ZAGREB, May 8, 2020 – Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Defence Minister Damir Krstičević talked by phone on Thursday night and will meet on Friday, the government told Hina after Krstičević resigned over the death of two Air Force pilots.
Government spokesman Marko Milić told Hina the government “extends the deepest condolences to the families” of the two pilots killed in the crash of a military trainer aircraft near Zadar on Thursday afternoon.
The office of President and Armed Forces Supreme Commander Zoran Milanovic would not comment on Krstičević’s resignation on Thursday evening but it is expected that he will do so on Friday.
Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) president Krešo Beljak said on Thursday that by resigning, Krstičević did “the right thing for the first time in his term.” He and the HSS extended their condolences to the pilots’ families.
The chair of the parliamentary defence committee, Igor Dragovan of the Social Democratic Party, said on Thursday the resignation was a highly moral and responsible act by the man responsible for the functioning of the defence system.
Speaking to Hina, he said Krstičević was not responsible for the crash but that his resignation was honourable.
Živi Zid leader Ivan Sinčić said on Thursday Krstičević had shown a number of times during his term that it was more important to him to favour NATO, his former company KING ICT and the clients of his ruling HDZ party than soldiers’ safety.
In a Facebook post, he extended his condolences to the pilots’ families.
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