President Milanović Holds Meeting with Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces and his Associates, Heads of Directorates of the GS of the Armed Forces and Commanders of Armed Forces Branches
The President of the Republic and Commander in chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović convened and held a meeting today in the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces with the Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant general Tihomir Kundid and his associates, heads of Directorates of the GS and Commanders of Armed Forces branches.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces informed President Milanović of the state of staffing levels in the Armed Forces, the state of key weapons systems, the process of procurement of armoured vehicles and naval patrol vessels as well as budget plans related to equipping and modernizing the Armed Forces. Moreover, the Chief of the General Staff presented the Armed Forces’ priorities in the coming period, underlining the introduction of training for commissioned and non-commissioned officers for the reserve forces, raising the standard of accommodation in the Army, equipping guards brigades and reorganizing the Armed Forces to increase their efficiency. The meeting further addressed the effects of voluntary military service and the need for serious discussions on the possibility of introducing compulsory military service.
President Milanović stated, among others, that he would continue to advocate for equipping and strengthening the Armed Forces where need be in accordance with requirements and priorities as indicated by the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces.
Attending the meeting in addition to the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces were: Major general Krešo Tuškan, Director of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces; Major general Boris Zdilar, Assistant to the Chief of the GS for Healthcare; Brigadier general Ivan Turkalj, Director of the Military Security and Intelligence Agency; Major general Blaž Beretin, Commander of the Croatian Army; Major general Michael Križanec, Commander of the Croatian Air Force; Commodore Damir Dojkić, Commander of the Croatian Navy; Major general Slaven Zdilar, Commander of the “Dr. Franjo Tuđman“ Defence Academy; Brigadier general Ivan Raos, Deputy commander of the Support Command; Colonel Ivan Miloš, Commander of the Special Forces Command; Colonel Damir Šlat, Deputy head of the J-1 Directorate; Brigadier general Mijo Validžić, Head of the J-2 Directorate; Brigadier general Jozo Matković, Head of the J-4 Directorate; Colonel Branimir Tojčić, Deputy head of the J-5 Directorate; Colonel Tihomir Tomac, Deputy head of the J-6 Directorate; Major general Željko Ljubas, Commander of the Command-Operational Centre, and Lieutenant Colonel Krešimir Kršinić, Head of the Cabinet of the Chief of the General Staff.
Attending the meeting alongside the President were Ivica Olujić, Adviser to the President for Defence, Brigadier general Ivica Kranjčević, Head of the Military office of the Cabinet for Defence and National Security of the Office of the President, and Colonel Vlado Čulina, Aide-de-camp to the President.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek