ZAGREB, Sept 19 (Hina) - President Stjepan Mesic has said that conditions have not still ripened for deploying Croatian troops in the peace mission in Iraq.
ZAGREB, Sept 19 (Hina) - President Stjepan Mesic has said that
conditions have not still ripened for deploying Croatian troops in
the peace mission in Iraq. #L#
"If the mission is carried out under the auspices of the United
Nations, and if we receive such a resolution, we shall take part in
it (the mission) as a loyal UN member. For the time being there are
no such conditions for the participation of the Croatian Army (HV)
in Iraq," Mesic said on Friday while touring a military barracks in
Zagreb.
Asked by reporters to comment on the latest media reports that
Croatia had abandoned plans to send a military unit to Iraq,
President Mesic recalled that the state leadership had publicly
cited the conditions for Croatians' deployment, namely that it was
related to UN Security Council decisions.
A few months ago, the press reported that an 80-strong HV unit would
be sent to Iraq by the end of this year and that it was being trained
for that purpose in Delnice (western Croatia).
According to the latest articles, the Defence Ministry has recently
confirmed that the soldiers are being trained in Delnice and that
Croatia is ready to send a platoon to Iraq as soon as an order is
issued.
(hina) ms