Veleposlanstvo Republike Hrvatske u Sjedinjenim Američkim Drzavama
Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America
2343 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20008
Press office, Phone: (202) 986 9476 Fax: (202) 588 8938
E-mail: press@croatiaemb.org www.croatiaemb.org
PRESS RELASE 08/03
CROATIAN AMBASSADOR SPOKE AT MIDWEST CONFERENCE ON WORLD AFFAIRS
Kearney Nebraska, March 11 - The Croatian Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Ivan Grdesic, spoke on Monday March 10 at 9:30am, at the James E. Smith Midwest Conference on World Affairs at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. The annual three-day conference was sponsored by the College of Business and Technology and was entitled Global Economy: Promises and Perils of an Uncertain Frontier .
The Croatian Ambassador offered his insight and knowledge on globalization. He offered a unique perspective to the panel discussion, due to Croatia s fairly new independence and current success in the rebuilding of their economy.
The Ambassador spoke about Croatian economic and social prospects, following their initial exposure to globalization. Grdesic said results of a recent research conducted by The Foreign Policy magazine conclude that small and middle-sized countries, such as Croatia, are more opened to the effects of globalization then larger countries. As a Central European country, Croatia can t avoid effects of globalization, said Grdesic. But, by focusing on several economical niches, such as, for instance, tourism and healthy food production, it will exploit its competitive advantages and use those effects to its benefit, said Croatian Ambassador.
He also pointed out, that cheaper transport and communication expenses bring advantages to experts and scientists and may put a halt to the dreaded brain-drain , that is the loss of great intellectual potential leaving those countries. Croatian experts need to go to foreign centres in pursuit of professional excellence no longer as they can exchange ideas with their colleagues and thus advance their research from Croatia too, said Grdesic.
On a broader spectrum, the Croatian Ambassador discussed the democratic transition and Croatian foreign policy priorities, such as joining the EU and NATO. He also talked about the importance of economic reform in the era of globalization and on economic relations with the US.
Grdesic used the opportunity and discussed Croatian transitional experiences, particularly related to dealing with anxiety and Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD) among refugees and war-veterans, with the students at the Universities Multi-Cultural Psychology Class.
Also in attendance of the conference were representatives of several other countries.
For further information, please contact:
Alan Vojvodic, Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America, (202) 986 9476,press@croatiaemb.org
