President Milanović after NATO Summit: Some leaders were not even aware of the crash of the unmanned aerial vehicle in Zagreb until I told them
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović participated in the Extraordinary Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government, which focused on continued allied support to Ukraine.
After the summit President Milanović spoke to Croatian journalists, who asked the President whether there were any discussions about the region and Bosnia and Herzegovina. “The region was discussed, Bosnia and Herzegovina as a country that is allegedly threatened, and Moldova and Georgia, but nobody mentioned Serbia and Kosovo. Serbia is a country that is not in the eastern flank. It has elections in a few days and I have the impression that it has been in a sort of identity crisis for a long time and has difficulty to comprehend that, ultimately, it is of little significance to Russia. For us, NATO and the EU, that is important because Serbia is negotiating. We want the country to be stable, with a clear prospect of the future in the West, we want an offer of that to be made a little more clearly in the current situation. That would certainly be an opportunity that should not be missed and eventually it would be up to them to decide. And Kosovo, which unfortunately has still not been recognized by four members for reasons that have long been either meaningless or outdated. I called on a more serious dialogue with Serbia so that we can finally integrate Kosovo and so it can fully become a state,” President Milanović said after the meeting.
He added that for now it is not planned for Croatian soldiers to be sent to Hungary. “The decision has been signed and when the soldiers will go remains to be seen. Croatia will act very cautiously,” the President said in response to a journalist’s question on whether Croatian soldiers will become members of four new battlegroups in the eastern part of the alliance.
“Currently, Croatia has no soldiers there. When and how many soldiers will go will be decided jointly, ultimately it will be decided by me or by Parliament,” President Milanović said, replying to a journalist’s question about sending Croatian soldiers to the alliance’s eastern flank. “In the end, we manage these things and we decide when and how much. You can be calm, this is not an attack on a NATO member, this is an attack on the neighbourhood and the decision on sending soldiers will not be made by anyone but us.”
President Milanović confirmed that he discussed the crash of an unmanned aerial vehicle in Zagreb at the Extraordinary Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government, pointing out that some of the NATO officials were not even aware of the crash. “Some did not know, you could tell from their reaction,” he said, pointing out that he had explained to them the fact that the aerial vehicle flew over NATO territory for one hour before crashing. “I also spoke with Prime Minister Orban. It happened and hopefully it won’t happen again. But this is not a NATO matter, the first country should have reacted to that, and that country is Hungary. I think it won’t happen again. I think they are extra cautious now,” he added.
Answering questions from journalists, the President also spoke about the investigation into the crash of the unmanned aerial vehicle in Zagreb. “The State Attorney’s Office has suddenly shown great interest in public interest. They kept silent for days while every HDZ fledgling interpreted in their own way what crashed in Zagreb and how much explosive it carried. Now I call on those who were harassing us for days with their versions of the event to address the public and tell us about the latest developments, so I don’t have to do it,” President Milanović said, adding that he expects the report of the Ivan Vučetić Forensic Science Centre to be published.
“The forensic report is the only relevant document. The State Attorney’s Office is not in charge of the case because procedurally it was not known what to do with this case and against whom the investigation is being launched. This case is actually not for the State Attorney’s Office, but then it issued a statement a week after the drone crash in order to protect someone. The investigation is ongoing. When people from the political leadership commented on the results of an ongoing investigation, an incomplete investigation and before a forensic report, the State Attorney’s Office kept silent. I don’t believe that the State Attorney’s Office should be in charge of this case, a special commission should have been set up,” President Milanović also said.
The President added that information on the investigation was available to the Ministry of Defence, the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Minister of Defence Banožić, Prime Minister Plenković and him. “They talk, I keep silent because I don’t have the final findings,” President Milanović underscored.
The President confirmed that NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s term had been extended for a year. “This may not be the time to change the Secretary General. I don’t know who will succeed him, but if you want it to be someone from Croatia, then don’t talk about it too much,” President Milanović told reporters.
The NATO Heads of State and Government issued a statement after the Extraordinary Summit in which they emphasized that they remain united and resolute in their determination to oppose Russia’s aggression, aid the government and the people of Ukraine, and defend the security of all allies.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek, NATO