Offering his congratulations to the members of the Armed Forces, Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said that their achievements over the past 24 years made them special in comparison to the world's best armies.
The government and civil society have a duty to create an atmosphere of peace in the country and the army's role is to participate in that process as much as the Constitution allows it. But the army's purpose is also to be ready and strong "so that those who have evil intentions towards Croatia are afraid," said Milanovic.
Milanovic said that he would be happier if his government had been able to invest more in the army.
When we say that Croatia is among the top 10 NATO countries in terms of allocations from GDP for defence, that still does not mean 2%, Milanovic said, adding that this was not enough.
He said that the Croatian Army would keep its navy, whose ships would be built by Croatian shipyards and which would continue to be given what it needed to be "an elite service."
After years of participation of Croatian troops in international peace missions, from Afghanistan to Syria, it is time to slowly draw the line and that the Croatian Army dedicated itself to its most important task - defence of Croatian identity, integrity, territory and national interests, said the PM.
"These can be defended 5,000 kilometres away from the homeland, but we are not an imperial power nor will we ever be," said Milanovic.
Addressing the event, Defence Minister Ante Kotromanovic said that Croatians would never forget their veterans and their sacrifice in the 1991-95 Homeland War.
Recalling cuts in the defence budget in the past years, he said that one should be aware of the current situation in the country, adding that it was crucial to manage the available funds well and to ensure investments in all three segments of the Armed Forces.
Around HRK 2.5 billion has been invested to upgrade the Armed Forces in the term of this government, and according to the long-term plan for the development of the Armed Forces, ten billion kuna will be invested in the next ten years, said Kotromanovic.
The Armed Forces' Chief-of-Staff, General Drago Lovric, offered his congratulations to the Armed Forces as well. Addressing reporters before the ceremony, he said that he was very pleased with the situation in the army, which he said was prepared for all tasks, both in Croatia and abroad.
"We can be proud of Croatian troops and we are commended everywhere for the tasks we carry out," said Lovric.
Asked if new investments would be made in the army, he said that the Croatian Army was constantly being modernised and that the modernisation process would be in line with the country's economic potential as well as that the army would be able to respond to all future challenges.
Commenting on plans for a space flight centre reportedly to be built at Udbina, central Croatia, for which the Defence Ministry should cede land to the Office for the Management of State Property, Lovric said that it would be good for the army, the local community and the country in general.
"We hope that the centre will be built and that Croatia will benefit from it," said Lovric.