Stier congratulates Burgenland Croats on preserving their identity

(Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Davor Ivo Stier told the Burgenland Croats from three countries that he was glad to celebrate the unity of people who had preserved their Croatian language and identity

(Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Davor Ivo Stier told the Burgenland Croats from three countries, who gathered in Nikitsch, a town in Austria's state of Burgenland, on Sunday, that he was glad to celebrate the unity of people who had preserved their Croatian language and identity over the past five centuries.

Stier made the statement while opening a concert in a church in Nikitsh (Filež in Croatian), a community with the majority Croat population. Performing at the concert was a choir made up of Burgenland Croats from Austria, Hungary and Slovakia.

Stier said that this was his first meeting with the Burgenland Croats and that it confirmed the Croatian government's wish to "be close to, care for and cooperate with all Croats who live outside Croatia."

An estimated 50,000 Burgenland Croats live in Austria, and it is believed that more than 60,000 live in Austria, Hungary and Slovakia.

Stier especially thanked Burgenland Bishop Eugidio Živković for "everything the Catholic Church has done for the preservation of the identity of the Burgenland Croats over the past 500 years."

On Monday, Stier will continue his visit to Austria by meeting with senior state officials to discuss bilateral relations, the process of integration of the Western Balkans with the EU, migrations, and preparations for Austria's presidency of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2017.

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