President Milanović in Križevci: Croatia must never become an office of Brussels commissars

17. September 2022.
16:33

The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović attended a celebration marking Homeland War Defenders Day in the City of Križevci and the 31st anniversary of the liberation of the former Yugoslav Army barracks “Kalnik” and the “Široko Brežje” ammunition warehouse in Križevci.

President Milanović says it important to mark Defenders Day and anniversaries commemorating the liberation of the former barracks and ammunition warehouses in Križevci and similar anniversaries throughout Croatia because “in a certain way it counters attempts to impose a new narrative”. In this regard he said that we must never get tired of proving certain things. “That we were attacked and that we didn’t want war. The war broke out and nobody helped us. What you captured in Križevci, what you have sacrificed – 37 lives is a huge contribution for a city of this size – that must never be forgotten”, President Milanović stated.

“When we were attacked nobody came to our aid. Month after month, year after year there was suspicion, blackmail, threats of sanctions. Our army had no ammunition, in liberating operations in 1994 and 1995 our army acted like a good host, knowing how much ammunition it had in its warehouses and that it wouldn’t last long”, President Milanović said, underlining that we shouldn’t forget and stop repeating that “the Croatian Army liberated Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country where today local Croats are being denied their basic rights in a thievish way. Without the Croatian Army –not the American, French and British bombers – the Serbian army of Karadžić and Mladić would never have agreed to lay down arms, sit at the negotiating table and accept Dayton. Maybe Dayton has no connection with Križevci, but this whole story definitely has a connection. Therefore, he who proves too much – is doing a good job”, the President said.

Furthermore, he said that we must not forget a further lesson that is important for Croatian history, and that is – when the big ones are fighting, the small ones don’t go under the table, but back away and wait for their chance. “We paid the bills for others for too long, the idea of the historical right to a state that was never forgotten, never disappeared in negotiations with all possible foreign masters – that is also something that must be preserved relentlessly, faithfully, stubbornly and never let Croatia become an office of Brussels commissars because all commissars are bad, those from Brussels are better than those from Moscow and Belgrade, but we do not have to accept that way of thinking,” President Milanović said.

On this occasion he repeated that Croatia defended itself in the Homeland War. “Nobody gave us anything. We must repeat this time and time again even to those who don’t wish to hear it, to those whose wives and children even husbands Croatia saved in the nineties by the tens of thousands – in Croatian cities, hotels – and who today don’t even want to say thank you but say that you are part of a joint criminal enterprise. As a Croatian man, a left-oriented politician, a liberal one, I’m fed up with that!”, President Milanović concluded.

On the occasion of Homeland War Defenders Day in the City of Križevci and the 31st anniversary of the liberation of the former Yugoslav Army barracks “Kalnik” and the “Široko Brežje” ammunition warehouse, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces bestowed the Order of the Croatian Trefoil for outstanding service to the Republic of Croatia upon Mate Babić, Željko Beroš and Mladen Boltek, and the Order of the Croatian Interlace for outstanding contribution to the development and reputation of the Republic of Croatia and the well-being of its citizens upon Damir Čerić, Nebojša Parazajda and Darko Pukec.

During his stay in Križevci the President of the Republic toured the “Memorial Room to the Croatian Defenders” in the “Franjo Marković” City Library, and laid a wreath at a memorial to the Croatian defenders “Ponos branitelja – u znaku križa”.

Alongside President Milanović was the Special Adviser to the President for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan