Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Pjer Šimunović took part on behalf of the Croatian Government on 7 January 2008 in the commemoration of the 16th anniversary of the tragic death of the European Community Monitoring Mission’s members, the Italian and French officers and non-commissioned officers, in Podrute near Novi Marof
The commemoration was held in the presence of the victims’ families and local population at the site of the tragic event, along with Italian Ambassador to Croatia Alessandro Pignatti, the representative of the French Embassy, commander of the Air Cavalry’s 5th Regiment RIGEL, mayor of Novi Marof, mayor of Sangano, and representative of the Varaždinska County.
Recalling the tragic events of 1992, when a Yugoslav National Army’s MIG 21 took down an unarmed helicopter carrying members of the EC Monitoring Mission, Assistant Minister Šimunović pointed out the importance of remembering the sacrifice in a time when Croatia is at the door of the EU and NATO, and is a non-permanent Security Council member. He added that since that time, Croatia has grown from an aid recipient into a country offering international assistance, as well as giving its contribution to international peacekeeping missions from Afghanistan to Africa.
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