MFAEI marked Croatian Diplomacy Day

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Gordan Jandroković took the opportunity to point out that the Day of Croatian Diplomacy traditionally commemorated the historic event from 879 when Pope John VIII had sent a letter to Prince Branimir, informing him that he and the Croatian people had been blessed in Rome and acknowledging his “earthly authority over Croatia as a whole”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Gordan Jandroković took the opportunity to point out that the Day of Croatian Diplomacy traditionally commemorated the historic event from 879 when Pope John VIII had sent a letter to Prince Branimir, informing him that he and the Croatian people had been blessed in Rome and acknowledging his “earthly authority over Croatia as a whole”. In those days, that was the highest international recognition by which Croatia, in today’s terms, was recognized as a sovereign state.

Reviewing what has been done in the past year, Minister Jandroković emphasized that Croatia had entered the final phase of the EU negotiations. By becoming an EU member, Croatia will close an important chapter in the modern history of its statehood, complete the Euro-Atlantic integration process and enter a new era in which the Croatian diplomacy will continue to work on meeting the modern day challenges.

In regard to the state of affairs in the region of South Eastern Europe, he said that Croatia’s interest lay in the sustainable stability and Euro-Atlantic future of the neighbourhood. He pointed out the importance the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration placed on developing the economic diplomacy as a crucial segment of the foreign-policy activities.

On the occasion of the Diplomacy Day, the XIV generation attendees of the Diplomatic Academy were awarded certificates on completing the one-year professional diplomatic study. The past academic year saw 42 attendees successfully completing the study, 28 of which were from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and the rest from other state administration bodies.

Two publications by the Diplomatic Academy were also presented – “European Diplomacy: Regional Cooperation, Lifelong Learning and Diplomatic Training”, proceedings from the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Dubrovnik Diplomatic Forum, and “Ruđer Bošković u službi diplomacije Dubrovačke Repulike” (Ruđer Bošković in the Diplomatic Service of the Republic of Dubrovnik) by Stjepan Špoljarić, published on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Ruđer Bošković.

Present at the marking of the Day of Croatian Diplomacy, apart from the employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, were former foreign ministers Zdenko Škrabalo and Mate Granić, retired diplomats and members of the Croatian Diplomatic Club.

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