NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte meets with Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia
On Wednesday (17 June 2026), Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković to NATO Headquarters in Brussels. They discussed preparations for the upcoming Summit in Ankara and how NATO will continue to defend every inch of Allied territory.
The Secretary General and the Prime Minister discussed the importance of NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defence. They agreed that it is an essential mission to protect Croatia and other Allies against air and missile threats, from any direction. The Secretary General emphasised the importance of adapting NATO's policies, plans and capabilities to a changing security environment.
Mr Rutte and Prime Minister Plenković exchanged views on developments in the Western Balkans and reaffirmed the value of stability, dialogue and cooperation across the region. The Secretary General thanked Croatia for its steadfast support to Ukraine and contributions to the Alliance, including the KFOR peace keeping mission in Kosovo, and NATO Forward Land Forces (FLF). Mr Rutte welcomed the country's continued investment in defence and military modernisation.
