Božinović: Croatia No Longer at Risk from Mines

(Patria) - After nearly 30 years, Croatia has successfully completed the demining process in accordance with the Ottawa Convention, becoming a country without mine danger.

This was stated yesterday by the Croatian Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović, during the marking of the International Civil Protection Day and the Civil Protection Day in Croatia.

- Croatia is a country without mine danger. After nearly 30 years, we have completed demining in accordance with the Ottawa Convention.

Nearly 107,000 mine-explosive devices and 470,000 unexploded devices have been removed. This is not only a technical success, it is a fulfilled moral obligation towards the victims and their families - Božinović said.

A demined Croatia, he says, means safer families, development of rural areas, new agricultural land and stronger tourism.

Božinović also stated that the modernisation of the civil protection system includes new legal frameworks and digital early warning systems.

He emphasised that operational forces in Croatia are key in coordinating responses to increasingly intense crises, from climate change to threats to critical infrastructure.

He also praised the highest marks received for speleological rescue mechanisms, assessing that such results elevate the entire system to a higher level of preparedness.

- The results are visible and Croatia has received an internationally certified module for speleological rescue and search, which is the first Croatian module certified within the EU civil protection mechanism.

It is one of the most complex operational capabilities, rescue in underground and speleological conditions. Thanks to the expertise of the HGSS and the Directorate of Civil Protection, members of the entire system, the module received the highest marks at the European level - Božinović points out.

He emphasises that the operational forces of civil protection represent a key bridge between institutions and citizens in times of permanent and unpredictable crises.

He also announced that the Directorate of Civil Protection will implement civil service for conscientious objectors, thereby building a new generation of trained citizens through education on handling crisis situations.