Galway Bay fm newsroom - The President of Croatia has made a strong link between Galway city and her home port as she starts the official leg of her visit to Galway.
President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic is here as part of a three-day State visit.
In the last hour she has been welcomed to City Hall with a civic reception headed up by Mayor Noel Larkin and councillors and has been addressing the chamber with 200 people in the public gallery.
Her native port which the President referred to in her opening remarks will jointly hold the title of European Capital of Culture with Galway in 2020.
After City Hall President Grabar-Kitarovic will be given a tour of the Galway 2020 Community Hub.
Later, there will be a meeting with NUI Galway President Jim Browne and a meet and greet with students.
The schedule will conclude with a local food demonstration to mark Galway being the European Region of Gastronomy 2018.
OPW Minister and Galway East TD Sean Canney is representing the government during President Grabar-Kitarovic's visit to the city.
