ZAGREB, Oct 22 (Hina) - Pavao Miljavac, whom the Croatian +Government has proposed for the post of the new Defence Minister, on +Thursday told the Croatian National Sabor (parliament) that his +efforts as Defence Minister would be
directed to three main areas.+ These areas are the continuation of the already started process of +reorganisation of the Defence Ministry; the rationalisation of the +Croatian armed forces, which must be able to protect Croatia's +state interests at any moment and at the lowest possible cost; and +Croatia's admission to the Partnership for Peace, Miljavac said.+ "I reiterate that I will persevere on the road of protection of +Croatia's national interests", Miljavac said at the closing of +today's discussion on his appointment.+ Commenting on the rationalisation process, Miljavac said that that +process was much more complex than the simplified estimations about +th
ZAGREB, Oct 22 (Hina) - Pavao Miljavac, whom the Croatian
Government has proposed for the post of the new Defence Minister, on
Thursday told the Croatian National Sabor (parliament) that his
efforts as Defence Minister would be directed to three main areas.
These areas are the continuation of the already started process of
reorganisation of the Defence Ministry; the rationalisation of the
Croatian armed forces, which must be able to protect Croatia's
state interests at any moment and at the lowest possible cost; and
Croatia's admission to the Partnership for Peace, Miljavac said.
"I reiterate that I will persevere on the road of protection of
Croatia's national interests", Miljavac said at the closing of
today's discussion on his appointment.
Commenting on the rationalisation process, Miljavac said that that
process was much more complex than the simplified estimations about
the reduction of the military budget could indicate.
The professional army force, which is to remain the main component,
will be reduced to reasonable numbers in the rationalisation
process, in accordance with the budget, Miljavac stressed.
From the military factors point of view, the Croatian Army meets 75%
of all requirements for its admission to the Partnership for Peace
programme. "However, admission to the Partnership for Peace is 70%
global politics and 30% army", he added.
Miljavac said he had worked for a long period of time on
reorganising the Croatian Armed Forces and Defence Ministry, in
cooperation with a US company.
After a year and a half, these efforts resulted in the signing of an
agreement on the reorganisation of the Armed Forces and Defence
Ministry by the Supreme Commander.
"It is only now that the transition we are talking about is to
happen. All those who performed their duties during the Homeland
war have a chance to work and prove their worth in peacetime
conditions", Miljavac said.
This, he added, does not mean that they have any advantage but that
they will work in line with the set goals of the programme, or
realise that they do not belong there.
"No compromises will be made in that process", he added.
Commenting on the transparency requests made a number of times,
Miljavac said that the Supreme Commander had determined that this,
along with the army organisation in line with western models, would
be one of the basic aims of the reorganisation process.
The Defence Ministry's budget will soon be presented to the Sabor in
some 160 items, he added.
There will come a time when army supervision by civilians will be
given full form through the Sabor, Miljavac said pointing out the
complexity of the process which, he said, took some 100 to 200 years
in western democracies.
(hina) jn rml