President Milanović Urges Croatian Parliament to Approve Aid for NATO Allies Poland and Lithuania
“I call on the Croatian Parliament, within its powers, to make a decision grounded in appropriate international legal documents, including those of the UN Security Council and NATO, regarding the provision of aid to the member states of the Alliance, Poland and Lithuania. This decision should be made by the end of this session, by the 15th of December, so that the soldiers, their commanders, their families, and their careers are not left in uncertainty or subjected to further delays. We must do this. It is both our obligation and our free will to participate in this effort,” said the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović. He also reminded that the Croatian Parliament still has before it a decision on deploying members of the Croatian Armed Forces to missions worldwide and across Europe, including to NATO allies Poland and Lithuania.
“We are talking about countries that are members of the Alliance, which we joined of our own free will and with clear understanding, thereby assuming certain obligations. Our obligations towards the members of the Alliance, in this case Poland and Lithuania, are quite clear. They have expressed a need, a sense of insecurity, a certain fear, and a request for assistance, and we are here to respond. However, this applies strictly to the members of the Alliance. Any broader or more flexible interpretation is dangerous and should be approached with caution,” said the President of the Republic at the send-off ceremony for the 42nd contingent of Croatian troops participating in the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping mission in the Republic of Kosovo.
Speaking to members of the 42nd Croatian contingent about NATO’s KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, the President of the Republic described the mission as “imposing peace.” “It is about preventing conflict and maintaining the status quo, imposing peace on those who think differently. You are embarking on a mission to preserve and impose peace – not through the use of force, but by demonstrating the potential for force, with the hope that such force will never need to be applied.”
Likewise, he highlighted the fact that members of the Croatian Armed Forces are being deployed to a country recognized by Croatia but not by several NATO members. “Interestingly, this mission is organized by NATO, an alliance whose members have not unanimously recognized that country. It is a mission supported by a legal framework established by the United Nations Security Council. This is a mission grounded in international law, unlike some others, based on a Security Council decision made long ago, which is now subject to varying interpretations, but it remains valid,” said the President.
He added that Croatia will always participate in such missions and stated, “Croatia will also take part in this other mission in the Western Balkans, the mission to preserve peace and support the implementation of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” a mission in which Croatia is not currently participating. “It is not that we must be present in every mission, nor is it an imperative, but in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country we consider a friend, we want to participate. So far, we have been unable to do so solely due to the will – or ill will – of certain bureaucrats in Brussels. We will change that; it is a matter of principle. If we can be in Kosovo, where the Alliance and the citizens of that country welcome us, then we can also be in a neighbouring country. If Turkey and Austria, which is not a NATO member, can participate, then so can Croatia,” emphasized President Milanović.
The President of the Republic wished the members of the 42nd Croatian contingent departing for Kosovo good luck and success, as well as safety and peace. “You have chosen a profession that is always dangerous and uncertain, and it is the responsibility of the state to provide you with maximum support so that you return from this experience wiser, more knowledgeable, better trained, and, above all, alive and healthy,” he said.
The majority of the 42nd Croatian contingent is composed of members of the Croatian Army from the Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade, with additional participation from the Croatian Air Force, Support Command, and Intelligence Regiment. A total of 132 officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers are currently engaged in the mission. Members of the Croatian Armed Forces are stationed at KFOR Command in Priština and Regional Command West in Peć. Their deployment is for a period of up to seven months, while the national support element is deployed for up to nine months.
In addition to the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces, the members of the 42nd contingent of Croatian troops participating in the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping mission in the Republic of Kosovo were also greeted by the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid, and the contingent commander, Colonel Mile Vukičević.
President Milanović was accompanied at the ceremony by the Adviser to the President of the Republic for Defense Ivica Olujić and Aide-de-Camp to the President of the Republic Colonel Vlado Čulina.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas