Original scientific paper
Republic of Croatia in the Context of Regional Security: Challenges and Advantages
2025, 4 (1) p. 58-70
Abstract
The security position of the Republic of Croatia is shaped by the interaction of its internal capacities, regional environment, and Euro-Atlantic integration. Although Croatia has achieved a high level of institutional security and international integration through its membership in NATO and the European Union, its national security remains strongly conditioned by the dynamics of Southeast Europe, where political instability, unresolved security issues, and geopolitical competition among external actors persist. This article examines the contemporary security environment of Croatia by analysing strategic documents, reports from the Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA) and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia (MORH), as well as relevant academic literature, with the aim of identifying key threats, vulnerabilities, and available resources. The analysis is based on regional security theory, which emphasizes the interdependence of states within security complexes. Within this framework, Croatia is viewed as part of a broader regional system in which national security is shaped by internal capacities, regional dynamics, and Euro-Atlantic institutional structures. Such an analytical framework provides a comprehensive insight into how regional threats, geopolitical relations, and security cooperation shape Croatia’s current position and its ability to respond to complex security challenges.
Keywords
Regional security, Euro-Atlantic integration, Croatia, security threats, Southeast Europe