President Milanović Opens 10th Energy Conference on Krk Island

09. June 2021.
13:38

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović attended the opening of the 10th Krk Island Energy Conference entitled “Energy transition in the context of climate change and the new European Green Deal,” which is being held under the auspices of the President of the Republic and organized by the University of Rijeka Faculty of Economics and Business, the Kvarner Regional Energy Agency and the Eko Kvarner Association.

Addressing participants at the opening of the conference, President Milanović looked back on his visits to Krk Island some forty years ago, when waste management was not even close to today’s standards.

“This shows how old I am and how much things have changed thanks to your generation,” said President Milanović. He also spoke about waste management on Krk Island. “I have been coming to Šilo every year since my return from Brussels and every time I came, I noticed waste baskets. This initiative began on Krk Island in 2005 and 2006,” said the President, comparing that period with the period when there were no waste baskets on the island. He added that people, who used to be completely indifferent, started sorting waste once they saw that the system was working well.

“The residents of Zagreb can’t do that today in their city; it’s not simple. It’s very difficult to organize in a large city for a number of reasons, just as it is very difficult for a large city to set up a system for the functioning of electric vehicles,” President Milanović pointed out. The reasons, he added, have to do with building the necessary infrastructure and logistics, which are lacking – and that is an expensive feat which not even any city in Germany has managed to accomplish to date. “And it won’t in the near future. Croatia will have fleets of vehicles with internal combustion engines for several more decades. (Changing that) will be a task, mission and calling of the next generation,” the President underscored.

“Krk has come a long way. It has never been the Balkans, it has been the West both in terms of the mentality and culture of community relations, moderation, openness, and in terms of a type of noble provinciality, the spirit of community. However, things looked bad; from waste collection that did not work, to the lack of waste baskets. This is a major improvement considering that Krk is a destination that is not elite in view of having the most expensive world-famous hotel chains. Krk is more of a family island. But it is becoming increasingly attractive to families with high standards and refined tastes who will not go on summer vacation anywhere … We can see that the island is developing in the interior as well. What you are doing is actually to your benefit. Simply put, it’s nice and comfortable to live here,” President Milanović said at the opening of the 10th Krk Island Energy Conference.

Also speaking at the opening of the conference were Krk Mayor Darijo Vasilić, Dean of the University of Rijeka Faculty of Economics and Business Alen Host, Ph. D., President of the European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and Environment (FEDARENE) Julije Domac, Ph. D. and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Prefect Zlatko Komadina.

After the opening of the conference, President Milanović held a meeting at the Krk City Council with the newly elected heads of towns and municipalities from all islands in the Kvarner area. While on the island, he also paid a visit to the Ponikve utility company.

Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Energy and Climate Julije Domac and Adviser to the President of the Republic for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Mulić joined President Milanović on his tour of Krk Island.

PHOTO : Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Ana Marija Katić