Croatian President Zoran Milanović took part on Wednesday in Livno in the commemoration of the 33rd anniversary of the defense of the city, and on that occasion presented a decoration to the Livno Brigade “Petar Krešimir IV.”
In his speech, Milanović emphasized the historical importance of the defense of Livno in the context of the Homeland War and the defense of the Republic of Croatia, saying that the victory on April 23, 1992, was indescribably important for Croatia.
The defense of Livno and the repelling of the enemy was indescribably important for Croatia. And if we interpret it a bit more freely, and I’ll allow myself that freedom, then I can say that Operation Storm perhaps began already in the spring of 1992 here, with the defense of Livno and the creation of conditions for the great victories of the Croatian Army in 1995. Because if Livno hadn’t been defended back then, it would have been very, very difficult to take it in 1994. Those were major decisions and a great day for Croatia, said the Croatian President.
He also addressed the current political challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasizing that the country’s future must be based on an agreement among the three constituent peoples who live there, without interference from international actors.
That agreement is best made by yourselves. Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks, with as little involvement from foreigners as possible, said the President of the Republic of Croatia, stressing that solutions for Bosnia and Herzegovina must come from within.
There will be no agreement in BiH without you. Everything else, as time goes on, is just an obstacle. And if history hasn’t taught us that this is the case, then we’ve learned little, said Milanović, calling for mutual understanding, responsibility, and reasonable dialogue among the peoples of BiH, according to FENA.
He concluded that the decoration awarded to the Livno Brigade “symbolizes the Republic of Croatia’s debt of honour to those who defended not only Livno, but also laid the foundation for the victories that followed.”
On that occasion, Milanović decorated the “Petar Krešimir IV” brigade with the Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski for the heroism shown by its members during the Homeland War.
The brigade was established on September 23, 1991, during a meeting of the Crisis Headquarters in the village of Dobro, when all military formations, squads, village guards, and the police reserve were unified into one brigade. The Livno Brigade was the first organized unit of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina and, in terms of manpower, the largest unit of the HVO. It received its name on April 22, 1992, and it was this brigade that achieved the first HVO victories against the JNA and Ratko Mladić. A total of 7,150 people passed through the brigade, all exclusively residents of the Livno area; 114 were killed, and 420 were wounded.
In addition to the President of the Republic of Croatia, those who addressed the gathered crowd included the Chair of the Committee for Veterans’ Affairs Martin Brdar, Mayor of Livno Darko Čondrić, and the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Borjana Krišto.
Following the official decoration ceremony, the Croatian President laid a wreath and paid tribute at the Monument to those who died for the freedom of the Croatian people.
Alongside Milanović in the delegation were the Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Croatia for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković, as well as generals Ljubi Ćesić, Rahim Ademi, and Zdravko Andabak, according to a statement from the Croatian President’s Office.
Written by our correspondent D.I.
