Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said in the southern town of Opuzen on Tuesday that she had not seen the statement by the Holy See relating to the dispute over the request by Italian Benedictine monks for the restitution of property in the Porec-Pula diocese so she could not comment on it, but expressed confidence that the situation would be resolved.
Kosor said she had received the Bishop of Porec, Ivan Milovan, and his associates and had given them her support, "because the situation in which he and his diocese are is very difficult." She said she had written a letter to Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, adding that she was confident that they would help resolve the situation. "I am also confident of good cooperation with Cardinal Josip Bozanic, whom I appreciate and respect."
When asked to comment on statements made earlier in the day by senior Social Democratic Party (SDP) officials Zeljko Jovanovic and Slavko Linic, who sharply criticised her government, Kosor said that their only platform was hatred and contempt for other people's work and achievements. "It would be better for the people of Croatia and for the people of Rijeka if those two answered what happened with the marketplaces in Rijeka and how it was possible to use 149 million kuna from the city budget without specifying the purpose."
Commenting on the problems of people with loans pegged to the Swiss franc, Kosor said that certain steps had already been taken. "We are discussing further measures and, as I have said, more will be known later this week," she added.
Kosor spoke to the press after a formal session of the Opuzen Town Council.
Earlier on, the Prime Minister visited the nearby town of Ploce where she presented disabled war veterans with keys to newly-built apartments. The construction of the 10-apartment building cost about 5 million kuna.
