SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic has been officially inaugurated as the first woman President of Croatia.
The ceremony of oath-taking on Sunday in capital Zagreb was attended by nine heads of states, one prime minister, four speaker of parliament, six ministers, and in total of 88 foreign delegates such as members of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the presidents of Montenegro, Slovenia, Macedonia, Albania, Slovakia and Hungary, the president of Kosovo, the Serbian prime minister.
New Croatian President Grabar Kitarovic, in her address to those present in St. Mark's Square in the capital of Croatia, stressed the need for a new unity, "The same one communion which was insisted on by the first Croatian president Franjo Tudjman."
"With the oath I made my commitment that I will serve all citizens of Croatia, and readiness to take over as president of the country. I'll be the president of all, regardless of their political, national, racial and other affiliations, "said Grabar Kitarovic.
President’s pledge to ‘support strengthening of Bosnia statehood’
Grabar Kitarovic said that Croatian permanent strategic interests in the region continue through Euro-Atlantic integration and membership to the European Union, warning that any other option could lead to new instabilities and lines of separation.
She pointed out that Croatia, as a member of the European Union, wants to resolve all outstanding issues with its neighbors, such as border issues. She emphasized -- in relations with Serbia in particular -- the importance of resolving the issue of the status of the missing persons.
"Protection of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the most important strategic foreign policy objectives for us. Bosnia seems as a land of equal three peoples, Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats. I want to support the strengthening of the statehood of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the basis of full equality of its peoples, "said Grabar Kitarovic.
Croatia's new president will officially take over her duty on Thursday, February 19, and her mandate runs until February 19, 2020.
