"With the oath that I have just taken, I have committed to serving the Croatian people and all of the citizens of Croatia. I take over the duty of the Croatian president with great pride, but also aware of its immense responsibility," the new Croatian head of state said at the beginning of her speech after she was sworn in.
"You have placed your trust in me, and I will report to you! I will be your voice, I will be your president. I am one of you and I will do my best to make Croatia a rich country, the country that young people will not leave, the country which will have more births than deaths, where people in their best years will reap the fruits of their work," she said, promising that she would never do anything against Croatian national interests.
The new president expressed special gratitude to "all those Croatian sons and daughters known and unknown, who, in the thousand years of fighting for Croatian independence, built their lives in the foundations of the modern Croatian state."
"Let me express special gratitude to the Croatian veterans, who have been, and will continue to be, the keystone of our country. We owe deep gratitude to the first Croatian president, Dr. Franjo Tuđman, the front runner of this historic endeavour and the founding father of the modern Croatian state," Grabar Kitarovic said after she sent her greetings to Croatian citizens in the country and abroad.
"I am well aware of the responsibility I have toward the Croatian citizens, being the only high state official elected directly by the citizens,". She said that she would be the President of all Croatian citizens, "regardless of their political affiliation, ethnic, religious and sexual orientation."
"I will uncompromisingly protect those who are the most vulnerable in our society," the president said at the start of the speech.