September 11 Commemorated at Croatian Embassy

Washington DC, Sept. 11, 2003 – Croatian Embassy to U.S. staff commemorated today the second anniversary of the tragic September 11^th attacks.

Dr. Kresimir Pirsl, Deputy Chief of Mission, who lead the commemoration and reflection said: Today, we join Americans, our friends, co-workers, neighbors and people across the globe. We pause now to remember and honor 2,800 people from 90 nations, Croatians among them, who lost their lives two years ago in terrorist attacks that changed our lives forever.

I have the honor to read to you the letter from Tonino Picula, Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs to Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State:

The second anniversary of the tragic terrorist attack on New York and Washington reminds us all of the great loss the United States and indeed the entire democratic world suffered on that tragic day September 11, 2001. Our thoughts and prayers remain with all those who lost their loved ones. It is our common goal and duty to prevent such tragic events from re-occurring ever again either in the United States or anywhere else. I use the opportunity to reiterate Croatia’s full support for your country’s fight against the international terrorism.

Croatia has joined the international anti-terrorist coalition from the very outset, not just out of solidarity with the United States but also our of a deep sense of threat that terrorism poses to every democratic and freedom-loving nation in the world. As a country whose goal is to join the European Union and the NATO and a country that has adopted the common values that both these organizations stand for, Croatia is determined to continue to actively contribute to the efforts aimed at finally eliminating global terror.

The remainder of the letter contains political messages of Croatian determination in the global anti-terror effort, said Pirsl and asked Croatian Embassy staff to join him in a moment of silence.