"We are aware of the faults and crimes that happened in the aftermath of Operation Storm and we believe that it is good to pay tribute also to the Serb victims.” Such a statement by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, which has been made recently in the frame of the commemorative events organized for Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and War Veterans Day, cannot pass unnoticed. It has not been an isolated articulation as earlier Croatian War Veterans Minister Tomo Medved paid a visit to Grubori, where a group of Serb civilians were killed in the aftermath of Operation Storm.

The 5th of August is marked annually by the Croatian people as the Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and War Veterans Day and this year the commemoration coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Operation Storm.

The Operation Storm was a combined military and police operation that ended a Serb armed insurgency in August 1995 and restored Croatian sovereignty over occupied central and southern parts of Croatia, paving the way for the peaceful reintegration of eastern Croatia. The war was sparked because of Croatia's proclamation of independence from former Yugoslavia in 1991, which was opposed by rebel Croatian Serbs, who had been helped by the Yugoslav People’s Army and Serbian paramilitaries. Politically and militarily backed by Belgrade, the rebels occupied one-third of Croatia's territory, forcing more than 500,000 Croatians and other non-Serbs to flee. On August 4, 1995, Zagreb launched Operation Storm, recapturing the rebel-held lands in an 84-hour offensive. Operation Storm marked the end of the war in Croatia.

Along with other senior state and government officials Prime Minister Plenkovic laid wreaths at the Wall of Pain monument, the Central Cross in the Alley of Fallen Croatian Homeland War Defenders, the grave of Croatia’s first president Franjo Tudjman, and at the common grave of unidentified victims of the 1991-95 war on August 4.

Plenkovic said on that occasion that it was of crucial importance that a new message was being sent about relations between Croats and the ethnic Serb minority, between Serbia and Croatia, and about what kind of country Croatians are building 25 years after Operation Storm.   

Regarding the visit of War Veterans Minister Tomo Medved to Grubori, where a group of Serb civilians were killed in the aftermath of Operation Storm, and to Serb villages without electricity and water supply, Plenkovic said that it was not a political tradeoff.

“That is an important political and civilization gesture by the government, showing respect for all victims. We are aware of the faults and crimes that happened in the aftermath of Operation Storm and we believe that it is good to pay tribute also to the Serb victims,” Zagreb’s government head said.

Croatia’s top ethnic Serb official urges end of hatred politics

The main ceremony of the 25th anniversary of Operation Storm held in the Croatian town of Knin on August 5th was highlighted by the participation in it of Croatia's top ethnic Serb official Boris Milosevic, who is Deputy Prime Minister of the country. He became the first ethnic Serb political representative to attend the annual memorial for the Operation Storm offensive.

Milosevic, whose grandmother was killed in the wake of the offensive, wrote on Facebook that the "time has come for the politics of understanding and of respecting each other to defeat the politics of hatred". Milosevic said he could not forgive the crimes that were committed, but was determined to do what he can to help Croatia’s Serb minority. “I have the stomach for any type of gesture that I think would improve the position of my community.”

For his part PM Plenkovic said that the attendance of Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milosevic, a political representative of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS), in the central commemoration of Operation Storm in Knin was an important signal. Minorities are an integral part of the Croatian society and their representatives are our legal and political legacy of the past 30 years, Plenkovic said.

“Based on our mutual trust we will work, as we did in the last term in office, on promoting the equality of all citizens and on making it possible for everyone to live in dignity in line with the 21st century standards. Specifically, that means electricity and water supply in isolated communities,” Plenkovic stressed.

Serbia’s antagonistic response rebuffed

August 5, 1995 continues to deeply divide Croatia and Serbia. While Croatia considers it as a legitimate act in a war for independence, Serbia continues to call it an act of genocide, and the ‘olive branch’ extended by Zagreb’s top officials  to Croatian Serb ethnic minority and the message for new relations between Croatia and Serbia were met by Serbia’s antagonistic response.     

