President Milanović Presented Monograph on Preparations for the Defense of Rijeka and Surrounding Area at Beginning of the Homeland War

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović received today the authors of a monograph entitled “Ratni štab Teritorijalne obrane Općine Rijeka u Domovinskom ratu” (War Headquarters of the Territorial Defense of the Municipality of Rijeka in the Homeland War), a work in which memories, photographs and numerous documents testifying to the preparations of Rijeka and its surrounding area for their defense at the beginning of the Homeland War were collected. Present at the meeting in the Office of the President of the Republic were the authors of the monograph, at the same time the leaders of the war headquarters of the Municipality of Rijeka: war headquarters commander Šime Radulić, deputy commander for intelligence Ljubomir Mičetić, assistant commander for security Jasenko Kolić, and head of military engineering Zdravko Turk.

In presenting the monograph to President Milanović, they indicated that its main purpose is to preserve the memory of the heroic times, the victory of community spirit and patriotism. “In the monograph we focused on original documents and photographs of the time that testify to the truth about the role of the war headquarters in the territorial defense of Rijeka which the book speaks of”, Radulić noted. In their discussion, they reminded of the many challenges and difficulties they faced while organizing the war headquarters, and of the results of the war headquarters’ activities. Among others, they highlighted that just a few days after the war headquarters in Rijeka were formed about 6,700 people responded to the call to Croatia’s defense.

“We gift this book to the citizens of Rijeka and all the municipalities and towns of the Rijeka perimeter that used to be part of the Municipality of Rijeka in 1991 as a testament to one period. Our wish is that the new generations of “the city that flows” in the future will not have the need to write books about war events in this area”, as stated in the introduction of the monograph of approximately 400 pages.

Alongside President Milanović at the meeting were the Adviser to the President for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Mulić, and the Special Adviser to the President for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković.

FOTO: Ured predsjednika Republike Hrvatske / Marko Beljan