The plan is to clear Croatia of mines by 2026, Parliament hears

Zagreb - Seven Croatian counties are assumed to still contain left-over mines and the plan is to clear the whole country by early 2026, Interior Ministry state secretary Žarko Katić said in Parliament on Thursday, presenting demining reports for 2020 and 2021.

Zadar County was cleared of mines last year and Požega-Slavonia County is expected to be this year, he said.

The plan is to demine Osijek-Baranja and Šibenik-Knin counties in 2023, and Split-Dalmatia, Sisak-Moslavina, Karlovac, and Lika-Senj counties in 2024 and 2025.

"I'm confident we will succeed in that and finally free our state of mines, 30 years after the war," said Katić.

Croatia has been demining its territory for more than 25 years and it has cost us a lot of money and many lives, he said, adding that 42 companies and almost 600 people are engaged in mine clearance.

At the end of 2021, according to the reports, 204.4 square kilometres in seven counties were assumed to still contain left-over mines.

In 2020, HRK 421 million was spent on demining, while last year it was HRK 385 million.

To date, 20% of the funds invested in demining came from the EU, or €183.4 million, Katić said.

To date, 606 persons have been injured in demining and mine-related incidents, including 204 fatally.