ZAGREB, March 25, 2018 – Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović called in Bad Homburg, Germany, on Saturday for strengthening the ties between Croats in Croatia and emigrants so that a global Croatia could be as strong and visible as possible, and also thanked Germany for its assistance during the 1991-95 Homeland War.
Addressing Croatian expats at an annual award ceremony for the most successful among them, as voted by the readers of Croatia’s Večernji List daily, the president thanked them for their role in boosting Croatia’s reputation abroad, saying the number of Croats in the world was already the same as in Croatia.
She said the strengthening of ties between Croats in Croatia and expats was “an essential part of the state policy, so that we can create a unity which I have called a global Croatia.” She said she would not “stop fighting for our global Croatia to be as strong and visible as possible worldwide.”
“We know how much Croatian athletes and musicians contribute to making Croatia popular worldwide, as do scientists and other prominent individuals, our associations and clubs and other participants in various national public life events in some states,” the president said.
She thanked Croatian expats “for contributing, with your careers and your public activity, to the reputation of Croats and Croatia in the countries you live in.” She called on them to strengthen their ties with Croatia as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, which she said was also an “ancient homeland of Croats.”
“The Croatian people isn’t forgetting Germany’s big support, especially from our friends, Chancellor Kohl and Minister Genscher, at the time of our struggle for independence and international recognition. I believe the cooperation between Croatia and Germany will continue to expand and intensify,” she said.
