Government secures €6.5 million for projects of interest to Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Croatian Government has earmarked €6.5 million for programs and projects of interest to the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the year 2024, €59 000 in support to the "Meetings of the Croatian Diaspora", and €530 000 for the Banja Luka Diocese and the "Memorial Center of the Peace Cemetery at Bile" in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

At Thursday’s cabinet session government allocated €6.5 million for 199 educational, scientific, cultural, health, agricultural and other programs and projects of interest to the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"With the aim of providing support for the return and sustainable stay of Croats, improving the quality of life and creating conditions for sustainable growth and development, the interdepartmental committee proposed 199 projects for co-financing based on a public tender, expert assessment of field supervision and held sessions," the state secretary of the Central of the office for Croats outside the Republic of Croatia Zvonko Milas.

€1.8 million will be allocated for programs and projects in the fields of education and science, €1.3 million for culture, €1 million for health, €686 000 for agriculture, and €1.7 million for other fields.

Along with securing the funding for projects for Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, government also said that it would continue to support the "Meetings of the Croatian Diaspora" project, which has been declared a strategic project for Croats outside the Republic of Croatia, with €59 000.

"The government has been supporting this project since 2023, which is organized by Croats from South America. Through its various forms the project has been forging an ever stronger connection between Croatia and Croats from South America," said Milas.

Next year, the meetings will be organized in Brazil. This will be the eighth consecutive "Meetings of the Croatian Diaspora" in a row and the time it is being hosted in a Portuguese-speaking country.

Government also adopted a proposal from the Commission for the Evaluation and Determination of Project Proposals of Strategic Importance for Croats outside the Republic of Croatia, by which it declared the projects of the Banja Luka Diocese in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the "Memorial Center of the Peace Cemetery at Bile" as strategically important. They will receive €530 000 from the budget of the Central Office for Croats outside the Republic of Croatia.

Source: HRT