{"id":37854,"date":"2025-05-28T15:49:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T13:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/?post_type=news&p=37854"},"modified":"2025-05-28T15:49:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T13:49:09","slug":"president-milanovic-on-accusations-from-bih-against-croatian-wartime-commanders-this-must-stop-because-it-is-political-abuse","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/en\/news\/president-milanovic-on-accusations-from-bih-against-croatian-wartime-commanders-this-must-stop-because-it-is-political-abuse\/","title":{"rendered":"President Milanovi\u0107 on accusations from BiH against Croatian wartime commanders: This must stop because it is political abuse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cCroatia needs people, we lack manpower. In their addresses the Defence Minister and the Prime Minister did not mention the Defence Act and its amendments related to military service, namely compulsory military service and voluntary military service. In a few days local elections will be over and done with, therefore this will be talked about more openly and there will be a more active approach to this issue. This is something that Croatia needs\u201d, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanovi\u0107 stated at the formal session marking Croatian Army Day and the 34th<\/sup> anniversary of the formation of the Croatian Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President of the Republic cautioned that Croatia \u201cis practically without reserve forces\u201d. \u201cIn the past 17 years young Croatian men are not being trained for the army. This is how \u2013 within the framework of Constitutional limitations \u2013 that a somewhat larger number of people, perhaps a few thousand a year be motivated to serve at least a few months in the army.  And then that will be a pool from which national defence needs can be drawn. Without that, all what is being purchased and on which large sums of our money are being spent will be much weaker\u201d, President Milanovi\u0107 explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this context he talked about equipping the Croatian Army. \u201cCroatia needs modern defence systems. My advice is when making decisions about this, it be done with caution and shrewdness because the price may not be important for some things, but for others it should be considered how necessary they are and how much they cost.  The role of the Army and of the General Staff is to assess what we need and what we will educate people for\u201d, the President said, and added that in this sense he expects a major contribution by the new Dr. Franjo Tu\u0111man Defence and Security University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCroatia is a loyal member of NATO and we have demonstrated this from the first day. Our Army was in Poland and Lithuania and will be again in the future, this is not disputed. Article 5 of the agreement contains a security clause and we take it seriously, it is the chalice of a long-term alliance from which we will all drink together if it becomes too tight and if any of the members, today there are 32, is attacked. And in that sense, we will respond with all appropriate means, including military force,\u201d President Milanovi\u0107 said, speaking about Croatia’s membership in NATO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But he added that NATO today is not the same as when it was founded, and that the members must demonstrate reason and responsibility in the current situation. \u201cAs we are loyal and as we take the commitments we make seriously \u2013 and we will not turn our backs on anyone, because that is our culture \u2013 we must also warn that our behaviour in a critical situation may depend on the behaviour of others, which we cannot influence. All of us in NATO bear a certain amount of responsibility for our own behaviour in the context, environment and geography in which we live. We all need to be reasonable, responsible, and cause as little trouble as possible, while protecting our independence and our status,\u201d the President noted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his speech, President Milanovi\u0107 further warned about the fact that even today, 30 years after the war, from neighbouring states, first of all Bosnia and Herzegovina, accusations are being made against Croatian wartime commanders. \u201cThis must stop, this is an outright political game and outright political abuse\u201d, President Milanovi\u0107 stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSuch things must never happen again. I don’t see what the next goal is that could compromise us or restrain our action so that we don’t receive indictments against our wartime commanders from neighbouring countries, primarily from Bosnia and Herzegovina, after 30 years. All indictments coming from Bosnia and Herzegovina for alleged crimes allegedly committed in the fight against Bosniak or Serb forces are coming through the Sarajevo prosecutor’s office. These are all indictments for collective command responsibility based on the conviction of six Croatian officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina. What is the role of the Croatian state in this? This must stop, this is an outright political game, outright political abuse\u201c, the President warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019s time to say \u2013 that\u2019s enough. And especially for what is being done to Croatia, to accuse the army that liberated Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Croatian Army liberated BiH, without the Croatian Army there is no Dayton, it does not even exist in theory\u201c, President Milanovi\u0107 said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the occasion of Croatian Army Day and the 34th<\/sup> anniversary of the formation of the Croatian Army at a ceremony held in the Croatian Army \u201cZvonimir\u201c auditorium, President Milanovi\u0107 presented commendations to members of the Croatian Armed Forces who completed tasks with above-average results. The recipients of the commendations are:  Lieutenant-Colonel Marijo Mandl, Master Sergeant \u017deljko Jakir\u010devi\u0107, Master sergeant Ante Dadi\u0107, Staff Sergeant Tihomir Kne\u017eevi\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the ceremony, in addition to the commendations of the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces, members of the Croatian Armed Forces received awards, medals and commendations from Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ivan Anu\u0161i\u0107, and awards, commendations and rank decrees from the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the ceremony marking Croatian Army Day and the 34th<\/sup> anniversary of the formation of the Croatian Army besides President Milanovi\u0107 were the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ivan Anu\u0161i\u0107 and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovi\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside President Milanovi\u0107 were the Head of the Office of the President of the Republic Orsat Miljeni\u0107, the Adviser to the President for Defense Ivica Oluji\u0107, the  Adviser to the President for National Security Dragan Lozan\u010di\u0107, the Adviser to the President for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Marekovi\u0107, the Head of the Military Office in the Cabinet for Defence and National Security of the Office of the President of the Republic Brigadier General Ivica Kranj\u010devi\u0107, the Aide-de-camp to the President of the Republic Colonel Vlado \u010culina; and the secretary of the Military Office of the Cabinet for Defence and National Security in the Office of the President of the Republic Lieutenant-Colonel Sini\u0161a Mari\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia \/ Filip Glas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cCroatia needs people, we lack manpower. In their addresses the Defence Minister and the Prime Minister did not mention the Defence Act and its amendments related to military service, namely compulsory military service and voluntary military service. In a few days local elections will be over and done with, therefore this will be talked about more openly and there will be a more active approach to this issue. This is something that Croatia needs\u201d, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanovi\u0107 stated at the formal session marking Croatian Army Day and the 34th anniversary of the formation of the Croatian Army.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":37846,"template":"","news-cat":[12],"class_list":["post-37854","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-cat-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPresident Milanovi\u0107 on accusations from BiH against Croatian wartime commanders: This must stop because it is political abuse - President of the Republic of Croatia - Zoran Milanovi\u0107<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/en\/news\/president-milanovic-on-accusations-from-bih-against-croatian-wartime-commanders-this-must-stop-because-it-is-political-abuse\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"President Milanovi\u0107 on accusations from BiH against Croatian wartime commanders: This must stop because it is political abuse - President of the Republic of Croatia - Zoran Milanovi\u0107\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cCroatia needs people, we lack manpower. 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