WASHINGTON, May 30 (Hina) - The new US Ambassador to Croatia, Ralph Frank, was sworn in at a ceremony at the State Department on Thursday. The new ambassador, who was sworn in in front of the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, is
expected to take up office this summer.
WASHINGTON, May 30 (Hina) - The new US Ambassador to Croatia, Ralph
Frank, was sworn in at a ceremony at the State Department on
Thursday. The new ambassador, who was sworn in in front of the US
Secretary of State, Colin Powell, is expected to take up office this
summer. #L#
In a short speech at the ceremony, Powell said the incumbent
Croatian authorities had made it possible for the country to find a
way out of difficult times into a promising future. He stressed
Croatia's cooperation in the Anti-terrorist Coalition as well as
the importance of the recently signed US-Adriatic charter,
officials who attended the ceremony said.
Introducing Ambassador Frank, Powell said he was an experienced
diplomat with a 28-year-long career.
Thanking a representative of the Croatian Embassy in Washington for
attending the event, Powell expressed a wish for the two countries
to continue developing cooperation.
Ambassador Frank described relations between the USA and Croatia as
good and promised cooperation and assistance in issues where it was
needed.
A career diplomat, Frank served as ambassador in Nepal and worked in
the US embassies in Warsaw and Belgrade. He currently heads the
office for development and appointment at the State Department's
personnel sector.
The appointment of Frank, as a person who did not have many direct
connections with south-east Europe, as ambassador to Croatia, is
seen by Croatian diplomatic sources as yet another sign confirming
that Croatia has entered calmer waters and that the USA no longer
considers it a problem but a party in solving problems in the
region, as well as that it intends to develop normal political and
economic relations with Croatia.
The oath-taking ceremony was also attended by Powell's assistant
for Europe, Elizabeth Jones, the State Department's director for
Europe, Paul Jones, and the head of the office for war crimes
issues, Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper. Present at the event on
behalf of the Croatian Embassy was deputy mission chief Kresimir
Pirsl.
(hina) rml