"We do not want to celebrate the tragedy of the Serbian people and Serbia will never accept humiliation," President Aleksandar Vucic said at the memorial service on August 4 held on the Sremska Raca Bridge over the Sava River on the border between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, a bridge that was crossed by thousands of Serb refugees who fled Croatia after Operation Storm.

Vucic stressed that Serbia has not forgotten the crimes suffered and will never be happy about the victims and sufferings of others, since Serbia as ANSA quoted on August 5, 2020 the Serb President as saying to respect all victims and "this is what sets it apart" from others. 

''Serbia will not allow anyone to be silent about its victims. Yes to peace and reconciliation but never to humiliation,” Vucic said alluding to the decision by the deputy PM of the Croatian government, who belongs to the Serb minority, to take part in Croatia's official celebration of the 25th anniversary of the success of Operation Storm. The Serb patriarch criticized Croatia's celebrations, saying that it was treating the tragedy of the Serb population as if it were a major triumph. He also criticized the Croatian Catholic Church, which, as he noted, is silent about the crimes suffered by Serbs, said ANSA.  

According to the Croatian Helsinki Committee around 200,000 Serbs fled Croatia in a long convoy of tractors, buses and cars, and 677 civilians were killed during and after the operation.

Croatian generals Ante Gotovina, Mladen Markac and Ivan Cermakwas were acquitted of war crimes during and after Operation Storm by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and returned home on November 17, 2017.

Asked how much mutual relations were burdened by the reactions of the Serb side and particularly by Serbian President, Croatian PM Plenkovic said on August 5 that what his government was doing was Croatia’s internal matter.

“We are talking about relations between the government and our coalition partner, the political representative of the Serb minority. We make our decisions for ourselves, for Croatia, and as I have said, they send out the message that 25 years after the war we have achieved all our strategic goals, that Croatia is a democratic country, that it has its institutions and legal order and that it is integrated in the EU and NATO,” Plenkovic said. A Croatia that is dealing with economic, health, financial and security challenges has the strength to send messages like this one, he said.

“What someone has to say about it is not a top priority for us. What matters to us is what we do for the sake of relations in the Croatian society,” the PM said.

In the meantime the Defence Minister, Mario Banozic on August 4 sent a message to the ministry staff, members of the Croatian Army, police, war veterans and the Croatian people on the occasion of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the 25th anniversary of the military-police operation Storm.

Recalling that on August 5, 1995, the Croatian people launched the final effort to make true its centuries-old dream of independence, Banozic said that Storm was a symbol of unity and heroism and the crown of all victories in the 1991-95 Homeland War.

“The key to the victory in the Homeland War were people, brave and bold Croatian defenders who demonstrated Croatian unity, strength and concord,” the minister said in his message, expressing special gratitude to the families of fallen Croatian soldiers and those deceased or gone missing.

The war ended with Croatian victory, as it achieved the goals it had declared at the beginning of the war: independence and preservation of its borders. Approximately 21–25% of Croatia's economy was ruined, with an estimated US$37 billion in damaged infrastructure, lost output, and refugee-related costs. Over 20,000 people were killed in the war, and refugees were displaced on both sides.

Albanians Joined Croatia’s Defense

During the Croatian War of Independence which started in 1991 many Albanian volunteers took part in the fighting in defense of Croatia, and according to data provided by the Union of Albanians and the Association of Albanians of the Homeland War, 2,579 Albanian volunteers defended Croatia. Some 86 of them were killed, 37 are missing and over 500 were wounded. There were generals like Rahim Ademi dhe Agim Ceku, officers of different ranks and soldiers among the fighters. About 300 Albanian war invalids are exercising their rights in Croatia.

“We are most proud of the Albanians who, with the traditional commitment of the family, joined the defense of the homeland with other fellow citizens and shed their blood, regardless of racial, religious and other peculiarities,” former President Bujar Nishani was quoted by HINA news agency as telling representatives of the Union of Albanians and the Association of Albanian Homeland War Veterans in a meeting during his visit to Croatia on May 9, 2016. Nishani awarded them a medal for the contribution to Croatia's defense.

