CROWN - Croatian World Network - http://www.croatia.org/crown
NFCA January 2016 Newsletter
http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10801/1/NFCA-January-2016-Newsletter.html
By Marko Puljiĉ
Published on 02/10/2016
 
The National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation has released their end-of-the-year 2015 newsletter highlighting many activities promoting Croatian causes within the United States including: Pittsburgh convention, NFCA meeting with U.S. Ambassador Julieta Valls Noyes, NFCA collaboration with Team Croatia at the Special Olympics Summer World Games in Los Angeles and a UN meeting in New York City with Dragan Covic, the Chair of of the Presidency in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Read the new issue of the Croatian American Advocate

The National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation has released their end-of-the-year 2015 newsletter highlighting many activities promoting Croatian causes within the United States including: Pittsburgh convention, NFCA meeting with U.S. Ambassador Julieta Valls Noyes, NFCA collaboration with Team Croatia at the Special Olympics Summer World Games in Los Angeles and a UN meeting in New York City with Dragan Covic, the Chair of of the Presidency in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

You can read the entire January 2016 newsletter here.

NFCA Executive Board

U.S. Ambassador Noyes Meets with Top Croatian Americans at State Department  

Washington, DC - On September 9, newly Senate-confirmed U.S. Ambassador to Croatia Julieta Valls Noyes met with senior leaders of the NFCA and the Croatian Fraternal Union (CFU) at the U.S. State Department in Washington, DC.    

The Ambassador and the newly appointed Croatian Desk Officer, Emilie Bruchon, hosted eight members of the two major Croatian American organizations:  Mijo Radocaj, NFCA President; Ed Pazo, CFU President; Zvonko Labas, NFCA Executive Vice President; Bernadette LuketicSikaris, CFU National Secretary/Treasurer; Steve Rukavina, past NFCA President and current Vice President; Vlatka Persin, NFCA National Secretary; John Kraljic, past NFCA President and current Vice President; and, Joe Foley, NFCA Public Affairs Director.  

The new Ambassador to Zagreb showed great understanding of the history of Croatia and its current concerns in Southeast Europe and on the world stage.  In her prior assignments for Secretary of State John Kerry and his predecessors, she had been Deputy Chief of Mission to the Holy See, Deputy Assistant Secretary for European Affairs, Director in the Office of Multilateral and Global Affairs, Deputy Director for the Office of Policy and Coordination for the Western Hemisphere and Desk Officer for Greece.   

She also administered political affairs positions in several U.S. Embassies in Central America.  Ambassador Noyes has become fairly fluent in the Croatian language and appreciated the briefing on issues of concern to the Croatian American community.  

Issues reviewed with the Ambassador included; (1) the enlargement of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to encompass Croatia;  (2) the needed expansion of economic activity between the U.S. and Croatia that could eventually lead to the signing of a joint Double Taxation Treaty;  (3) the regional economic benefits of energy transportation infrastructure development based in Croatia and to enhance Eastern European national security;  (4) the Croatian American community’s continued concern regarding instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), including the ongoing economic and political difficulties experienced by Bosnian Croats; and,  (5)  the participation of NFCA Board Members in the Croatian Government’s 55-member Advisory Council for Croats Outside the Republic of Croatia.   

Formatted for CROWN by Marko Puljic
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