\u201cWe agreed that the session of the Defence Council would take place between the two rounds of elections \u2013 that was our shared position even two weeks ago. Now is the time. We\u2019ll be discussing some documents \u2013 some of which we should have addressed long ago, but better late than never,\u201d said the President of the Republic Zoran Milanovi\u0107 on Wednesday in Brela, commenting on the agreement to hold the Defence Council session on Friday, 23 May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The President of the Republic stressed the importance of dialogue and coordination between institutions. \u201cSome documents fall under my jurisdiction, and some can be formally adopted by the Government and the ruling majority without me. However, it would be better if we could reach an agreement, as decisions made unilaterally could have repercussions for military management later on. Ongoing discussion and agreement are necessary wherever possible. I cannot dictate how much Croatia allocates for defence \u2013 that is the Government\u2019s responsibility \u2013 but with that responsibility also comes accountability for success or failure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Milanovi\u0107 confirmed that the reintroduction of compulsory military service should also be discussed at the session, \u201calbeit within the limitations imposed by the Croatian Constitution,\u201d adding that individuals would be able to opt for a civilian alternative. \u201cI believe this new concept is better than what we currently have \u2013 which is essentially nothing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also voiced concern about the current state of the reserve forces: \u201cI think we\u2019re losing our reserves \u2013 reservists are people who have had some military training. The last basic training was in 2007. That means those people are now 18 years older and soon won\u2019t meet the physical requirements. We need to motivate and invite a larger number of people to take part in two-month training. It can\u2019t be shorter \u2013 and even two months is too short \u2013 but it\u2019s still better than what we\u2019ve had so far,\u201d he said, noting that compulsory service will be part of Friday\u2019s discussion at the Defence Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When asked about the possibility of increasing defence spending to 5% of GDP, President Milanovi\u0107 responded: \u201cThat\u2019s not a legal obligation. If NATO adopts such a measure at the next summit, it won\u2019t carry legal weight. Croatia certainly won\u2019t oppose such conclusions, but we won\u2019t be able to implement them \u2013 it\u2019s too much. At present, we\u2019re spending less than 2%. Two percent is about two billion dollars. Now imagine five percent \u2013 that\u2019s five billion, because according to the latest figures, our nominal GDP is nearly 100 billion dollars. It sounds like a lot \u2013 and it is \u2013 but the real question is: what can you actually buy with that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, the President reiterated his position on holding a military parade to mark the anniversary of Operation Storm: \u201cIf there\u2019s going to be a parade for Storm, then it should be held on 4 August \u2013 just like ten years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked about the possibility of Croatia becoming a drone exporter, President Milanovi\u0107 said: \u201cI would love for that to be possible. It would mean we could also acquire domestically produced drones for our own needs \u2013 and probably at a better price.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also warned in this context about the inflated prices of foreign combat systems: \u201cWe can\u2019t buy from the Chinese or the Russians \u2013 that\u2019s out of the question. So we\u2019re left with a very narrow market. A narrow market means monopoly and the absence of real competition. In the end, someone has to pay the price \u2013 and that\u2019s the Croatian people, citizens, and taxpayers. The Government doesn\u2019t have much room to manoeuvre, but it must be vigilant to avoid overpaying. The prices are astronomical, especially when you consider what these systems actually offer and what a potential adversary could use to neutralise or destroy them. We\u2019re talking about enormous sums of money,\u201d he emphasised.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cWe agreed that the session of the Defence Council would take place between the two rounds of elections \u2013 that was our shared position even two weeks ago. Now is the time. We\u2019ll be discussing some documents \u2013 some of which we should have addressed long ago, but better late than never,\u201d said the President of the Republic Zoran Milanovi\u0107 on Wednesday in Brela, commenting on the agreement to hold the Defence Council session on Friday, 23 May.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":37697,"template":"","news-cat":[12],"class_list":["post-37699","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-cat-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n