Addressing the audience, including President Stjepan Mesic, who is the army's supreme commander, and Defence Minister Berislav Roncevic, the commander of the Air Force and Air Defence, Brigadier General Viktor Koprivnjak spoke about the development of this branch of the armed forces from the war-time to the present day.
Koprivnjak also spoke of the necessity to streamline the Air Force in accordance with Western and NATO standards.
Speaking about the near completion of the reform of the armed forces, the chief-of-staff, General Josip Lucic said that over 14,000 employees were laid off from the defence sector, which accounted for 30 percent of the entire personnel. All those changes did not cause serious problems, Lucic added.
"Our goal is not to establish a massive armed force which would pose a threat to neighbours but to have a small army organised in line with NATO standards," Lucic said.
In their speeches both Defence Minister Roncevic and President Mesic supported the ongoing reform in the defence sector, highlighting that the armed forces were reorganised not only for Croatia's bid to enter the Alliance but also for the need to organise an army in compliance with Croatia's needs and possibilities.