"The government's activities are aimed at maintaining the culture of remembrance for Vukovar and encouraging the social and economic development of the city, which suffered great losses in the Homeland War," state agency Hina said on Wednesday, carrying the government's press release, ahead of Vukovar Remembrance Day, 18 November.

Over the past five years, budget funds worth more than HRK 525 million have been paid into the Vukovar city budget, the government says, noting that HRK 159 million has been paid to employers in the area of Vukovar as a refund for 50% of the contributions paid.

The tax reform has helped the city earn revenue of slightly more than HRK 300 million over a period of four years.

Total investments from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) in the period until 30 September amount to HRK 1.55 billion, the government recalls.

A programme for the renovation of the city’s municipal and energy infrastructure, estimated at HRK 1.44 billion, has been underway, including a project to upgrade the Vinkovci-Vukovar railway worth HRK 516 million.

Since October 2016 farm subsidies worth HRK 450.5 million have been approved for farmers in the area of Vukovar, and subsidies worth HRK 268.6 million have been paid out, while investments in the sector of economy and sustainable development amount to slightly more than HRK 1 billion (mostly in water management).

Employment and social policy investments amount to HRK 279 million, including HRK 81.1 million paid for active employment policy measures and HRK 72.7 million for job-keeping measures in the coronavirus pandemic, covering 593 employers and 5,146 workers.

Just under HRK 90 million has been invested in housing accommodation and reconstruction and HRK 12.6 million in tourism and sport development, the government says.

Total investments by the Construction, Physical Planning and State Assets Ministry amount to slightly more than HRK 145 million. Six contracts on the donation of state-owned properties worth slightly more than HRK 111 million have been signed and the Restructuring and Sale Centre has donated a HRK 4.1 million sports centre and sports ground to the city.

The Ministry of the Interior has invested slightly less than HRK 15 million while government funding for local firefighters amounts to HRK 32.3 million.

The government notes that it has fulfilled its promise about the return of the Croatian Army to Vukovar, with the Defence Ministry securing HRK 50.3 million for the renovation of the city barracks.

Croatia is still searching for 386 civilians and defenders abducted and killed in Vukovar in 1991, with the War Veterans Ministry having spent slightly more than HRK 105 million in allowances for Homeland War defenders and civilian victims.

A special task force in charge of investigating and prosecuting war crimes has so far resolved 44 cases of war crimes committed in the area of Vukovar, and charges have been brought against 22 perpetrators.

Investments in the health sector amount to close to HRK 130 million, and those in education and science just above HRK 56 million. EU funds were used to build a student dorm in Vukovar, the first in Vukovar-Srijem County.

A total of 24.36 million has been invested in the sector of culture, with the strategic project Vučedol Archeological Park (worth HRK 117.3 million) being underway, the government says, noting that the city’s Franciscan Museum has been renovated and the State Archive offices in the city relocated to a new building.

The Andrej Plenković government recalls that it held its fourth session, the first one held outside Zagreb, in Vukovar, on 17 November 2016, and that five years later all decisions adopted at that session relating to Vukovar have been implemented.

The government underlines that it has demonstrated its support to Vukovar also with the adoption of a law declaring Vukovar a place of special respect and by founding a national memorial hospital in the city, as well as by amending the law on holidays and memorial days to declare 18 November a public holiday – Remembrance Day for Homeland War Victims and Vukovar and Škabrnja Remembrance Day.