President Milanović Meets Podbablje Municipality Leaders and Imotski Vintners’ Association Representatives
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović today received the heads of the Municipality of Podbablje and representatives of associations active in the area of that municipality in the Imotska Krajina region. The delegation from the Municipality of Podbablje included Municipality Head Ivan Karin, President of the Municipal Council Ljubomir Kljenak, and member of the Municipal Council Dinko Ujević. Representing the associations were the President of the Imotski Association of Vintners and Winemakers “Cvit Razgovora,” Tomislav Jerković, and member of the Milan Grabovac Association, as well as the President of the Imotski Association of Persons with Disabilities, Martina Puljiz.
The Head of the Municipality and the President of the Municipal Council informed President Milanović about the projects being implemented by the municipal government to improve the living conditions of the population and retain young people. In this context, they highlighted the activities of the Association of Vintners and Winemakers, which is the backbone of the viticulture profession in the entire Imotska Krajina region. Its goal is the revitalization and promotion of winemaking in this region. The Association’s President explained that, in cooperation with the Faculty of Agriculture, they have started a project to improve indigenous grape varieties, which is already yielding positive results.
They highlighted unresolved property and legal issues, as well as the fragmentation of agricultural land, as key problems. Specifically, the land of the former Imotski winery has been neglected and unused for around ten years, despite the fact that, as they mentioned, there is significant interest from local winemakers in leasing and utilizing the land. To illustrate the issue, they pointed out that 1,700 hectares of land in Imotska Krajina were once planted with vineyards, whereas today, only 300 hectares remain. Both the municipal leaders and the representatives of the winemakers’ association emphasized that bringing the unused land back into use would benefit the entire Imotska Krajina region.
The meeting also covered the activities of the Association of Persons with Disabilities in the Municipality of Podbablje, which is particularly notable for organizing the work of personal assistants and teaching assistants, providing speech therapy services, and offering consultations on the rights of persons with disabilities. President Milanović was accompanied at the meeting by Melita Mulić, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Human Rights and Civil Society.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas