Croatia has begun withdrawing its troops from military missions in Iraq and Lebanon, President said on Wednesday, amid a public dispute with Prime Minister over the move.
The office of the president said the chief of the General Staff had initiated the withdrawal process “taking into account security and operational conditions.”
The statement added that Milanović’s order to pull Croatian soldiers from the two Middle East missions was being implemented.
Earlier, Plenković had said Croatian troops deployed in Iraq and Lebanon would remain in place, despite the president’s directive, prompting a new round of tensions between the country’s two top officials.
Croatia contributes personnel to international missions in Iraq and to the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon. The number of troops affected was not immediately specified in the presidential statement.
The prime minister has criticised the decision, saying Croatian soldiers were safe and accusing Milanović of acting without prior consultations with the government.
Under Croatia’s constitutional framework, the president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, while the government oversees defence policy and international commitments, a division that has led to repeated clashes between Milanović and Plenković.