President Zoran Milanovic said on Tuesday that the Defence Council would meet to discuss army financing prior to the budget being adopted.

“That is just as important as planes, even more,” he underscored.

He touched on the issue of military helicopters, saying that he was worried about the rate of renewal and maintenance of technical equipment, particularly aircraft.

The proposed 2022 budget is expected to be put to the cabinet on Thursday.

Referring to the ruling in the Ina-Mol case, Milanovic said that it will not help relations between Croatia and Hungary as long as Viktor Orban is the prime minister because he claims that the then president of Mol’s management board is innocent, yet he isn’t.

Milanovic believes the government is not pressing the issue because relations with the authorities in Budapest are important to it.

Milanovic: Retiring brigadier is an immature and vengeful decision by the minister

Milanovic once again commented on the early retirement of Colonel Elvis Burcul, commander of the Honorary and Protection Battalion, which is in charge of Milanovic’s security, describing it as an immature and vengeful decision by Defence Minister Mario Banozic.

He said he would not retaliate with any counter-measures because the army must not be used for politicking and that he would resolve the issue of the Battalion in another way, in line with his powers as the Army’s Commander-in-Chief.

Asked whether he can continue to collaborate with Banozic, Milanovic said that the minister is irrelevant while he expects Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic to resolve the problem.

He added that Colonel Burcul will again lead the Honorary and Protection Battalion, even if that means as its deputy commander.