Croatian Mine Action Centre head Drazen Jakopec said the project was worth EUR 2.65 million, of which EUR 1.9 million was drawn from the European Union's IPA pre-accession fund, thanks to which 2.6 million square metres were cleared of mines.
Jakopec said 20 per cent of Croatia's population still lived near mines, as 643 square kilometres were mined or suspected of being mined, recalling that Croatia's goal was to be mine-free by 2019.
Plestina thanked foreign donors, saying the EU had invested EUR 27 million in demining in Croatia since 1998. She said foreign donations had made seven per cent of the demining budget and that most of the money had come from Croatia.
She urged local communities to apply for EU funds for demining.