November 9-11, 2018 – The Croatian Government’s Advisory Council for Croats Abroad held its annual meeting in Šibenik, Croatia.
Ivan Grbešić, President of the Advisory Council, which is comprised of 55 representatives of Croatian communities across the world, affirmed that the Croatian Diaspora has reason for optimism. After 20 years of empty promises, he advised that there has been positive progress towards real change and the Central State Office for Croats Abroad have implemented a number of programs over the past year that support Croats living abroad. He added that there are still many challenges to be addressed and that the Croatian Diaspora expects results within reasonable time frames – results that will depend on the willingness of both sides to engage in dialogue and the willingness of the Croatian Government to implement change, which has been slow coming.
The Advisory Council was established to assist the Croatian Government in creating and implementing policies, programs and activities for Croats outside of Croatia. The Advisory Council is comprised of 55 members and include representatives of Croatian associations, organizations and institutions from around the world. In addition to Ivan Grbešić, Advisory Council members in attendance at the meeting representing Canada were Zvonimir Aničić and Jeanne Valetić.
