The Week of Croats Abroad will open in Zagreb on Monday

The Week of Croats Abroad begins tomorrow in the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County. By decision of the Croatian Parliament, the week will be observed every year going forward in the last week of May. This is an initiative that includes Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Croatian national minority in 12 European countries, the Croatian diaspora and their descendants, as well as those who return to Croatia.

Presenting the program for the inaugural Week of Croats Abroad, the State Secretary at the Central State Office for Croats Abroad, Zvonko Milas, noted that the Croatian people are one, but that they live in different circumstances, and that the Week of Croats Abroad is designed to strengthen the bonds between Croatian communities abroad and at home.

“The Week of Croats Abroad is being held in week when we will mark Statehood Day, Armed Forces Day, and Zagreb Veterans Day, which gives it an additional dimension in terms of the goals we want to achieve. In this was we also wanted increase awareness about Croats living abroad among the domestic Croatian population, to shine a light on their contribution in the creation of Croatian statehood and Croatia's development. We want to connect people, institutions and organizations, and to create a platform through which we strengthen Croatian unity,” Milas said.

Speaking at Saturday's commemoration marking the 35th anniversary of the first ceremonial review of the National Guard Corps in Zagreb, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković also emphasized the significance of the Week of Croats Abroad: “This will be an opportunity to once again revisit one of the foundational policies of President Franjo Tuđman in the early 1990's, which emphasized the strong ties between Croatians at home and abroad. And in that context our investment into and support for Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a constituent and equal people and with all of the rights we have secured for members of the Croatian Defense Council, support for Croatian minorities in neighboring countries, and care for the Croatian diaspora takes on a new dimension, and that is why we look forward to the numerous cultural events connected to this week.”

The Week of Croats Abroad will be formally opened tomorrow at the offices of the Croatian Heritage Foundation in downtown Zagreb.

Source: HRT