President Milanović on the procurement of military equipment: It’s a good thing that the Croatian Army is equipping itself, prices are another matter
“We are waiting for a series of contracts for the procurement and modernization of weapons that, once we buy and pay for them, will be ours. I am Commander-in-Chief and I cannot oppose any transaction that will ultimately result in more goods for the Croatian Army. Anything the Croatian Army gets more of, and currently does not have, is good. The price and the factors that come into play are another matter”, the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović stated today in Nova Gradiška when commenting on the Prime Minister’s stay in France with his delegation where the signing of contracts for the procurement of military equipment for the Croatian Army is expected.
“However, all this equipment, the purchase of which will be signed today, will come to Croatia and be available for the defence of the country in about five years, not sooner. Two world wars end in five years. This is because Croatia cannot fight for better, and no one can, because no one is able to produce that quantity for that price and that is our reality”, President Milanović added.
Speaking of the general state of the European industry, President Milanović underlined that “everything that goes towards strengthening Croatia materially and everything that can bring the Croatian economy towards strengthening production – is good and that is how it should be”.
“I am looking at what came from the European Union, how much money came from Brussels and where that money wento. Day care centres, libraries – that’s all your money, the original budget and direct funds from the budget. You got money for the innovation centre. That’s not production. When the European Union distributes money from those who have more to those who have less, it is careful not to give money directly for production,” President Milanović noted at the formal session of the City Council of Nova Gradiška on the occasion of Municipality Day and the feast of the Parish of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
He said that Nova Gradiška is developing, but that we cannot see it isolated from the Croatian economy just as “we cannot see Croatia isolated from the European and world economy.” “The manufacturing industry, which generates some profit, is, under normal circumstances, in a normal world in which Europe lives less and less, the actual and real power. The economy is, above all, material. Food, energy, production – the West where we belong, has quite elegantly solved all of this and “chased” it to the end of the world. And without production, without material, there is no power,” President Milanović indicated.
“Build a small community, be strong, homogeneous, stick together, cooperate with the outside world, attract foreign investors as much as you can and develop your own intelligence. Be careful how you do business and be careful when working with public money, the sensitivity of the Croatian people is extremely high here and rightly so, they have the right to do so. Happy Municipality Day,” President Milanović stated.
In addition to President Milanović, the formal session was attended by the President of the City Council of Nova Gradiška Dinka Matijević, Mayor Vinko Grgić, and the Brod-Posavina County-Prefect and delegate of the Prime Minister Danijel Marušić. Annual awards were presented to the most deserving individuals and organizations for their contribution to the development of the City.
Alongside President Milanović was the Adviser to the President for Local and Regional Self-Government Relations Nikša Peronja.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta