SUSAK SUSAK, July 30 (Hina) - On the occasion of Emigrants Day of the northern Croatian island of Susak, Croatia's President Stjepan Mesic attended a ceremony on Sunday which drew about 200 Susak emigrants, inhabitants and many
guests. Commenting on the situation on the island, Mesic said it was currently abandoned but Susak had prospects of being developed into a tourist pearl. Croatian President recalled the rich cultural heritage, centuries-long tradition and prosperity the island of Susak used to enjoy. Now, basic conditions for normal life such as public utilities should be ensured for the island. At the ceremony organised by the Croatian Institute for Emigrants ('Hrvatska Matica Iseljenika') and the tourist office from the nearby island of Losinj, Mesic said he hoped better future would be in the offing for this island thanks to Croatia's efforts to promote its Adriatic and tourist orientation. One of Susak emigrants
SUSAK, July 30 (Hina) - On the occasion of Emigrants Day of the
northern Croatian island of Susak, Croatia's President Stjepan
Mesic attended a ceremony on Sunday which drew about 200 Susak
emigrants, inhabitants and many guests.
Commenting on the situation on the island, Mesic said it was
currently abandoned but Susak had prospects of being developed into
a tourist pearl.
Croatian President recalled the rich cultural heritage, centuries-
long tradition and prosperity the island of Susak used to enjoy.
Now, basic conditions for normal life such as public utilities
should be ensured for the island.
At the ceremony organised by the Croatian Institute for Emigrants
('Hrvatska Matica Iseljenika') and the tourist office from the
nearby island of Losinj, Mesic said he hoped better future would be
in the offing for this island thanks to Croatia's efforts to promote
its Adriatic and tourist orientation.
One of Susak emigrants cited the data according to which from 1945
to 1961 about 1,000 inhabitants left this island. He thanked the
Catholic Church for the help it offered to those people who moved
from Susak, to preserve their unity and maintain the connection
with their island, and called on the Croatian authorities to create
conditions for their return and enable them to invest their capital
in Croatia.
After the ceremony President Mesic told reporters that the entire
country should take efforts aimed at helping Susak to solve the
basic problems (such as the sewerage and water management).
"I would like to explain to emigrants that at the parliamentary
elections authorities were changed who had failed to fulfil their
promises, considering the fact that it (Diaspora) often has either
wrong information or has no information on the matter," Mesic said
adding that support should be offered to the incumbent authorities
so that they would be capable of consistently fulfilling their
commitments.
A new chance should be offered to Croatian islands. We should
prepare high-quality legal frameworks for them, set up free trade
zones on them and apply all positive experiences of other
countries, and even those that seem to be futuristic as tourism is
of great importance for islands but is not sufficient, Mesic said.
(hina) ms