SOFA – STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT

On behalf of the Republic of Croatia, H.E. Dr Ivan Grdesic, Croatian Ambassador to the United States, signed the Status of Forces Agreement, SOFA, on July 12, 2001. At the signing ceremony held at the U.S. Department of State, Ambassador Grdesic emphasized the importance of this agreement, which regulates the status of forces from NATO and Partnership for Peace countries during their stay in Croatia, as well as the rights of Croatian forces in those countries.

"In the last 18 months, the Government of Prime Minister Ivica Racan and President Stjepan Mesic put Croatia back on the map of European integration processes and transatlantic partnership“, stressed Ambassador Grdesic. The Croatian Ambassador also said, “cooperation of armed forces is the best indicator of partnership and trust among states… today, we can speak about special partnership with the U. S. Armed Forces, NATO and Partnership for Peace countries".