On Monday, 20 September 2010, the Director of the Department for Neighbouring States and Southeast Europe, MSc. Davor Vidiš, and Head of the Independent Service for Croatians in Overseas States and Culture, Petar Barišić, received representatives of the St. Nicholas Janjevo Association of Croatians: President of the Association Sebastijan Čolakić, Vice-president of the Association Nikola Rodić, the parish priest of Janjevo Fr. Mato Palić, and Josipa Cirimotić. The reception at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration was organised on the occasion of their visit to institutions in the Republic of Croatia.

During the meeting, President of the Association Čolakić and Fr. Palić informed their counterparts about the hard times of the Croatian community in Kosovo and the activities and work of the newly-established association of the Croatians in Kosovo.

Furthermore, they expressed their hope that the competent authorities and institutions of the Republic of Croatia will step in more for a better status of the Croatian community in Kosovo in all their meetings.

They particularly expressed their expectations in regard of the activities of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Pristina concerning the protection of the rights and property of the Croats who emigrated from Kosovo.

Director Vidiš and Head of Department Barišić expressed their readiness to provide support in any regard, and they pointed out that the inclusion of a representative of the Croatian community in the Consultative Body of the Council for Communities with the Office of the President of the Republic of, Dr. Fatmir Sejdiu, signalled a better legal status of the Croatian minority in Kosovo and possible inclusion in the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo.

Press releases