Croatian president watches as 'Schindler's List' producer hands Oscar to Yad Vashem

Graber-Kitarovic told Rivlin that at the ceremony she had emphasized the importance of carrying the message of peace and tolerance.

JULY 23, 2015 11:24

Updated: JULY 23, 2015 11:27

Schindler's List producer presents his Oscar to Yad Vashem

Croatian President Kolinda Graber-Kitarovic met with President Reuven Rivlin on Thursday and said she was glad to have the opportunity to pay her first visit to Israel in the capacity of president.

She came to participate in a ceremony at Yad Vashem in which Croatian filmmaker Branko Lustig presented the Oscar that he won for Schindler's List to Yad Vashem in perpetuity.

Graber-Kitarovic told Rivlin that at the ceremony she had emphasized the importance of carrying the message of peace and tolerance.

"I have seen the face of war, and I know what it means to live in peace and security," she told Rivlin. "Croatia supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with peace and security for Israel and the Palestinians and an improved quality of life for the Palestinians."

"Croatia follows events in the Middle East and is concerned about the proliferation of weapons, the loss of human life, and the threats that permeate the region," she said.

The Croatian president underscored that her country wants to intensify its cooperation at all levels with Israel, including security and defense, declaring that dealing with these matters was a mutual responsibility.

In relating to the main reason for his Croatian counterparts' visit to Israel, Rivlin stressed that the State of Israel "is not a form of compensation for the Holocaust but the homeland for the Jewish people."

"We returned to our homeland," he said.

Rivlin also stated that Israel is trying to learn from the Croatian experience.