Croatian Delegation Celebrates Strong Ties With Western Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, September 28, 2004 – Croatian dignitaries celebrated the country's strong ties to the Pittsburgh region Monday as the fledgling nation continued to seek international status.  A delegation of 16 Croats visited the region over the past three days to also mark the 110th anniversary of the Croatian Fraternal Union of America, which has strong ties to Washington County.  “Pittsburgh is particularly close to the hearts to the Croatian people,” said Ivo Sanader, prime minister of the Republic of Croatia, a democracy since 1990. 

Pennsylvania is home to 50,000 Croatian immigrants or their descendants, many of whom live in the Pittsburgh area. The state has the highest number of such residents in the nation, and many of them reside in Southwestern Pennsylvania, said Dr. Charles J. Dougherty, president of Duquesne University, who presented Sanader with an honorary degree Monday.

A large number of Croatian immigrants settled a century ago in the former coal mining town of Cokeburg, where the current mayor, Bernard M. Luketich, is president of the CFU. Cokeburg has 2,000 members of the CFU, making it the largest chapter member in the organization, Luketich said.

Luketich has become famous in Croatia, having supplied humanitarian aid there when the country was at war during its struggle for independence from Yugoslavia. He also has supported orphans in the Southeastern European Country, which is the size of West Virginia and home to 4.2 million people. 

He said he visited Croatia last year and visited people from all walks of life who complained about its economy. “They have to get their factories back to work,” Luketich said. “They're looking for outside investments.” 

Croatia also has to prove itself as a secure, stable nation as it seeks NATO membership in 2006. Its friendships in the United States also are important as “Croatia shapes its own destiny” and proves its support of fighting terrorism, said Sanader, a former newspaper editor who was named prime minister last year. 

The Duquesne University Tamburitzans, a group dedicated to preserving music and dance from Eastern Europe, performed four songs for Sanader.  “The strong ties have been important in preserving the identity and heritage ... and ensured generations of Croatian immigrants will not have forgotten their roots,” Sanader said.