ZAGREB, November 26, 2019 – United States officials and representatives of international Jewish organisations have positively assessed efforts by the Croatian Culture Ministry in protecting, preserving and promoting the Jewish legacy, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek met in Zagreb on Monday with the US State Department’s special envoy for Holocaust issues, Cherrie Daniels, US Ambassador William Robert Kohorst and representatives of the Jewish organisations WJRO and B’nai B’rith – Dan Mariaschin, Ivan Čerešnješ and Evan Hochberg.
The meeting, held at the Culture Ministry, also involved the minister’s assistant Davor Trupković, secretary Ana Perišić Mijić and senior advisers Dražen Klinčić and Lidija Zozoli.
Obuljen Koržinek presented Croatia’s involvement in dealing with issues relating to the Jewish cultural legacy and the Holocaust, citing “strong and open support by the government.” She informed the delegation of the activities the ministry had launched within its own remit and in cooperation with other state institutions regarding issues of special interest to the Jewish community in the last three years.
The main topics discussed were property restitution, conservation and protection of historical Jewish cemeteries, activities of the Jasenovac Memorial Centre, establishing the origin of works of art in heritage institutions, protecting and promoting the cultural identity of the Jewish minority, and fostering the culture of remembrance of historical Jewish communities.
The minister stressed the importance of further institutional development of cooperation on these important issues in protecting and preserving the Jewish cultural heritage in Croatia.
The US officials and Jewish representatives spoke affirmatively about the ministry’s activities and efforts undertaken so far in protecting, preserving and promoting the Jewish memorial and material legacy, the culture of remembrance and identity, and commemorating Holocaust victims in Croatia, the statement said.
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