May 29, 2022 - On Statehood Day and the 30th anniversary of Croatia's international diplomatic recognition, numerous events are being held in the country. A conference entitled "Heritage of Generations: 30 Years of International Diplomatic Recognition of the Republic of Croatia" will be held in Zagreb.

Three panels will be held at the conference "Heritage of Generations: 30 Years of International Diplomatic Recognition of the Republic of Croatia", reports HRT News. Distinguished guests will discuss current topics related to the international position of the country on the occasion of Statehood Day.

The first panel runs from 10:30 am and is called "Witnesses of the Time: Brave Generation". Dr. Mate Granić, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, is taking part in it along with Academician Davorin Rudolf, member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, prof. dr. sc., Jurgen Chrobog, German lawyer and diplomat, and Associate Professor dr. sc. Ante Nazor, director of the Croatian Homeland War Memorial and Documentation Center. The moderator of the panel is Dr. sc. Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia.

The second panel "Croatia for three decades: Generation of transformation" lasts from 12:10 to 13:40 and will be broadcasted on HRT4. Participants include mr. sc. Zdravka Bušić, Member of the Croatian Parliament; Peter Galbraith, US Ambassador to Croatia from 1993 to 1998; mr. sc. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, the fourth President of the Republic of Croatia, Ivana Maletić, a member of the European Court of Auditors, and Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission, will deliver a video message. The moderator is Vladimir Drobnjak, special advisor to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia.

The third panel "Croatia Today: Generation for the Future" lasts from 14:40 to 16:10 pm. Participating are Gracija Filipović, actress in the Cannes-awarded Croatian film Murina; Albert Gajšak, Circuitmess doo; dr. sc. David Matthew Smith, director of the Ruđer Bošković Institute; Dejan Nemčić, professor and Tin Srbić, gymnast. The moderator is Zrinka Grancarić, an HRT journalist.

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May 28, 2022 - The celebration of Statehood Day was held last Friday in the restaurant Dubrovnik in New Rochelle, NY.

The ceremony was opened by Lidija Babić, Consul of the 1st class, and then the Consul General of the Republic of Croatia in New York Nikica Kopačević greeted everyone on her own behalf and on behalf of all employees of the Consulate General. He emphasized that this year also marks the 30th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition and thanked all Croatian veterans and their families, especially those who laid down their lives in the Homeland War, which is the foundation of the creation of a free Croatia. Kopačević also emphasized the importance of the unity of Croats in the homeland and Croats in the diaspora and thanked emigrated Croats around the world and especially Croats in the United States and New York for all they have done to create a free and independent state of Croatia.

In his speech, he also referred to the words of the first Croatian president, Dr. Franjo Tuđman, who said that May 30 was the constitutive creation of a new and democratic Croatian Parliament, which was the beginning of modern Croatia and the long-term dream of many Croats. and emigration. A minute of silence was observed in honor of all the fallen Croatian defenders who built their lives into the foundations of Croatia.

The program of the celebration began with the performance of the American and Croatian anthems, which were magnificently sung by the klapa Astoria from New York, accompanied by Viktor Šarić. Along with the klapa Astoria, everyone sang “God Save Croatia”, and later during the party they were joined by Joško Grbac, a member of the group Dalmati from New York and Croatian-American music artist Tommi Mischell.

The celebration of Statehood Day in New York was enhanced by representatives of the Society for the Preservation of Šibenik Heritage Juraj Dalmatinac (http://www.jurajdalmatinac.com/) led by its president Nikola Grubić, who set up the exhibition Šibenik Through the Centuries and presented the work of the society on rebuilding fortresses and portals in the city center of Šibenik, the Geonucleus project, magazine Juraj and other projects.

Special thanks for preserving Croatian national and cultural identity in New York was given to the Croatian Catholic priests from the Croatian Church in Manhattan and the Croatian Catholic Mission in Astoria, as well as to the Croatian Radio Club NY - "Voice of Free Croatia", which has been operating in New York for more than 50 years. Among the representatives of the Croatian Radio New York, the celebration was attended by Zvonimir Crnogorac, the oldest member and one of the hosts of that radio since 1972.

(Photos credit: Ane Strazicic Rodriguez)

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ZAGREB, 15 January, 2021 - President Zoran Milanović issued a message on Friday marking the Day of International Recognition and the Day of the Peaceful Reintegration of the Danube Region. 

"Today we commemorate the 29th anniversary of the international recognition of the Republic of Croatia. On this day we remember an important moment in recent Croatian history when the world accepted and recognised the autonomy and independence of the Croatian state," Milanović said.

After a vast majority of Croatian citizens voted in favour of independence and the Croatian Parliament, based on the will of the people, adopted a resolution on independence and severed all constitutional ties with the other republics and provinces of the Yugoslav federation, the international community received all democratic arguments to recognise the irrevocable independence of Croatia, he recalled.

The strongest arguments were made by Croatian defenders who demonstrated their desire to live in a free and independent state through their selfless readiness to sacrifice themselves in the 1991-1995 Homeland War. "Their sacrifice and death are the greatest contribution to the freedom and international recognition of the Republic of Croatia and we are forever grateful to them for that."

Milanović said that 15 January should also be a reminder of "our ability to survive in the most difficult of times and our obligation to build the Croatian state as a democratic and successful country that will make future generations proud."

"The peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube region, which followed in 1998 and which we also remember on this Remembrance Day, is an example of success in peace building and democratic development of the Republic of Croatia in the years after the international recognition," the President said in his message.

ZAGREB, 15 January, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Friday, on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition and the 23rd anniversary of the peaceful reintegration of its Danube region, that Croatia was marking the two anniversaries with pride and gratitude to its defenders.

"The anniversaries of Croatia's international recognition and the peaceful reintegration of the Danube region are important dates in the country's history. We are marking them feeling proud of all our accomplishments and grateful to Croatian defenders and all others who sacrificed themselves for Croatia's freedom and independence," said Plenković.

He recalled that Croatia, a UN, NATO and EU member, was today a relevant partner in many global and regional organisations.

In the first half of 2020, Croatia chaired the Council of the European Union for the first time, in what were unprecedented circumstances in Europe and the rest of the world, he said.

"By continuing to strengthen Croatia's international position, the government is committed to achieving the two remaining strategic goals - accession to the euro area and entry to the Schengen area," said the PM.

Commenting on the coronavirus pandemic and the devastating earthquake that hit Croatia at the end of 2020, Plenković said that the Croatian people had shown unity, resilience and strength in the most difficult circumstances, and he thanked the numerous countries and organisations that had sent help to earthquake victims and shown solidarity with Croatia.

"We are embarking on a new decade with the ambition, despite all challenges, to continue making progress in terms of economic and social development and reforms, making the most of our increasingly strong international position and membership of the EU to the benefit of all citizens and with the aim of fast economic recovery," Plenković said in his message.