- Published: 13.03.2015.
President and PM pleased with National Security Council meeting
President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic on Thursday expressed their satisfaction with the National Security Council (VNS) meeting, its first this year, at which guidelines were adopted for the activities of the security and intelligence agencies in 2015 and the government was instructed to draft a 2015-2024 National Security Strategy.
The VNS also discussed other issues relating to national security, but given their confidential nature neither Grabar-Kitarovic nor Milanovic would discuss them at a press conference after the meeting, which lasted about an hour.
"The atmosphere was good. It was an atmosphere of cooperation," the president said in response to questions from the press.
"The meeting with the prime minister went really well, focusing on national security issues," she added.
Asked if today's meeting signalled progress towards better cooperation between her and the prime minister, Grabar-Kitarovic responded in the affirmative. "As far as I am concerned, it did, because my hand of cooperation is still extended. I am ready to cooperate and hope that we will move on in a positive direction," she said.
Milanovic responded affirmatively when asked if the government was extending its hand of cooperation to the newly-elected president, noting that the government was responsible for the conduct of foreign and domestic policies. He expressed support for further cooperation with the president, reiterating that the greatest responsibility lay with the government, while the president could also be of help.
As for the idea of a government session focusing on the economic situation in the country, which the president had requested after taking office, Grabar-Kitarovic said she was awaiting Milanovic's response. "It depends on the prime minister and this question should be addressed to him," she said. Milanovic said that his proposal still stood that the president come to any government session.
"We need to be specific, with specific proposals and budget effects, because these are very serious matters. I am totally open to a serious dialogue, above all with President Grabar-Kitarovic, but with everyone else too. I would like us to have an active and constructive opposition in Parliament that will put forward ideas, which unfortunately is not the case now," the prime minister said.
Speaking of the guidelines for the work of the VNS, Milanovic said that they were adopted by consensus of the Council members. He said they should have been adopted last year, but that he and the then President Ivo Josipovic had decided that adopting them at that time would not make sense because of the upcoming presidential election.
Milanovic said he was pleased with the work of the security and intelligence agencies, announcing that a 2015-2024 National Security Strategy would be prepared in about a month.
(Hina)