The Adriatic Charter was established in 2003 at the initiative of then Secretary of State Colin Powell to incorporate all the Balkans states into NATO. At that time no Balkans country belonged to the military bloc. The following year Bulgaria and Romania joined, and thereafter four members of the Adriatic Charter – Albania, Croatia, (North) Macedonia and Montenegro – became NATO member states. Bosnia, Serbia and Kosovo are slated to follow. Bosnia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia were NATO’s first-ever war zones. Troops from Adriatic Charter member states have served under NATO command in Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Afghanistan and Iraq among other conflict zones. Note that the Pentagon and NATO treat Kosovo as a sovereign nation; indeed one they spawned.

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Allied Command Transformation Speaks at CSEL Course

Allied Command Operations (ACO) Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL) Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Siim Saliste visited the Croatian Armed Forces Military Academy’s CSEL Course on October 13, 2021.

During the visit CSM Saliste was welcomed by CSM Drazen Klanjec, CSEL of the Croatian Armed Forces, before speaking to senior enlisted leaders from nations represented in the Adriatic Charter including leaders from Allies Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia, the United States and hosts Croatia along with partner nations Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

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The Adriatic Charter is an association formed by Albania, Croatia, North Macedonia and the United States for the purpose of supporting their attempts to join NATO.

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Croatia joined NATO as a member in April 2009 and currently contributes to missions including the enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroups in both Poland and Lithuania, as well as Operation Sea [throughout the Mediterranean Sea] Guardian and Kosovo Force (KFOR).