President Milanović at Croatian Navy Day Celebration in Split: Within the borders from Prevlaka to Savudrija, the sea is ours and our responsibility
The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović attended a ceremony in Split marking Croatian Navy Day and the 30th anniversary of the Croatian Navy’s establishment.
Every country has something that makes it unique, without which it wouldn’t be unique. For Croatia, “it is the sea, the entire sea. The sea is a synonym for Croatia. Of course, the continental part of the country, the Dalmatian Hinterland and the northern part of the country are Croatia, but the sea and every bit of it, from Savudrija to Prevlaka, those one thousand miles – that is what Croatia is about,” President Milanović said in his address at the ceremony held on the occasion of Croatian Navy Day.
He recalled that in its entire history, it is only in the last thirty years of statehood that Croatia has controlled its borders from Prevlaka to Savudrija. “It is all ours and we are responsible for it. This generation of Croatian people, Croatian sailors, those who gave their lives and those who are working, building and making this possible, together with the Croatian police at sea, so that (the sea) is guarded, safe and ours – they deserve credit. Due to envy, ambition and greed, a lot of blood has been shed in order to ultimately make this possible, to protect it and keep it ours. And that has a price not only in terms of human lives, but also in terms of what is less important, and that is money,” said President Milanović.
“We will have to allocate money. That is why, being aware of how much this costs, I am saying that our duty is rational, practical and that we should take and make use of every euro that is available to us in European funds – precisely so that we have the money for that, which no one will give us, which we will have to pay for ourselves, even when it is sold to us by our closest allies, and that is weapons. This costs money and in the end all that nice cooperation and all those nice words and defense programs, unfortunately, always come down to the basic principle: everyone is responsible for their own defense. Ultimately, one will have how much one estimates one needs and how much one pays,” President Milanović underscored.
“From this important place for Croatia – and all places are important in their own way, but without its maritime identity, Croatia would not be as others see it, and how others see you is very often more important than how you see yourself, because that view is very often murky and unrealistic – I say once again: protect every corner of our sacred Croatian sea,” President Milanović told the members of the Croatian Navy and Maritime Police at the end of his address.
On the occasion of marking Croatian Navy Day and the 30th anniversary of the Croatian Navy’s establishment, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces presented the Order of the Croatian Trefoil to Captain Zoran Medvidović, Commander Željko Doko, Lieutenant Colonel Dražen Milinović and Major Milan Kronja for extraordinary services to the Republic of Croatia in a state of war and under special circumstances in peace.
The President of the Republic decorated Lieutenant Colonel Ante Boko, Lieutenant Commander Nenad Kontri, Master Sergeant Duško Radić and Master Sergeant Pero Tadić with the Order of the Croatian Interlace for extraordinary contributions to the development and the reputation of the Republic of Croatia, as well as to the welfare of its citizens.
The President of the Republic issued a Decision on the promotion of active duty officers of the Croatian Armed Forces. Lieutenant Commander Ivo Musulin was promoted to the rank of Commander, Lieutenant Junior Grade Sanja Čajsa was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Lieutenant Junior Grade Dino Čobo was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
The President of the Republic commended Lieutenant Colonel Branimir Gaćina-Bilin on Croatian Navy Day for successfully completing a task and for achieving above-average results in the execution of assigned tasks.
Apart from President Milanović, Commander of the Croatian Navy Rear Admiral Ivo Raffanelli, Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Admiral Robert Hranj, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Croatia and envoy of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Mario Banožić, and MP and envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Ante Bačić delivered addresses at the ceremony marking Croatian Navy Day and the 30th anniversary of the Croatian Navy’s establishment. Attending the celebration alongside President Milanović was Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan