"The most important message is that at this time in two years we will finally be without mines, 31 years after the end of the Homeland War," Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said.
Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović noted that the Mine Action Plan for 2024 and the report on the implementation of the Plan for 2023 were adopted on the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
In 2024, it is planned to reduce the area suspected to be contaminated by land mines by 51.5 square kilometers, which means completely clearing Split-Dalmatia County and Karlovac County of unexploded ordnance left over from the 1991-1995 Homeland War.
"Thus, only the suspected areas in Sisak-Moslavina and Lika-Senj counties will remain contaminated in 2025, which means that the prerequisites are being created for the entire territory of Croatia to be mine-free by no later than 1 March 2026, as foreseen under the national program," Božinović said.
Speaking of the activities in 2023, Božinović said that 58 square kilometers were demined and the entire suspected areas in Osijek-Baranja and Šibenik-Knin counties were cleared of land mines, which cost €55.5 million.
Last year, two mine-related accidents occurred in Split-Dalmatia and Lika-Senj counties, killing three people, including a hunter and two explosive ordnance disposal specialists.
From 1996 to 2023, there were 607 casualties from landmines, of whom 204 people were killed, including 38 deminers.