Media conference on MOD budget 2011

Minister Vukelic expressed his satisfaction with the MOD budget for 2011, which was sent for adoption to the Croatian Parliament, stressing that the planned MOD budget would increase by 4.6% in comparison to the last year, or about 220 million kunas more, and that the Defence Ministry budget for 2011 would be 4.96 billion kunas. Most of these funds relates to the functioning of the armed forces, and to the equipping and modernization programs and projects.

Minister Vukelic said that three new programs that include protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Croatia was introduced, where most of the assets related to the functioning of the Armed Forces (3.97 billion kunas), to the collective defence (about 67 million kunas) and to the other tasks of Armed Forces (about 136 million kunas).

Under the program, protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia, funds for the continuation of the procurement of armoured combat vehicles were planned as well, a continuation of equipping and modernization of the Croatian Armed Forces, such as project of acquisition of new uniforms, assault rifles and Croatian military boots, construction of military facilities and the administrative activities.

Under the collective defence program, funds planned would be for NATO membership and participation of members of the Croatian Armed Forces in international peacekeeping missions and operations, while under the program of other tasks, planned funds have been foreseen for the fire-fighting season and the Coast Guard, which includes project of acquisition of the coastal patrol ship.

During the press conference Minister Vukelic referred to the investigation on the fall of two MIG-21 aircraft, emphasizing that the investigators were able to find all the parts of the aircraft, and the expertise of found parts was ongoing, and that soon we could expect completion of the investigation relating to this event.

The minister has once again denied the information that the reduction of payments to military personnel working in military security intelligence agency was “the revenge of the Minister for the Agency’s activities“, saying that it was not about reduced wages, but about cancellation of double supplements in accordance with law and standards for other agencies of this type and that a proposal for the abolition of this supplement was submitted to the Government of Croatia at the end of August this year, which the Government adopted in September this year. Also, the Minister noted that the abolition of double supplement saved 5 million kunas per year. Minister Vukelic said that the above had nothing to do with the actions of competent bodies in the defence system because as the Minister emphasized, he himself reported on all irregularities in the defence system to the competent authorities in September last year. “For this we could say that placing such information was retaliation to me as Minister and Government for successful implementing of anti-recession measures. It is obvious that some do not want to accept that we all need to bear the burden of time in which we live and the crisis we are in, and placing such information in the media was apparently done by persons who believe that these  anti-recession measures should not apply to them”, Minister Vukelic concluded.