14 years ago today, Croatia joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On the occasion of that anniversary, the Minister of Defence, Mario Banožić, said that during that period, the Croatian Army proved that it stands side by side with the great military forces. "Our servicemen and women in NATO, through guided missions, operations and activities, prove their excellence, professionalism and readiness to carry out even the most demanding tasks," he said.

"The entry of the Republic of Croatia into NATO was the achievement of one of the most important foreign policy and security goals since independence, and that is why today we can proudly say that we have achieved everything that our Croatian veterans fought for and believed in,” said the minister.

And added “We believe that only a strong, solid, reliable and interoperable partner and ally can contribute to the Alliance and its goals," he concluded.

On this day in 2009 Croatia became a full member of NATO along with Albania. The North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two North American.