Plenković invites citizens to historic parade

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković invited citizens to come to the parade on July 31st to support the Armed Forces and be part of a historic event in which more than 3,400 members of the Croatian Armed Forces will participate, and stressed that preparations for the parade are going well.

In the introductory part of the Government session on Thursday, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that around 3,400 members of the Armed Forces, the Interior Ministry, the Civil Protection Directorate, the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, the judicial police, the Croatian Fire Brigade, historical units, allied forces and Croatian veterans "for whom this is primarily being done" are expected to participate in more than 20 formations.

“In addition to infantry units, motorized and mechanized formations with more than 500 combat and non-combat vehicles will also participate,” announced Plenković, adding that the parade will also feature a spectacular flight program with more than 40 aircraft from the Croatian Air Force and the Ministry of the Interior.

“Finally, we will see a larger number of multifunctional, multi-purpose Rafale fighter jets,” he added.

He also said that the video wall will show the Croatian Navy.

“The Navy ships are already preparing for this parade, so that the entire Croatian public will have the opportunity to see what we currently have available in the Armed Forces and all other security segments, so that these large investments that have been made over the years and the transition from Eastern to Western technology can also be seen by the general public,” Plenković pointed out.

Medved: 50 war veterans will carry a large Croatian flag in the parade

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Croatian Veterans Tomo Medved confirmed the participation of war veterans and their family members in the military parade, where 50 of them will carry the 25-meter long Croatian flag and symbolically hand it over to young cadets.

“In the parade on July 31, along with members of the Croatian Army, the police, all components of Homeland Security, and historical units, Croatian veterans will also participate. The 25-meter-long flag, the same as the one we raised 30 years ago at the Knin fortress, will be carried along Vukovarska Street by Croatian veterans, members of Guards Brigades, Special and Basic Police, Reserve Homeland Regiments, family members of fallen, missing, and deceased Croatian veterans, as well as veterans who endured torture in Serbian concentration camps,” said Medved.

“50 of them will symbolically carry the Croatian flag along Vukovarska Street, bring it in front of the monument to the first Croatian president, Franjo Tuđman, hold the flag while the Croatian anthem is played, and then symbolically hand it over to the cadets of the Croatian Army and Police, as a sign of the commitment and responsibility of the younger generation of cadets who are taking on the role of leading the Croatian Army and Police and building new capabilities,” he emphasized.

The ceremonial stage will also feature 60 wartime commanders who held the highest command positions during Operation Storm in 1995, and in addition to them, 2,000 Croatian veterans, families of those killed in Operation Storm, families of those killed and missing Croatian veterans from the Homeland War, and Croatian war veterans will be seated in the stands next to the VIP box,” Medved said, adding that he was pleased with the great interest of the veterans in coming, announcing that the Ministry of Croatian Veterans would provide them with transportation and accommodation.

Commenting on the decision of the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović not to, unlike his predecessors, pass in a military jeep next to members of the Croatian Armed Forces, Medved said that different concepts and models for organizing the parade were discussed and that this concept had been agreed upon. “The necessary act is the notification of the responsible person, in this case the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces,” he added.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense Branko Hrg said that nine countries have confirmed their arrival and participation in the parade with members of the armed forces, and what is new is that soldiers from these countries will carry their national flags in the parade.

Source: HRT