ZAGREB, October 9, 2018 – President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, who on Tuesday temporarily relocated her office to the eastern town of Slavonski Brod, said that she had come to Slavonski Brod-Posavina County to talk with county, town and municipal officials about development plans, but also of the problems facing them, and underscored that investments and employment were essential for the eastern region of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem.
“A lot of people expect a lot from the measures within the Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem project and rightly so, particularly when referring to creating opportunities for new production and other development investments with the aim of full employment, higher earnings and living standards. That is of key importance so that we can keep young people here and preserve human resources for future generations,” Grabar-Kitarović said.
She supported endeavours for as much money as possible to be absorbed from European Union funds but also advocated strengthened state investments and those of public companies. “Croatia requires further, targeted steps in decentralisation,” Grabar-Kitarović says.
“Hence, I expect that that package of laws for the new phase of tax reforms will head in that direction and enable significantly lower costs for investments and higher wages, particularly in those areas that are justifiably calling for and expect greater state care,” she said.
The president also touched on the problem of air pollution in Slavonski Brod, saying that she had convened a meeting for Wednesday with the key stakeholders so that that problem can be resolved, recalling her talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and recently with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov whom, she said, who assured her that the Russian Federation is dedicated to resolving that problem. The oil refinery in the Bosnian town of Bosanski Brod on the opposite bank of the Sava River is seen as the main source of air pollution in the Croatian town on the left bank of the river.
Welcoming President Grabar-Kitarović, County Prefect Danijel Marušić thanked her for coming, saying that her arrival represented encouragement for all the residents in the county from the elderly to youth, with a clear message to remain living on home ground.
Prior to arriving to the county offices, President Grabar-Kitarović laid a wreath and lit a candle at the “Broken Childhood” monument in honour of 402 children killed during the Homeland War in Croatia, 29 of whom were killed in Slavonski Brod alone.
