The 18th generation of army cadets marked the start of the new academic year on Friday at an oath-taking ceremony at the Dr. Franjo Tudjman Military Academy.

Of the 108 cadets at the ceremony 83 have enrolled in undergraduate courses in military engineering and management while 23 will attend integrated undergraduate and graduate courses in navy studies and 2 have enrolled in a programme to become Air Force pilots.

Fourteen cadets come from partner countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo.

The cadets were greeted by the Prime Minister’s envoy, Defence Minister Mario Banozic, who congratulated the cadets for their loyalty to the homeland adding that the oath-taking ceremony was not held in Knin due to epidemiological circumstances.

With today’s oath you have expressed your readiness to serve your people and every spoken word has strength, and the power of your oath and dignity of military service are deeply rooted in the desire to take care of your people and homeland,” said Banozic.

He thanked cadets from partner countries, saying that their participation is a sign of recognition of cooperation and confidence in the quality of Croatia’s military education system.

Banozic said that the academy was in the process of being recognised as a university which, he said, would broaden the scope of education and help improve the defence system as well as the system of homeland security.