Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said on Saturday, the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Croatian Armed Forces, she believed that in remembering the moments of pride and patriotism, we would rally around the joint idea to be more brave, more in agreement and more determined in overcoming difficulties and on the road towards the completion of accession negotiations with the European Union.
"This is a big day for all of us. On the anniversary of the Croatian Armed Forces, we remember all those brave Croatian soldiers who deserve the most credit for the free, independent, democratic and European Croatia, the most credit for the fact that we are completing European Union accession negotiations," Kosor said after laying wreaths at Zagreb's Mirogoj cemetery on the occasion of Armed Forces Day, Ground Forces Day, and the 20th anniversary of the Croatian army.
These are days when we remember the establishment of the Croatian army, all those difficult moments in the fight for freedom and during the liberation of Croatia, said Kosor.
We remember the "huge pride and the huge patriotism that gave us all strength and today, remembering those moments, I believe we will once again rally around the joint idea to be more brave, more in agreement and more combative in overcoming difficulties, including economic ones, as well as on the road towards the completion of European Union accession negotiations," Kosor said, recalling this was also the year in which Croatia was marking its 20th independence anniversary.
Asked about the state of the Armed Forces, she said it was good.
"We are a proud NATO member. Together with our partners we take part in preserving peace around the world and, despite difficulties, we will continue modernising the Armed Forces," she said, adding this was our task and that we could be very proud.
"So much has happened in 20 years. I often say, to other peoples that happens in hundreds of years, and to us it happened in 20."
A member of the press said her "popularity has risen after a long time" and asked what could be the reason, to which Kosor replied that if it was so, it was good that others commented on it and not she. "My job is to work," she said.
On the occasion of today's anniversaries, Parliament Speaker Luka Bebic and a parliamentary delegation, Kosor and a government delegation, Homeland War associations, delegations of the president of the republic, the Armed Forces, and the Police Directorate laid wreaths and lit candles at Zagreb's Mirogoj cemetery.
