Knin - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said in Knin on Monday that Operation Storm was a legitimate and just military and police operation, but that there are some who would like to cast a shadow on the Homeland War and question the establishment of the present-day Croatian state.
"Unfortunately, there are some who cannot stand the fact that Operation Storm was a great, legitimate, legal and just military operation. We can still hear today some who are trying to challenge the legitimacy and legality of Operation Storm, who would like to cast a shadow on the (1991-1995) Homeland War and question the establishment of the present-day Croatian state and fundamental values on which this state is based," Jandroković said in his speech at the central ceremony in Knin on Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and Veterans Day.
This public holiday is celebrated on 5 August to commemorate the 1995 operation which was launched at 5am on 4 August 1995, and within the next 84 hours liberated 10,400 square kilometres or 18.4 per cent of Croatia's territory.
The attacks against Operation Storm, the Homeland War and the Croatian state are being conducted by those who continue pursuing the Great Serbia imperialistic policy, Jandroković said, underscoring that Croatia has celebrated Victory Day for 29 years and will continue marking it.
"The attacks are launched by those who cannot accept the fact that the former Yugoslavia was a totalitarian, criminal state which collapsed during the aggression of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) against the city of Vukovar. Their narrative will not pass. The Croatians must not allow others to write their history," said the Sabor Speaker.
The present-day world has changed a lot in comparison to the situation of 30 years ago, and fewer and fewer states comply with international law and respect international organisations, he added.
"There is backsliding in many countries to undemocratic and imperial patterns of governance. Many are ready to do everything only to change historical facts and downplay their own responsibility for what happened in the 20th century. Therefore it is often irritating to see attempts to present our mistakes and weaknesses as mortal sins so they can be used to challenge the present-day Croatian state and its values," he said.
Croatia should strengthen its institutions and continue building its military, diplomatic and economic institutions, having in mind the ongoing two large-scale military conflicts and radicalisation "coming both from the left and the right," he said.
"We live in a safe, stable and economically prosperous state. We must preserve that. Our membership of the European Union, the Schengen zone, NATO, the euro area, our Bradley vehicles, Rafale fighter jets, the Krk LNG terminal and Pelješac Bridge make sense only if they serve for the purpose of stability and prosperity," said Jandroković.