We have, of course, discussed Europe, a continent that was established to guarantee a future of peace in a continent that had been torn apart by centuries of fratricidal wars. This peace has persisted in European territory for nearly eighty years, and it is a condition that serves as a model offered to the international community", said Italian President Sergio Mattarella during his visit to Croatia, where he was received at the Presidential Palace by President Zoran Milanović. "Europe has consistently promoted and sustained this vocation for peace", Mattarella continues, "while also considering the security needs affecting it, but most importantly, contemplating the various forms of collaboration that exist worldwide. It is no coincidence that the EU is at the center of a network of open trade relations with many parts of the world, which by creating common interests guarantee a vehicle for peace. This vocation for peace of the EU is fully shared and supported by Croatia and Italy, with a harmony of objectives aimed at offering the international community - in such a troubled and dramatic moment, with so many anguished wars - a model of serene coexistence that has been disturbed in recent years". The Head of State recalls that this is his second state visit to Croatia: "I had just been elected President of the Republic when I came to Zagreb, and it is a pleasure to see how in these ten years, our collaboration has grown in large measure and dimension, from every perspective." "We have emphasized the significant benefits of this collaboration to our minorities, which are the bridge of our friendship and collaboration and also a guarantee. This tool is increasingly influencing Croatia and Italy to collaborate in all aspects", explains Mattarella.