Ambassador Grdesic attends a Harvard University summit on economy and security

Boston, Massachusetts, October 15 – Croatian Ambassador to United States Dr. Ivan Grdesic attended a summit sponsored by Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Kokkalis program.

Croatian Ambassador Grdesic spoke at the summit about the influence of economy on stability and security in Croatia.  During his speech he stressed that economic development greatly impacts the strengthening of security and stability of each of the countries as well as the entire Southeastern European region. 

Dr. Grdesic also said how Croatia is achieving a high economic annual growth of more than 5 percent and is successfully completing economic reforms aimed at the realization of Croatian admission into European Union.  Ambassador also emphasized how the new security challenges such as terrorism, human rights violations, organized crime, ecological pollution and increased migrations can only be prevented through international cooperation of all European countries. 

The summit was, among others, attended by diplomatic representatives from ten Southeastern European States:  Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Cyprus, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, Moldavia, and Turkey. 

Kokkalis program on Southeastern and East-Central Europe was established in 1997 with the aim of building bridges and networks for peace across Southeastern and East-Central Europe and between this region and the rest of the world.  Croatian president Stjepan Mesic was a guest speaker at the last year’s Kokkalis program summit.