Embassy of Republic of Croatia to the United States of America
Office of Public Affairs
Washington
April 3, 1997.
 

Press Release

For Immediate Release
 

April 3, 1997 (Washington D.C.) -- The following is the integral text of Ambassador Dr. Miomir Zuzul's remarks on the occasion of the memorial ceremony "Celebration of Lives," honoring the late Secretary Ron Brown and all of those lost last April 1996.

 Mr. President, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Vice President,  Mr. Prime Minister, Mrs. Brown,  Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

 Thank you for this opportunity to be here today to honor the memory of Ron Brown.  Particular thanks should go to Secretary Daley and all of you in the Commerce Department for your diligent work.  I would also like to introduce to you Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa of Croatia, and the members of "I Solisti di Zagreb," who have traveled here specially to honor Secretary Brown.
 We in Croatia have come to know and value Ron Brown as a true friend during his tireless efforts to promote trade and investment in our region, and to help us rebuild our economy ravaged by years of aggression.  Ron Brown understood, perhaps better than any of us, that democracy and economic opportunity are closely linked and that liberty and equality can best be sustained by an expanding, vibrant economy that offers genuine opportunities.  The people of Croatia will never forget his efforts on our behalf.

 Secretary Brown's enthusiasm, strength, courage and vision became evident to me from the very first days of my tenure in Washington.  I can proudly say that we established immediately a close working relationship that was to result in the first major U.S. commercial delegation to Croatia.  Hence, allow me to say a few very personal remarks of how deeply I was affected by the tragic fate of that mission.
 Prime Minister Matesa, Ambassador Galbraith and I were among those waiting to receive Secretary Brown and his companions first in Zagreb and than in Dubrovnik.  When we realized that the blip on the radar screen had suddenly disappeared, as the plane was about to land in Dubrovnik, a sinking feeling of despair and sorrow overwhelmed us completely.  We were also among the first to arrive at the crash site, the most shattering scene, and the one I will not forget for the rest of my life.
 In trying to come to grips with this tragedy, I have told myself and many others that the deaths of Secretary Brown and of those brave American men and women were not in vain.  They understood that democracy has enemies as well as friends, and that it is weakest in its infancy.  They were determined to nurture emerging democracies around the world.  It was through this spirit, that a closer relationship between Croatia and the United States has been forged and that so much has been accomplished in our region.
 If it were not for the courageous vision of President Clinton and his Administration, supported by Congress, that led us to Dayton, the killing would have gone on and hundreds of lives would have been lost on daily basis.  Mr. President, Croatia thanks you for these gifts of life.
 Ron Brown was absolutely convinced that economic development is indispensable for the ultimate and lasting success of the Dayton peace process.  We thank you, Mr. President, in particular for your enduring tenacity in carrying on with Ron BrownÕs legacy by dispatching Secretary Kantor's mission to Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina last July.
 We in Croatia believe that it is only through such continued, close cooperation that both of our strategic and policy goals can be achieved.  Croatia is committed to continuing this cooperation with the U.S. and its allies, and we look forward to eventually full integration into the political, military and economic institutions of the West.  We will neither evade nor shrink from our responsibilities; the only thing we ask in return is to be judged objectively and fairly.

 Unfortunately, throughout history, and especially in the past several years, we in Croatia have witnessed so many losses.  This is precisely why we cherish the God-given gift of life, and the responsibilities it entails.  Ron Brown and the members of the mission lived their lives with such an innate sense of responsibility to realize fully their personal talents and abilities, and embodied the uniquely American creed of "doing the right thing".  In doing so, they have left a permanent mark in the collective soul of the Croatian nation for many years to come.
 My deepest felt gratitude goes to the family members of the beloved husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.   Thank you, my friends, for your most precious gifts.
 At this point, "I Solisti di Zagreb," Croatia's finest musicians, will express our appreciation for Ron Brown and his fallen colleagues in a much more profound and moving way than I could ever attempt to.
 

 
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( Contact: Marijan  Gubic )