ZAGREB, Dec 28 (Hina) - On the occasion of the Christmas and New Year's holidays, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on Thursday gave a reception for officials and members of the Interior Ministry, the Croatian Armed Forces' chief
headquarters, and the Defence Ministry.
ZAGREB, Dec 28 (Hina) - On the occasion of the Christmas and New
Year's holidays, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on Thursday gave
a reception for officials and members of the Interior Ministry, the
Croatian Armed Forces' chief headquarters, and the Defence
Ministry.#L#
Following the hardships in achieving Croatian state independence
defending borders with great sacrifices, in which the armed and
police forces played an important role, we now have to re-organise
the two forces to adjust them to standards used in NATO and European
Union member-countries, President Mesic said.
We would like to arrange intelligence services to make them
compatible with standards in countries we want to cooperate with,
the Croatian head of state added.
Emphasising that certain challenges and difficulties were in the
offing for his country, Mesic said it was in Croatian interest to
work together with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague (ICTY).
If Croatia functions as a law-based country, prosecuting crimes,
there will be no need for ICTY, he asserted.
The Republic of Croatia must not be hostage to anybody's criminal
act, but Croatian institutions "have been waiting too much," he
said.
Today we "would have much less to do if what the police established
had been processed," Mesic said, urging state bodies to be more
efficient as this will facilitate Zagreb's cooperation with the
international community and the tribunal.
President Mesic wished his guests a very successful New Year and
particularly success in reaching the desirable standards before
time terms.
On behalf of the ministries of defence and interior affairs and the
army chief headquarters, Defence Minister Jozo Rados thanked him.
Our task is to protect the country from any kind of danger posed to
its sovereignty and we have both strength and knowledge to fulfil
it, the minister said, wishing the best to Mesic in carrying out a
stateman's responsible duties.
(hina) ms