The president of Most said that the magnificent victory must be commemorated with increasing intensity, while Split's mayor Šuta called for building a Croatia without divisions.
The president of Most and Member of Parliament Nikola Grmoja sharply dismissed on Wednesday the criticisms of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić regarding the military-police operation Storm, stating that messages from Serbia do not interest him at all and that Croatia's greatest victory will be celebrated even more strongly.
At the commemoration of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day, the Day of Croatian Defenders, and the 31st anniversary of Operation Storm in Knin, Grmoja emphasized that this is the day when the occupied parts of Croatia were liberated. "We will never forget what Croatian defenders gave, and messages from Serbia do not interest us at all," Grmoja said.
Addressing those gathered, Grmoja stressed that the responsibility now lies with the new generation to achieve the ideals for which the defenders fought. "Now it is up to us, this new generation, to achieve everything that Croatian defenders fought for, for which they gave their lives, and that is a just Croatia, a Croatia where every Croatian person has an equal opportunity. We still need to fight for that Croatia. I hope we will," Grmoja stated.
Commenting on Vučić's statement from Mrkonjić Grad, where the Serbian president said that Storm was a crime and warned that "Storms and pogroms against the Serbian people will never happen again," Grmoja did not hide his outrage. "We defended our own, we defended and liberated our own thanks to Croatian defenders. They can continue to lament over it year after year, but that will not change the facts. That cannot diminish this magnificent victory, which we want the Croatian people to celebrate with increasing strength and intensity year after year," he added.
He also commented on the arrival of the Montenegrin delegation in Knin, which had previously sparked disapproval from Belgrade. Grmoja expressed satisfaction with their presence and added that he would like to see ambassadors from all countries at the celebration. He assessed that it is the task of the Croatian authorities to make maximum efforts so that all partners and friends of Croatia can commemorate and celebrate Storm together with us.
The celebration in Knin gathered numerous politicians, including Split's mayor Tomislav Šuta. He congratulated everyone on today's day and expressed great gratitude to Croatian defenders for freedom and democracy. "It is up to us to build a Croatia without divisions, with inclusivity, where all citizens have the right to their own opinion, and in that way create an even better Croatia," Šuta said.
