ZAGREB, February 7, 2020 – Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Thursday congratulated Rijeka on a recent ceremony inaugurating the city as the European Capital of Culture, saying that over the past few years the government had strongly supported the project and there was therefore no room for speculation that the government had any reservations about that.
“There have been many bizarre comments in the media. Over the past few years the government has not only provided strong financial support for the European Capital of Culture project but has been quite involved in the project and supported its activities,” Plenković said at a government session.
The PM said that the inauguration ceremony was attended by Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli, Transport Minister Oleg Butković and by his advisor, academician Zvonko Kusić.
“We look forward to Rijeka and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County hosting numerous cultural events in the coming months, and I will definitely attend some of them. There is no room then for speculation that the government had any reservations about that important project,” he said, adding that the project was very important also in the context of Croatia’s EU presidency.
The ceremony inaugurating Rijeka as the European Capital of Culture 2020, featuring Opera Industriale as the central event, was attended by some 20,000 local residents and visitors, with 130 artists performing on the central stage.
The event was attended by President-elect Zoran Milanović but it was not attended by Plenković, outgoing President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković, which elicited criticism.
More Rijeka news can be found in the Lifestyle section.
