Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović

What was it like learning about NATO while growing up in the former Yugoslavia? Why did NATO launch “out-of-area” operations in the Western Balkans following the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s? What was the road to NATO membership like for Albania and Croatia, and how did these countries help pave the way for other countries in the region to join the Alliance? In this episode, former President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović reflects on her country’s journey to independence and its decision to “rejoin the European family” by becoming a member of NATO and the European Union. She also speaks about how Croatia has helped other countries in southeast Europe join the Alliance, and how this experience will support the future membership of further countries, including Ukraine. In addition to serving as President of Croatia (2015-2020), she was also the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (2005-2008), Ambassador to the United States (2008-2011) and NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy (2011-2014), so she played a crucial role in bringing Croatia into NATO and in its early years of membership in the Alliance.