Numerous Croats from Los Angeles have a very good and professional cooperation with and fully support the Croatian Consul General, the two associations said in a statement sent to Hina in Washington on Thursday. The statement was signed by the head of the Croatian-American Club, Vladimir Lonza, and the president of the Dalmatian-American Club, Gojko Spralja.
The two associations said that from the start of his term Barbir had demonstrated openness to cooperation, readiness to help, and understanding for the wishes and needs of Croatian Americans.
Lonza and Spralja said that they represented a large number of some 150,000 Croatians who live and work in the areas of Los Angeles and San Pedro.
Their statement came as a response to a petition launched by the Croatian intersocial committee of California and signed by 85 Croat emigrants, who condemned the appointment of Barbir to the post of consul general and urged Zagreb to replace him, claiming that Barbir had collaborated with the former Yugoslav secret police UDBA at the time when he was Yugoslav Consul General in Sydney, Australia.