The President of the Union, Esad Collaku, thanked for the decoration and said that their participation in the defense of the homeland makes them especially proud.

On that occasion the Croatian Minister of Veterans Affairs, Tomo Medved acknowledged that there are Albanian veterans who have not had their status resolved and announced that the Government will completely solve these problems by amending the law.

In another event Albania’s President Ilir Meta praised the excellent relations between Albania and Croatia, between Albanians and Croatians highlighting the heroic contribution of Albanians to Croatia’s Independence War during his meeting with the former President, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic on November 21, 2018 in the frame of an official visit to Zagreb.

“The important contribution, the selflessness and sacrifices of Albanians in the heroic war for independence of Croatia are evidence of this special friendship,” said Meta.  

Earlier in mid- July 2018 during her visit to Tirana the former President, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic stressed that Albania was among the fewest friends of Croatia during the independence war.   

"Albania was our friend when friends were few during the war for our homeland. The Albanian community in Croatia is an example of our strong ties, but it is an example of the strength of this community that fought for the freedom of Croatia ... We are grateful to the Albanian people for the help they have given to the freedom of our country," said Ms. Grabar-Kitarovic, who was awarded the ‘Decoration of National Flag’.    

“Of the Albanian community in Croatia, which is about 10,000 Albanians, 2,500 were volunteers in the war in Croatia, 87 lost their lives and 37 are missing. This is a very big issue for us and we are grateful to the Albanians who fought for the freedom of our country," said Ms. Kitarovic in the joint press conference with the head of state, Meta.  

 â€œYou have your legendary hero Skanderbeg. Probably Croatia would not have existed in the face of Ottoman invaders. We, Croatians, are very grateful to Skanderbeg's deeds. Therefore we feel as an obligation to help Albania for its integration in the European institutions. I would like to note the cooperation of our two countries in the framework of NATO as we are members of that Alliance. We wish that Albania can join European Union as soon as possible," the Professor of History, Karlo Lisica, who had studied Albanian history from the time of Illyrians until now, has said.

Professor Lisica visited Albania as part of a tour that a group of Arbanasi teachers and pupils of the school of Zadar made in Albania in April 2019. The Croatian coastal town of Zadar started Albanian classes in a school designed in part to keep the tiny Arbanasi community aware of their distant Albanian origin in October 2016.  

"I am very pleased by the progress and development of our two countries and the cooperation between them," noted the Professor during a conversation that Albanian Daily News had with him and his colleagues on April 25, 2019 in Durres.

Albanian President Ilir Meta received the group of the Arbanasi of Zadar school on April 24 this year as they were on such a visit to Albania at his invitation. On that occasion the President evaluated the excellent contribution made by the Albanian community in Croatia for the strengthening of the excellent historical, cultural, political and human relations between the two people and countries.

"You, Albanasi of Zadar, but the Albanian community in general that live in Croatia, are the strongest human factor uniting our people," Meta told the guests. In the meantime he pointed out that the relations of Albania with Croatia are an exceptional priority, and he was convinced that the bilateral relations would strengthen after the signing of the Agreement on the Strategic Partnership.  

"I thank and greet warmly President of Albania Ilir Meta and we will never forget the hospitality shown to us. I have to call all this a pleasant surprise," said Ms. Jasmina Matesic, Director of School where Albanian is taught in Zadar.    

It is significant the special gratitude expressed to Albanians for their participation in the Independence War by former president Stipe Mesic who was awarded the ‘Decoration of the National Flag’ in Tirana in November 2018.   

"In this war imposed on us we started to search allies and one of the main allies were Albanians in Croatia because I have to say that I do not know of any Albanians, and I do not have any such information, that any of them was on the side of our enemies. So, together with Albanians, we defended Croatia and, as a matter of fact we defended it,” has said Mesic, who stressed that some of those Albanian fighters went to a second war, the one for the independence of Kosovo.