Milanovic called on the government, which is responsible for the procurement of military equipment and weapons, to “halt all planned agreements, contracts or arrangements that would include the purchase of weapons and military equipment from Israel.”
He added that the prime minister’s responsibility is to act in accordance with Croatia’s national interests, which he said include “cooperation with NATO allies” and strengthening the capacity of Croatian industry to participate, directly or indirectly, in the production of military equipment.
Anusic said on the US social media platform X that during his visit to Tel Aviv, he met with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and discussed “strengthening bilateral cooperation at the level of the defence ministries” as well as closer ties between the Croatian and Israeli defence industries.
He said the talks focused on the exchange of experience and knowledge, particularly in advanced Israeli technologies, including the Trophy Active Protection System, which is integrated into the German Leopard 2A8 tanks being procured by Croatia.
He thanked Katz for granting the export license for the Trophy system, saying it makes the Leopard 2A8 “one of the best tanks in the world.”
“There is great potential for cooperation with the Israeli industry, and the Ministry of Defence will continue to develop it for the benefit of our Armed Forces and Croatia’s security,” Anusic said.