Defence Minister Ante Kotromanovic said on Friday that Croatia would continue commemorating anniversaries of Operation Storm regardless of what the final verdict in the trial of Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac at the Hague war crimes tribunal would be.
"We will celebrate Operation Storm. Why? Because it is beyond doubt the most important military operation in Croatia's history and we will always celebrate it honourably and proudly, and we will always say that the Croatian army was a victorious army," Kotromanovic said in an interview with Soundset Radio when asked if Croatia would continue commemorating 1995's military offensive if the Hague tribunal upheld the trial court verdict against Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac.
The minister was asked about his view on the matter after the chief prosecutor of the Hague tribunal, Serge Brammertz, told the Croatian web portal H-Alter on Thursday that it was up to Croatian authorities to decide if they would continue commemorating anniversaries of Operation Storm, and that it was beyond doubt that during that operation a certain number of crimes had been committed.
