ZAGREB, Nov 5 (Hina) - The Office of President Stjepan Mesic has dismissed claims from a feature broadcast in a news programme on Zagreb's TV station OTV saying a draft study on the situation in the Croatian Defence Ministry, drawn up
by British defence experts, has identified a permanent conflict between the President's Office and the Government regarding defence and national security issues as the main problem in the reorganisation of the country's army. "That claim has been taken out of context and, as such, it is false," says a statement issued by the President's Office on Monday. The CCN news programme has misinterpreted the study "the more so as its final version is yet to be adopted and it need not reflect the official stand of the British Government," the statement says. It is correct that the President's Office and the Government have different views on some issues and aspects of the defence sy
ZAGREB, Nov 5 (Hina) - The Office of President Stjepan Mesic has
dismissed claims from a feature broadcast in a news programme on
Zagreb's TV station OTV saying a draft study on the situation in the
Croatian Defence Ministry, drawn up by British defence experts, has
identified a permanent conflict between the President's Office and
the Government regarding defence and national security issues as
the main problem in the reorganisation of the country's army.
"That claim has been taken out of context and, as such, it is false,"
says a statement issued by the President's Office on Monday.
The CCN news programme has misinterpreted the study "the more so as
its final version is yet to be adopted and it need not reflect the
official stand of the British Government," the statement says.
It is correct that the President's Office and the Government have
different views on some issues and aspects of the defence system,
but this never obstructed reforms in the Defence Ministry or the
reorganisation of the Armed Forces, the Office says.
The CCN news service on the TV station OTV last night broadcast a
feature about a draft study prepared for the Croatian Defence
Ministry, the Armed Forces Main Staff, and the President of the
Republic by British Defence Ministry experts.
According to the feature, the study has identified a permanent
conflict between the Croatian President and the Government
regarding defence and national security issues as the main problem
hampering the reform of the Defence Ministry and the reorganisation
of the Armed Forces.
The President's Office says the purpose of the draft study is to
"provide non-binding suggestions which would contribute to the
further development of defence functions and military abilities in
the national and international (NATO/Partnership for Peace)
context."
The President's Office is satisfied with the professionalism of the
British experts.
Commenting on CCN's feature, the Defence Ministry said highlights
from the study presented political relations which were common
everywhere in the world during reforms.
"The purpose of the study was not to make the political differences
topical and we therefore regret that it was made public," the
Ministry said in a statement.
The draft has been made with the full cooperation of the Defence
Ministry and the Armed Forces, its main purpose being to help the
Ministry in the reorganisation process, says the statement.
Many aspects of that process, which are analysed in the study, are
being regulated in line with previously adopted plans and other
studies which were available to the Defence Ministry, says the
statement.
"The study closely analyses all difficulties encountered during
the reform of large systems and it will be used for accomplishing
optimal solutions," says the statement.
(hina) rml