President of the Republic Attends Formal Session of the Korčula Municipal Council

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović attended a formal session of the Korčula Municipal Council on the occasion of Town of Korčula Municipal Day.

In his address at the formal session, the President of the Republic said: “We live in the European Union and it is a good choice, it is useful for us above all. For me today, the European Union primarily equals money – money, with which the Pelješac Bridge was built, money with which the Čiovo Bridge was built. That is what the European Union gives us and we should be satisfied with that. In the European Union, we are bound by many things, but we are also separated, we are different, there are big differences between countries and the smaller you are, the more you need to protect what is yours. And so my message is: take that money.”

President Milanović also spoke about the importance of tourism for the development of Korčula.

“You make a living from tourism, adhere to the epidemiological measures. Those who are vaccinated should have gotten the message that their lives will be more normal. We are still in search of ourselves a bit here and it is important that we do not falter in terms of our mental health,” the President of the Republic said, using the occasion to again call on people to get vaccinated and not to be afraid, because the vaccine is a great triumph of human knowledge, science and invested money, since in just one year something was created that has otherwise taken years to be developed, that is effective and truly saves lives. The President also stated that one should not blame and point fingers at those who do not want to get vaccinated as they have their reasons, but he noted that life for these people will be more difficult in some aspects.

President Milanović commented as well on the traffic links with the island of Korčula, which will greatly improve after construction of the Pelješac Bridge is completed. “This bridge will bring you closer and that is a big thing for Croatia – as long as we have a bridge, the more bridges the better,” said the President, extending his congratulations to the residents of Korčula on Municipal Day.

The programme of the formal session included a presentation of the 2021 public awards of the Town of Korčula by the Mayor of the Town of Korčula Nika Silić Maroević and the President of the Korčula Municipal Council Marija Šegedin. Top athletes of the Town of Korčula in 2020 were proclaimed and awards were bestowed by the President of the Union of Sports Associations of the Town of Korčula Ante Bojić.

While in Korčula, President Milanović visited the renovated Korčula Town Museum, which recently received a modern makeover. The President described the museum as beautiful, pointing out that it reflects the town’s soul: “You can be proud of that museum. Everything showcased in that museum is the fruit of your labour, your investment, but also your taste and style.”

Head of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic Bartol Šimunić and Adviser to the President of the Republic for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Mulić joined President Milanović on his tour of the island of Korčula.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan