ZAGREB, 23 July (Hina) – President Zoran Milanović will not ride in an open vehicle at the start of a military parade in Zagreb on 31 July, as former presidents Franjo Tuđman and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović did. His office said on Wednesday the focus that day should be on the participants of the parade. According to unofficial sources, the Defence Ministry offered the president the option of riding in an open military jeep if he wished to do so, but Milanović declined the offer.

“The aim of the military parade is to showcase the readiness and equipment of all branches of the Croatian Armed Forces, and on that day, the focus should above all be on Croatian soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers of the Armed Forces, as well as members of the Interior Ministry and all other participants in the parade who have contributed and will continue to contribute to the defence and security of Croatia,” Nikola Jelić, spokesperson for the President’s Office, told Hina.

Milanović, who also serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, will receive a report from the Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid, and will give formal approval for the start of the parade, he added.

The organisers of the parade, which will be held to mark the 30th anniversary of Operation Storm, Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day, and Croatian Veterans Day, offered Milanović the ride in light of past traditions.

President Tuđman was the first to ride in an open military vehicle before the start of the parade in 1995, accompanied by Defence Minister Gojko Šušak. The second parade took place ten years ago, and the same was offered to President Grabar-Kitarović, who accepted the offer. She greeted participants and citizens from an open jeep, joined by Defence Minister Ante Kotromanović and Chief of the General Staff Drago Lovrić.

The military parade will begin at 5 p.m. The route through the centre of Zagreb is 2.4 kilometres long. The marching formation will include 24 echelons, and when fully aligned, the formation will stretch approximately 1,800 metres.

In addition to the Armed Forces, the parade will feature five units from the Interior Ministry, members of the Police Academy, Civil Protection, the Croatian Firefighting Association, and the Prison Service. Around 50 members of foreign armed forces from nine confirmed countries will also take part.

Including both motorised and mechanised formations, with more than 500 combat and non-combat vehicles, over 3,400 personnel from the listed units are expected to participate in the parade. Unofficial sources suggest discussions are still ongoing regarding the inclusion of mounted units.