BERLIN

Croatia signed an agreement with Germany on Wednesday to purchase 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks during Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic's visit to Berlin.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Chancellor Merz expressed gratitude for Croatia's decision. "I sincerely thank you for this trust," Merz said. "This strengthens our armed forces as NATO allies and integrates them seamlessly and efficiently through our systems. This has never been more important than today."

"It shows we stand together in the EU and in NATO. But it also shows we have the means to respond to current threats from Russia and others to our security and our integrity," Merz added.

Plenkovic emphasized the importance of acquiring the advanced Leopard tanks for his country, noting that Croatia will continue to modernize its armed forces while benefiting from newly established EU defense programs and contributing to common defense efforts.

"This is an important step when it comes to technology transfer in Croatia, to the transition to Western technology, where we can continue to strengthen cooperation in the area of defense and security — for example with DOK-ING company and others," he said.