document.

The authors deal with the model of the realization of ethnic rights of national minorities in the Republic of Croatia. In the states in transition, these rights -- whether ethnic, religious, or linguistic -- have from the very beginning stood in the way of a broader democratization of the society. The issue of administrative regulation & practical realization of the freedoms & rights of national minorities is an important measure & test of the degree of the democratization of a society, & the accomplishment of this goal is one of the requirements for economic & political integration into European institutions. The Republic of Croatia, aware of this, & immediately upon gaining independence, not only provided for the continuation of the rights of the national minorities but also began defining a new -- for a democratic state more appropriate -- model of the realization of minority rights. 13 References. Adapted from the source document.