ZAGREB, August 4, 2019 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Sunday issued a message on the occasion of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and Veterans Day, saying that Croatians today remember with pride and special respect every life given for the freedom of Croatia, a law-based country that will be chairing the European Union in the first half of 2020.
By celebrating Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and Veterans Day, Croatia marks with pride the 24th anniversary of the magnificent military and police operation Storm. On 5 August 1995, Croatia's constitutional and legal order was restored in most of the occupied parts of its territory, which brought freedom and peace to the homeland, PM Plenković said in the message.
With the self-sacrifice and courage of Croatian defenders, the skill of army and police commanders, the unity of the Croatian people and the wisdom of Croatia's first president, Franjo Tuđman, in only four days the largest part of occupied areas was liberated. The constitutional order of the sovereign, independent and internationally recognised Croatia was restored in the town of Knin, a centre of Croatian statehood, and Operation Storm also put an end to the siege of Bihac and helped liberate a large part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the PM said.
Owing to Operation Storm, the country's then leadership also enabled, with the help of the United Nations, a peaceful reintegration of Vukovar and the entire Croatian Danube region, which in 1998 resulted in the restoration of Croatia's territorial integrity. Thousands of displaced persons were able to return to their homes, and a lasting peace enabled the country's reconstruction and revitalisation, said the PM.
The Croatian government responsibly protects the dignity of Croatian defenders and will continue to work with commitment on improving their social status as well as on continuing the modernisation of the army and police forces, which are a guarantee of the security of the Croatian state and its citizens, said Plenković.
Inspired by patriotism and Homeland War values, we are working with determination on reforms to build a mature, democratic, socially sensitive, economically strong and competitive country, which is worthy of the sacrifice built into the foundations of its statehood, Plenković said, offering his best wishes to Croats in the country and abroad, defenders and fellow citizens on the occasion of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and Veterans Day.
President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, too, issued a message on the occasion of the August 5 holidays, calling for tireless patriotism.
The victory in Operation Storm made the Croats' dream of freedom and independence a reality, enabling the country to become a full member of the international community, she said.
"Let us always be tireless in patriotism! Let us build our beautiful homeland in unity, solidarity and respect for each other, so it can become more prosperous and more just, the way previous generations dreamed it would be and the way our defenders wanted it to be," the president said in her message.
More news about the Homeland War can be found in the Politics section.
