President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic bids farewell to Dalmatia.
After ten days, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović has left her temporary office in Split, from where she visited a number of towns in Dalmatia. She said that she regrets the fact she did not meet everybody who invited her to come, reports 24Sata on August 16, 2015.
In her official statement she thanked everyone who offered her their hospitality. It is still not known how much the presidential office relocation cost the taxpayer. The office was located in the county building, while the president stayed in a military facility in Lora. Her advisors and staff mainly stayed in private homes in the Split area.
Here is her statement in full:
Dear citizens of Split, dear citizens of Dalmatia
After we proudly celebrated the Victory and the Homeland Thanksgiving Day, the Day of Croatian Soldiers and the 20th anniversary of the Operation Storm in Knin, for the last few days Split has been the seat of my office and the starting point of my visits to cities and municipalities all over Dalmatia. I want to thank you from my heart for the ten days I have spent in your, and now in a special way also my Split, the heart of Dalmatia. Together with my associates, I was welcomed warmly, with respect and friendly.
I would like to thank Zlatko Ževrnja, prefect of the Split-Dalmatia County, his associates and all those who provided me and my office with all the necessary assistance.
I had the unique opportunity to visit a few of the beautiful places in our Dalmatia, become familiar with your successes and achievements, but also with the problems, which we will, I believe, successfully resolve with our joint efforts. Thank you for the warm hospitality in Knin, Šibenik, Zmijavci, Metković, Ploče, Sinj, Nerežišća, Sumartin, Sućuraj, Prigradica, Smokvica, Orebić, Trstenik, Ston, Omiš, Split, and Dugopolje. Everywhere I was able to feel strong optimism. From Knin to the Neretva valley, there is a new positive atmosphere, we can feel patriotism nurtured by the old traditions as well as the modern ones, based on the faith in Croatia and its capabilities.
Unfortunately, I was not able to respond to numerous invitations to festivities, cultural and other events which I have received from coastal regions, the islands, and from the hinterland. I ask for understanding many citizens who I could not personally meet. There simply wasn’t enough time for everybody.
Dear citizens of Split, I hope that the activities of the Office of the President did not disturb normal life in your city. It was a nice and valuable experience for me personally and for my staff. I also hope that these few days, in which Split was in a way the capital of Croatia, have given you insight into the activities of the Office of the President. I believe that next year I will again be able to work and stay with you.
Thank you, dear Split – thank you, dear Dalmatia!
