Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman attended on Friday as the envoy of the prime minister the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the death of five European Community observers in Podrute.
On 7 January 1992, four Italian and one French officer were flying from Hungary towards Zagreb in an unarmed white helicopter when it was shot down by the Yugoslav Air Force, killing all five.
“Our thoughts are with the victims’ families as we once again pay respects to their sacrifice and express condolences to their families as well as to Italy and France. The arrival of the European Community monitoring mission provided additional encouragement for us to defend our independence and our people. Its presence proved that the international community began to understand that Croatia was the victim of a vicious and unscrupulous aggressor, who stopped at nothing, as evidenced by this act that goes against the rule of war,” Grlić Radman, underscoring that the lives of the five officers were embedded in the foundations of the independent, free and democratic Croatia.
He added that not long after the incident, on 15 January 1992, Croatia had been recognized by all 12 member states of the European Community, as well as by numerous other countries.
“Since its international recognition, winning the Homeland War and peacefully reintegrating its territory, Croatia, as an active member of the international community, continues to give its contribution to the establishment and preservation of peace by participating in a number of peacekeeping missions worldwide, which also include Italy and France. As a proud member of the EU, we will continue to contribute to peace and security with our partners and friends, and to promote the values on which the EU is founded on,” Grlić Radman stressed.
The minister concluded his address by once again underlining the importance of this monitoring mission and offering respects and gratitude to the victims and their families, as well as to Italy and France, promising that Croatia would do all it can to make sure that their sacrifice is never forgotten.
Press releases
