Mali Lošinj - Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin met his Croatian counterpart Mario Banožić in the Croatian town of Mali Lošinj on Tuesday, discussing the situation in Ukraine and the Western Balkans. They also exchanged experience with transporting military equipment, the Slovenian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

At the meeting on the island of Lošinj, the pair assessed cooperation between Slovenia and Croatia in the fields of defence and military as very good.

The countries cooperate in military training, and Croatian soldiers will take part in an exercise scheduled to take place in Slovenia this autumn.

Tonin, who visited Croatia with Major General Robert Glavaš, chief of the general staff, proposed the countries intensify the cooperation in training and education.

The ministers also discussed the escalating situation in the Western Balkans and the need for an international mission to be present in the region.

They agreed, according to the Croatian Defence Ministry, that keeping peace and stability in the region, especially Bosnia-Herzegovina, is a priority for both Zagreb and Ljubljana.

Tonin also thanked his counterpart for Croatia helping put out a major fire in Slovenia in March with its Canadair plane.