President Milanović again Invites Citizens to Get Vaccinated: Those who Didn’t Get Vaccinated Are Exposed to Risks

26. August 2021.
15:05

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović in Kijevo attended a commemoration held on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the killing of civilian victims and defenders in Kijevo in the Homeland War. Afterwards he took questions from journalists.

Asked what he expects from the upcoming population census, President Milanović said that the findings of the census would probably show that the population in Croatia has been downsized by 10% compared to the situation ten years ago. “The number of Croats is as it is, four million or more, together with our fellow countrymen who don’t live in Croatia. Looking from a perspective of 20 years ago, that number is small, and considering the situation of 150 years ago, the number is huge. We can make wonders even here in Kijevo”, President Milanović noted.

Asked why he isn’t participating in the annual conference of ambassadors, consuls general and military attachés of the Republic of Croatia being held in Zagreb, President Milanović replied that he is participating, namely he will host a reception in the Office of the President. “Participants of the conference complete their work in the Office of the President of the Republic”, the President noted.

Regarding an agreement on the appointment of new ambassadors, President Milanović said that he doesn’t participate directly, but that he is informed and there is agreement on that issue.

Talking about his proposal for the appointment of judge Dobronić for Supreme Court President, President Milanović said: “I said what I had to say, and he said his through his work, life, activity. Let them decide”.

Journalists asked the President about the epidemiological measures. “I would do things as Sweden has been doing since the start. Sweden can afford it, obviously we can’t. These measures by themselves don’t make sense any more, unless the health care system and the intensive care units are in danger. As I see it now, they aren’t. People who didn’t get vaccinated are exposed to risks. My message is: please get vaccinated. Think about yourselves first, get vaccinated. Those who got vaccinated practically have no chance of getting seriously ill”, President Milanović said, and repeated – “get vaccinated, get vaccinated, get vaccinated”.

Journalists asked President Milanović to comment on the engagement of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the aforementioned conference of ambassadors and Croatia’s possible engagement. President Milanović said that he also met with him on Wednesday.

“He came, we spoke for quite some time. He is one of the greatest leaders of modern politics of the last twenty, thirty years. They resent him for some of his views, for example his view on Great Britain’s immigration policy, which remains the same, and his critics feel that that is the reason why Great Britain left the European Union. Will he work, I don’t know, that is not for me to decide. I wouldn’t want to offend him, let the man make good money, and I think that that kind of relations in Croatia aren’t needed any more. Serbia and other states maybe, but Croatia doesn’t need that any longer”, President Milanović remarked.