Outgoing President Caputova: My Beloved Slovakia, It's Been Honour Serving You

Bratislava, June 14 (TASR) - Outgoing President Zuzana Caputova wishes Slovakia calmer times, prudent leadership and more humaneness.

Delivering her final public speech on Friday at a farewell ceremony held at the Presidential Garden, Caputova stated it has been an honour for her to serve Slovakia in her 5-year term of office.

"My beloved Slovakia! We've gone through five difficult years together. I had a chance to see your pain from up close, but also your joy and the potential in wonderful people who live here. I've seen your beauty and shown it to other foreign statespersons, too. You're divided, hurting, but always, in every difficult time, capable of joining together in humaneness," she stated.

The outgoing head of state pointed out that the Slovaks will face a great challenge: to bolster mutual trust and understanding among themselves. She underlined the need for solidarity, tolerance, justice and responsibility. "We must replace monologue with dialogue. Replace prejudice with the effort to listen, perceive and understand," she claimed.

At the end of her five years in office, Caputova is leaving with the knowledge that Slovakia's potential is bigger than people realise and she's convinced that Slovakia has reasons to believe in itself.

In her speech, she also underlined that she had paid close attention to the protection of constitutionality during her tenure and pointed out that the relevance of presidential arguments was confirmed also by the Constitutional Court. She perceives this as an important contribution to the building of standards of the rule of law.

The farewell ceremony was attended by representatives of local authorities, civil society, charity, education, culture and minorities as well as holders of top state awards, successful scientists, athletes, artists and teachers.