President Milanović in Pakrac Attends Commemoration Marking 31st Anniversary of Beginning of Homeland War
The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović attended a commemoration marking the 31st anniversary of the beginning of the Homeland War. He repeated there that thirty one years ago a small number of right people defended Pakrac.
“I frequently repeat these few words. In many wars, especially in our Homeland War, everything depended on a small number of good, right and bold people who were prepared to die at a critical moment. However, that small number of people, we’re talking about thousands of them in all of Croatia in 1991, perhaps a hundred or more here in Pakrac, prevented all of Croatia from falling”, the President noted.
“Croatia was liberated and belongs to the Western community of nations. We have always belonged here in respect, understanding and recognition of those who are different”, President Milanović stated, referring to the war in Ukraine. “Today in Ukraine a battle is not being fought between two nations or two races, it is a similar people. It is a battle for European values, for principals that are perhaps not the same in each state, for the right of a nation to choose its own path so as not to harm the other. They have our support”, President Milanović remarked among other things.
The President said that today Croatia is a stable, safe and peaceful country, a country with human and minority rights. He added that in 1991 nobody in Croatia could have dreamed that difficult and horrible events would occur because Croatia aspired to the West, believed and strived to become a member of the European Union. “Unfortunately, we waited until 2013. For our neighbours not to have to wait as long, first and foremost Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also other countries of the region, one should be smart and wiser than in the past and help them achieve it quicker with all their deficiencies, just like we had, deficiencies that they will remedy with our help. If we leave them aside it will not be good for us either. Our security is resolved in Croatia, and outside too, with all due respect for everybody and everybody’s integrity and independence”, President Milanović said in concluding his address.
The Homeland War in Croatia began in the night of 1 to 2 March 1991 with an armed conflict between Croatian police units and rebellious Serbs. Thanks to a quick intervention by the Special Forces from Rakitje, Lučko and Bjelovar, the police station in Pakrac was liberated and the rebels were expelled from the town. It was the first open armed conflict on the territory of the Republic of Croatia.
Tribute was paid to the fallen Croatian defenders at a wreath-laying and candle lighting ceremony at the Memorial to the Fallen Croatian Defenders in the Homeland War in Pakrac’s Main Square. In addition to President Milanović, a wreath was laid by the families of the fallen, deceased and missing Croatian defenders and participants in this action on 1-2 March 1991, a delegation of the Croatian Parliament and the Government, and representatives of the County, towns and municipalities and of defenders associations.
After the wreath-laying ceremony, addressing the assembled defenders participants of the event of 1-2 March 1991, the representatives of the Croatian Army and the Interior Ministry, the state institutions and heads of local and regional self-governments in addition to President Milanović were: the president of the Croatian Police Association Defenders of Pakrac and LIpik, and the president of Pakrac Municipal Council Miroslav Ivančić, the president of the Association of War Members of the Antiterrorist Unit Lučko ’90 Darko Lutring, envoy of the Croatian Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Veterans’ Affairs Darko Nekić, and the envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, the Mayor of Pakrac and Member of Parliament Anamarija Blažević.
President Milanović also paid tribute at the Memorial erected to the memory of all participants of the action in front of the Pakrac police station. Alongside President Milanović at the commemoration marking the 31st anniversary of the beginning of the Homeland War was the Special Adviser to the President for Veterans Affairs Marijan Mareković.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek