WASHINGTON, May 31 (Hina) - Croatia's Statehood Day was marked on Wednesday in many US cities and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan sent Croatian President Stjepan Mesic a message with his congratulations on the occasion of the holiday.
Extending his warmest congratulations to the government and people of Croatia, Annan recalled President Mesic's participation in the UN Millennium Summit in New York last September. He also expressed confidence that Croatia, together with other UN members, would be a committed promoter of democracy and human rights, oppose war and poverty and work toward a better world which will protect its natural resources and environment. "It is heartening to know that the United States can count on the continued leadership, commitment and support of Croatia," reads the message. Croatia's Statehood Day was marked in Croatian diplomatic and consular offices in North America. Receptions wer
WASHINGTON, May 31 (Hina) - Croatia's Statehood Day was marked on
Wednesday in many US cities and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
sent Croatian President Stjepan Mesic a message with his
congratulations on the occasion of the holiday.
Extending his warmest congratulations to the government and people
of Croatia, Annan recalled President Mesic's participation in the
UN Millennium Summit in New York last September. He also expressed
confidence that Croatia, together with other UN members, would be a
committed promoter of democracy and human rights, oppose war and
poverty and work toward a better world which will protect its
natural resources and environment.
"It is heartening to know that the United States can count on the
continued leadership, commitment and support of Croatia," reads
the message.
Croatia's Statehood Day was marked in Croatian diplomatic and
consular offices in North America.
Receptions were given in Washington, New York, Ottawa and
elsewhere, with numerous figures from the political, public and
cultural life of the United States and Canada, international
organisations based in the two countries and prominent Croat
emigrants attending.
Present at the Washington celebration were the State Department
deputy director for political planning, Donald Steinberg, and
other senior US diplomats, representatives from the defence
ministry, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and
Congress, International Monetary Fund and World Bank
representatives Pieter Stek and Hans Flickenschield, members of
the diplomatic corps, led by papal nuncio Gabriel Montalva, and the
head of the Holocaust Museum, Sara Bloomfield.
Croatian American emigrant communities organised Statehood
receptions as well.
(hina) rml