The MFAEI participated in the event on the occasion of the European Day of Languages...

In addition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration as the representative of the host country, the event was attended by the embassies of 15 EU Member States, lead by the Kingdom of Sweden, which is currently presiding over the EU, as well as by the Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Croatia and the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes.

Greeting the attendants, Director General of the Directorate for Europe and North America at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Aleksandar Heina expressed satisfaction with the results of the recently published Eurostat study which shows that Croatian citizens rank above the EU average in the use of foreign languages. He pointed out that such data indicates that Croatia would surely bring added value to the European Union, considering the willingness and dedication of its citizens to learn and become familiar with foreign languages and cultures.

All present were also addressed by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Republic of Croatia Fredrik Vahlquist, and State Secretary at the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports Dražen Vikić-Topić.

As a part of the celebration of the eight European Day of Languages in the Republic of Croatia, various information and booklets on languages and learning possibilities were presented by the participants at exhibition stands, including the EDL 2009 quiz on the language and culture of each country participating in the event. 20-minute courses in European languages were held, and the event was accompanied by a cultural programme.

Special attention was given to the fact that the Croatian language would also become an official EU language once the Republic of Croatia becomes a member of the European Union.

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