THE PRESIDENT’S REPLY

TO THE REMARKS OF THE

NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR

OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

NEVEN JURICA

UPON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF

HIS LETTER OF CREDENCE

Mr. Ambassador:

            I am pleased to accept your Letter of Credence from President Stjepan Mesic, which establishes you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Croatia, and I acknowledge the Letter of Recall of your distinguished predecessor, Ivan Grdesic. Thank you for your greetings on behalf of the government and people of Croatia. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Washington.

            As I have often said, the United States is dedicated to a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace. Croatia is an integral part of this vision. I look forward to the day when Croatia will join the Euro-Atlantic family of nations, a family bound together by shared values in democracy, human rights, and free markets. I am confident that your arrival here will help to hasten further Croatia’s progress toward this goal. Your professionalism and experience will serve the Croatian people well as you represent their interests in Washington.

            The United States looks toward Croatia as a bridge, a symbol to the world that the deprivations of communism, the horrors of war and the scourge of ethnic hatred can be overcome; that poverty, violence and oppression need not be fates that condemn a nation, but are merely obstacles that can and will be overcome. If there is one thing that I would wish for you to convey to your government and your people, it is that the United States of America and the American people look forward to the day when Croatia will take its place in the Euro-Atlantic alliance.

            To that end, we depend on your government to do everything in its power to overcome the legacy of war and hate that once ran rampant through the Balkans. By cooperating fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and by doing the utmost to apprehend and transfer all indictees, especially Ante Gotovina, to The Hague, Croatia can show to the world its commitment to the universal principles of justice.

            In that same vein, we expect that Croatia will work assiduously to guarantee the right of return for all refugees and internally displaced persons, regardless of ethnicity. The Euro-Atlantic community is built on a bedrock of tolerance, openness and fair treatment to all. We know that although Croatians of  all backgrounds decry and condemn the occasional violence of a few, the government of Croatia must continue to do all in its power to ensure that all those who wish to return to Croatia can do so, free from fear or abuse.

            Being a member of the Euro-Atlantic alliance means taking on the burden of international responsibility as well. To that end, we appreciate the steps that your government has taken to become a more active player on the world stage. Croatia’s efforts in Afghanistan, its participation in UN peacekeeping operations, and its leadership in the Proliferation Security Initiative are all a testament to the seriousness with which your country views NATO and EU membership. I hope that we can see more of your nation’s fine work in Iraq, where the Multinational Force needs the kind of commitment to freedom, peace and security that Croatia has so amply demonstrated elsewhere. We also look forward to continuing our discussions with you on securing an agreement exempting American troops from the International Criminal Court.

            Working together to further our shared goals, we will build ever-stronger bonds between our nations. Once again, Mr. Ambassador, I welcome you to Washington, and I wish you success during your tour as Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America.