"I see Croatia as a just state in which every man, regardless of ethnic, religious or any other grounds, has equal opportunities," Josipovic said at the Serb Orthodox High School.
He said the issue of equal opportunities was especially felt by the youngest generation, which he said belonged to those most educated but, in the current economic crisis, was also the one without jobs. He underlined the need to align the labour market with the educational system, saying the European Union had to deal with this issue as well.
The president commended Privrednik's attempts to ensure scholarships for the poorest students, saying this contributed to equal opportunities for those in Croatia as well as for those returning to Croatia.
Privrednik president Nikola Lunic said the congress was organised on the association's 115th anniversary, adding that until the Second World War, the association had provided scholarships to more than 40,000 children.
Since its restoration in the 1990s, Privrednik receives scholarship applications from about 200 young people a year, mainly from returnee areas, Lunic said, asking the Croatian government to help in providing them with scholarships and in solving the issue of restitution of property seized after WW2.
Also in attendance were Serbian Ambassador Stanimir Vukicevic and Metropolitan Jovan Pavlovic of Zagreb-Ljubljana.