Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman attended the signing of an agreement on financing the construction of Croatia House in Subotica and on enhancing personnel capacities of the Croat community in Serbia. Addressing the ceremony, Grlić Radman said that “by supporting this and other projects, Croatia is making it clear that it stands by its compatriots”, adding that this was also a message to Serbia regarding the continuation of dialogue on all outstanding issues.
“We want the Croat community to enjoy all the rights that the Serb minority has in Croatia based on a mutual agreement on the protection of national minorities signed in 2004," Grlić Radman recalled.
He once again underscored the problem of those who went missing during the 1990s war as well as the unresolved issue of representation of ethnic Croats in bodies of representation in Serbia.
“There are 1869 missing. All these persons have families. These are fates that we cannot remain indifferent to. Our common past was traumatic and tragic, and should never repeat itself. We have to build a better future for our youth, because peace and stability have no alternative. That is why I think Serbia’s commitment to EU membership is the right path and we will support it,” Grlić Radman said.
The Croatian government will earmark HRK 1.3 million from the state budget to finance the construction of a Croatia House in Subotica, which will be the headquarters for three key Croatian institutions in Serbia – the Croatian National Council, the Institute of Culture of the Vojvodina Croats and the "Hrvatska Riječ" journalist-publishing house.
Text: Hina/MFEA