President Milanović in Đakovo: Without the help of the Croatian state and military, the Bosnia and Herzegovina of today would not exist
The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović attended today in the town of Đakovo a special session held on the 15th anniversary of the foundation of the 122nd Croatian Army Brigade Veterans Association of Đakovo.
In his address at the event, President Milanović told those present we must never forget that Croatia was successfully defended by a small number of the right kind of people. “Those right people were young men in 1991. In the meantime, many of them became fathers who are today grandfathers. Soon, their sons and daughters will take the helm in the arena of social, political and every walk of life in Croatia, if they haven’t already, and they must not forget that all this would not have happened without you!”, said the President, adding that such people defended Croatia at a time when no one was helping and no one cared about Croatia.
“I am referring to the situation in 1991, to the months before Croatia’s international recognition. After the recognition it’s a different story. All this would not have happened if there were no Croatian soldiers,” he added.
The President of the Republic said that many years have passed since that generation managed to defend Croatia and he considers it important that the truth about what really happened be summed up in as few clear, articulate sentences as possible that are clear to everyone and simply represent the truth. “Yes, the truth is often in the eye of the beholder, but let us stick to what is impartial – you liberated Croatia yourselves thanks to the determination of the Croatian political leadership of that time and the first Croatian President Dr. Tuđman, the Croatian generals of the Homeland War, but also those who were educated previously in the system of the former army and state,” said the President.
“It will soon be ten years since the last Croatian generals, Gotovina and Markač, were acquitted of war crimes charges. It was a political process whose goal was to simply humiliate and neutralize Croatia’s morale and energy. I have no other expression. That failed for a number of reasons,” President Milanović told those present.
Expressing his deepest respect for Croatian defenders, President Milanović reiterated that “today, after thirty years, the truth about the Homeland War and everything that the Croatian Army and the Croatian state have done for themselves is seen more clearly.” He ended his address with another call for helping the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina who, as he put it, “a little less than thirty years since Dayton deserve at least a hint of justice, because without the Croatian military and the Croatian state, the Bosnia and Herzegovina of today – which we wish all the best because we do not have the soul of a conqueror but of a friend and neighbour – would not exist!”
The marking of the 15th anniversary of the foundation of the 122nd Croatian Army Brigade Veterans Association started with a wreath-laying and candle-lighting ceremony in memory of the fallen members of the 122nd Croatian Army Brigade and all fallen, missing and deceased Croatian defenders at the memorial to the fallen Croatian defenders of Đakovština. After the ceremony, the opening of a photo exhibition illustrating 15 years of activity of the 122nd Croatian Army Brigade Veterans Association took place at the Cultural Centre in Đakovo.
Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković was alongside President Milanović.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta