President Milanović at ‘Interliber’: Reading is an urge that you either have or don’t; nobody can be forced to read
“Whoever reads will ultimately find their way. Nobody can ever be forced to read; it’s an urge that you either have or don’t,” said the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović to young people and all those who read books at the opening ceremony of the 46th International Book Fair ‘Interliber’ at Zagreb Fair.
Since Hungary was chosen as the featured country at this year’s ‘Interliber’, President Milanović, in his address at the ceremony, spoke about the current state of Croatian-Hungarian relations. “Our history – the history of relations between Croatia and Hungary and the intertwining of our cultures – is vast. Only neighbouring nations, if you are a small nation like the Croats, can serve as strategic partners. This is the extent, scope, and visibility of our strategy. Our strategic partners cannot be distant because they are beyond our reach,” he said.
“A featured country, not a partner country, because this is not a traditional economic forum, but rather a forum of cooperation, understanding, and dialogue. This mutual focus has, for a long time now, not been a focus through an optical sight – a means for shooting – but rather a focus on culture, dialogue, and understanding in a mature phase of Croatian-Hungarian relations. Through all the historical turbulence and misunderstandings, these relations have reached a stage of maturity,” said President Milanović in his address, adding that the differences between the two countries are few, primarily interest-based, and resolvable.
Saying that in the relations between nations, societies, and cultures, such interests have rarely led to conflict or bloodshed, President Milanović explained that “it was unbridled passion, wild ideas, and grand plans for sweeping changes to take effect as early as tomorrow that led to conflict.” He continued, “That’s why, if I may generalize – what has always resonated with me in Hungarian culture and psychology is a healthy scepticism toward the world you live in, which doesn’t make you despondent but generally restrains you from reckless emotions and overly ambitious plans.” “With that minimum of scepticism, only through goodwill and through recognizing, tolerating, and respecting the diversity on which Europe is founded, can Europe become what we all wish it to be: a strategic entity, strategically autonomous – not loose or distant from its natural partners, but more independent than it is today,” concluded President Milanović.
In addition to President Milanović, the opening speeches were given by the guest of honour of this year’s fair, Hungarian writer, playwright, and essayist Péter Nádas; the Ambassador of Hungary to the Republic of Croatia, Csaba Demcsák; Deputy State Secretary and delegate of the Hungarian Minister of Culture and Innovation, Gábor Csaba; Mayor of the City of Zagreb, Tomislav Tomašević; and the Minister of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, Nina Obuljen Koržinek.
After the opening, President Milanović visited the ‘Interliber’ exhibitors. The fair featured more than 300 exhibitors from 14 countries, and this year’s featured country, Hungary, is showcased through a literary, artistic, gastronomic, and cultural programme.
President Milanović was accompanied by Zdravko Zima, Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Culture, and Tomislav Paškvalin, Commissioner of the President of the Republic for Sports.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta