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Zagreb - Zoran Milanović was sworn in as the fifth President of Croatia at a ceremony that started at noon on Tuesday in the President's Office in Zagreb.
Milanović took the presidential oath before Constitutional Court President Miroslav Šeparović after the national anthem "Our Beautiful Homeland" was performed by singer Josipa Lisac accompanied by pianist Zvjezdan Ružić, and a minute's silence was observed for the fallen in the 1991-1995 Homeland War.
He was sworn in for a term of five years and began his inaugural speech. The first working day of the new president begins on Wednesday.
Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Tuesday President Zoran Milanović's inauguration speech was a good start to his term, highlighting the need to cooperate with Croatia's benefit.
"I can assess it as a fair speech in which he gave several essential messages, the most important being that we should cooperate and work to Croatia's benefit regardless of political differences and different world views," Jandroković said. "I think it's a good start and I hope President Milanović's term will pass in that spirit."
Apart from the Incumbent President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, the inauguration at the President's Office attended by the following state officials: the Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and the five Parliament Deputy Speakers, the Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and the four Deputy Prime Ministers, the Constitutional Court President Đuro Sessa, the Chief of the General Staff and General Mirko Šundov.
The inauguration ceremony was also attended by two ex-Croatian heads of state, Stjepan Mesić and Ivo Josipović, as well as Milanović's family and members of his campaign team.
The ceremony was also attended by the national anthem performers and the a cappella vocal group of the Croatian Navy, and the Croatian Army Orchestra with the Honour Guard Battalion was presented at the plateau in front of the President's Office.