President Stjepan Mesic, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces, was unable to attend because of bad weather. The president's plane could not land at Pula airport owing to strong winds.
Addressing the ceremony, Defence Minister Berislav Roncevic recalled important naval operations during the 1991-1995 Homeland War, and pointed out that the Ministry of Defence was making great efforts to ensure that the Navy achieved the necessary capabilities and met the NATO standards in order to be able to respond to the new security challenges.
The ceremony was attended by the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, General Josip Lucic, the Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Zdravko Kardum, as well as the heads of some coastal counties and the mayors of Pula and Split.