President Milanović Attends Ilok Municipal Day Celebration
On the occasion of Ilok Municipal Day and the feast of St. John of Capistrano, the town’s patron saint, a formal session of Ilok Town Council was held. In congratulating the residents of Ilok on their patron saint, President Milanović reminded that many centuries ago St. John of Capistrano participated in the defense of Belgrade “which was at the time a European town and that Western civilization had been defended already then and there”.
“Here we are on the border, connected, focused on each other, insufficiently connected to Croatia, towards the West, and more has to be done”, the President noted, and added that cooperation between neighbours should be mutual, well-intentioned and “that people, goods, money and ideas are circulating”, if we want cooperation and coexistence in Europe”. He said that he wears a mask as a temporary measure, without any inscriptions. “When I see masks with inscriptions, it gives me the creeps and makes me feel like it’s a permanent situation, that it is becoming a fashion accessory. This is temporary, and those who are putting inscriptions on masks should be careful. I am saying this because today a high official of a neighbouring country was wearing a mask with an inscription “Republic of Srpska and Serbia”, President Milanović stated. That’s not how things should be done and that’s not good for good-neighbourly relations as well as for relations in the region, the President noted. “We don’t behave like that, I don’t behave like that and as much as I would like for common problems and open issues to be resolved, e.g. the Island of Šarengrad, I have to regretfully state that the other side is working on that a little or not at all”, he added.
“We have suffered huge losses because of the war, both material and spiritual. It isn’t necessary to talk about this here, but wherever you go throughout Croatia you come upon villages and small towns that are totally or partially abandoned. There would be one hundred percent more inhabitants, life would be lived more fully had there not been a war, had there not been an aggression, had there not been destruction both material and spiritual. Therefore here where Croatia begins or where it ends you have a tough job”, President Milanović said. Furthermore, he referred to the example of Međimurje that has demonstrated a good absorption of EU funds. “That’s money that has to be taken. Skills are required for that including some of our own money, and they are in a better position than you are. But I wish to say that that is the measure of success of Croatia‘s existence and life in the European Union. How much money we have taken, everything else is secondary”, the President said.
He noted that money from European funds have to be taken now, because there won’t be any ten years from now. “Now is the time. And you need it here in particular, because apart from excellent wines, tourism is the real thing that has to happen here. This means that this region simply has to excel in order for people to come here, to feel good, not to remember the war, not to ever suspect there was a war here. That costs and for this you will need your know-how and your abilities as well as help from the Croatian Government. You have to choose the best, the most intelligent and the brightest ones among yourselves to take that money”, President Milanović stated.
He said that he was pleased to see the numbers of the town budget. “The numbers you have, the results you have, the deficits you have, what you have inherited and what you have at present. These figures seem to show me that you are the best in this County. When one considers where you have started and what challenges and burdens you have, limiting factors, I congratulate you because it’s not the same to live and work here or in Čakovec or Rovinj. It’s just not the same”, President MIlanović concluded.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan