WASHINGTON, Jan 20(Hina) - Croatian Parliament President Vladimir Seks and Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul have requested support from Croatian Americans in efforts to strengthen relations with the United States and win US support for
Croatia's aspirations to join Euro-Atlantic institutions, particularly NATO.
WASHINGTON, Jan 20(Hina) - Croatian Parliament President Vladimir Seks
and Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul have requested support from Croatian
Americans in efforts to strengthen relations with the United States
and win US support for Croatia's aspirations to join Euro-Atlantic
institutions, particularly NATO.#L#
Seks and Zuzul are currently in Washington at the invitation of the US
Congress, their first official visit to the US after the parliamentary
election last November. On Tuesday, they are scheduled to attend a
session of Congress at which US President George W. Bush will deliver
a state-of-the-nation address.
In a letter to Seks on January 15, several Congressmen, including Dana
Rohrabacher, George Radanovich, Todd Tiahrt and Steve Chabot, welcomed
the attendance of the two Croatian officials at the session of
Congress. They extended their greetings to Prime Minister Ivo Sanader
and expressed hope that the US and Croatia would continue
strengthening bilateral relations.
Seks and Zuzul met representatives of the Croatian community in the
United States at a reception given by Ambassador Ivan Grdesic on
Monday.
Zuzul said at the reception at the Croatian Embassy in Washington that
Croatia was facing two major tasks of joining the European Union and
NATO, in which it expected support from the Croatian Americans.
Zuzul said that it was great recognition to receive an invitation to
attend a session of Congress at which the US president would deliver a
speech on the state of the nation. It shows that "the United States is
ready to take a big step forward in its relations with Croatia," he
added.
Seks and Zuzul are due to meet a number of Congressmen and Senators on
Tuesday and Wednesday. A meeting with a State Department
representative is also expected.
"Our message at those meetings will be that we are ready for friendly
and good relations with the US," the Croatian foreign minister said.
Zuzul said that Croatia and the United States could be partners
because they had common interests.
"Our main message will be our request for admission into NATO," Zuzul
said, adding that other topics concerning relations between the two
countries would also be discussed.
Seks said that bilateral meetings would "deepen ties between the two
countries," mainly between the US Congress and the Croatian Sabor.
Seks said that Croatia would cooperate with Croatian Americans so that
they could act as "a strong democratic Croatian lobby in the US in
order to ensure that Croatian interests are better recognised and
represented and that Croatia has effective support for its admission
into Euro-Atlantic institutions."
Seks said that Croatia expected Croatian Americans to increase
investment in its economy.
(Hina) vm