In addition to the festival in Split, which covers the wider area of Croatia and BiH, the ministry has also launched the Pannonian Festival in Osijek, on the initiative of the Publishers and Booksellers Association, allowing direct engagement with publishers, programmes, and authors across the country, the minister said.
When asked about the fact that the City of Split did not fund the Mediterranean Book Festival this year, she emphasised the importance of the event and noted that the ministry allocated €60,000 for it.
She called the city's decision not to finance the festival "unreasonable," expressing hope that the city will recognise its value in the future, as the festival is crucial for promoting books and reading. She added that the ministry would continue to support the festival financially.
All children's programmes at the festival are part of the Culture and Media Ministry's national strategy for encouraging reading.
The festival is being held under the auspices of the ministry and Split-Dalmatia County.