Continued support for projects of strategic importance for Croats outside Croatia

The Croatian government will allocate a total of €5.9 million to continue supporting projects of strategic importance for Croats living outside the Republic of Croatia, it decided at a session held on Thursday.

Of the 11 projects receiving continued financial support, four relate to Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, three to those in Serbia, and one each to communities in Montenegro, Hungary, Austria's Burgenland region, and the South American diaspora.

A total of €265,000 will be allocated to support the Croatian National Theatre in Mostar, with the aim of preserving and promoting Croatian national and cultural identity, as well as strengthening the Croatian language and theatre tradition.

Further funding for projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina includes €600,000 for Radiotelevision Herceg-Bosna-the only public broadcaster in the Croatian language in the country-€950,000 for the renovation of the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius in Sarajevo, and €850,000 for infrastructure projects in the Mostar-Duvno and Trebinje-Mrkan dioceses.

For projects supporting Croats in Serbia, €2.9 million has been earmarked. This includes €200,000 for strengthening community institutions, €1.2 million for the Domus Dimitrianum project of the Diocese of Srijem, and €1.5 million for an agricultural development program.

In Hungary, €100,000 will be allocated to the Croatian Theatre in Pécs. An additional €75,000 will go to Radio Dux in Montenegro, the only electronic media outlet of the Croatian minority there. The same amount will support Hrvatske novine, published in Željezno in Austria, while €68,000 has been set aside for diaspora gatherings.

The Ninth Meeting of Croats from South America is scheduled to take place from 5 to 8 November in Córdoba, Argentina.

At the proposal of the Commission for the Evaluation and Selection of Strategic Projects for Croats Abroad, the government also designated four additional initiatives as projects of strategic importance, allocating a further €851,000.

These include €300,000 for the renovation of the Franciscan Monastery in Jajce, €200,000 for strengthening the Croatian Centre in Vienna, €101,000 for infrastructure improvements at the Croatian Home in Gothenburg, Sweden, and €250,000 for projects run by the Croatian Ethnic Institute in Chicago.