HHS Students Visit Embassy of Croatia
Manal presents Croatian Embassy Political Officer Dino Mihanovic with tokens of appreciation for meeting with us. Mr. Mihanovic discussed the history and culture of Croatia and its relationship with the United States in a fascinating lecture and Q&A. This meeting took place Nov. 23rd, 2015.
Jessica and Jasmine
Vily and Luis
Embassy Intern Barbara and Noah
The embassy provided donuts, Croatian chocolate, coffee, soda and juice for us!
Destiny, William, Milton and Manal
Jessica, Jasmine and Chase
Jasmine- Croatian President Tujman said the Dayton agreement was "not a just peace, but my people need peace." Is that agreement still considered unjust by Croatians? ANSWER- In any agreement there will have to be compromises. All three sides at the time had their doubts about the merits of the Agreement, but these perspectives are not static and have changed over time.
Tyler- The late Richard Holbrooke was highly respected in the U.S. for his efforts to end the wars in your region. Do Croatians feel the same way even though you ended up losing some territory in exchange for peace? ANSWER- He is very respected. He contributed heavily to reaching the agreement to stop the war in Bosnia. Croatia did not lose any part of its territory as the Dayton Peace Accords were about ending the war in Bosnia, which remained an independent state, with internal structure being composed of two entities.
Kevin- Did you watch the game when Vlade Divac threw the Croatian flag on the floor and what did you think of that at that time? ANSWER- I was 14 at the time and watched that. What I thought about that then is different than how I feel now. I do know Divac apologized for doing that.
Bryce (R)- At first Croatia seemed to welcome refugees from Syria but then quickly backed away from that. What is the policy toward refugees now? ANSWER- Of the thousands that came through Croatia only a very small number have formally requested asylum to stay in Croatia. Most wanted to go to Germany, Austria and Sweden. Croatia has agreed to admit certain number of refugees as part of the comprehensive European agreement.
Alex (back center)- How is the relationship between Croatia and Serbia today? ANSWER- The relationship between the two countries is great but there are things that do come up that reflect on the past because it was so unforgettable what happened.
Milton
(back right)- Did you grow up in the
former Yugoslavia and what was your life like and did you have any experience in
the wars of the 90's? ANSWER-
Growing up I was aware of the war taking place in and around my hometown. I
also vividly remember hearing the first air raid, and the feeling that at the
time it had produced – a complete sense of uncertainty.
Abdul- After we are finished here, we are going to walk down Embassy Row....and you're welcome to join us! Who are your favorite neighbors in this neighborhood? ANSWER- I have friends in the Embassy of Romania so I would say them. I also have friends at the Greece Embassy.
Chase- There is a hand gesture Serbians did to Croatians on the medal stand after a basketball tournament resulting in Croatians walking off the stand. Serbians said it just means "The Father, The Son and Holy Ghost." How did the Croatian team interpret that gesture? ANSWER- At the time it was interpreted bad because of the war between the two countries. The Serbian soldiers would make that gesture. I did understand why they walked off the court at the time, but Croatia and Serbia have since made considerable progress in their relations.
William- Has you traveled to any part of the US other than DC and if so, what are your favorite areas? ANSWER- I've been to Arizona, Louisiana, Alabama, Yellowstone, Chicago, Oregon, Iowa. I really like the coast of Oregon.
Manal- Heroic figures in American history include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. What would you like us to know about a Croatian heroic figure? Answer: Nikola Tesla, a Serbian inventor raised in Croatia. Best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system. He was way ahead of his time. He would have had many other inventions but the technology was not at the same level he was. Tesla is a positive shared legacy of Croatia, Serbia and the US, where he was given chance to develop his genius.
Noah- Richard Holbrooke said Bosnian Serbs were "evil people." Do you agree? ANSWER-No. Some of the leaders were.
Destiny- Croatian Tomislave Salopek was beheaded by ISIS because they said Croatia was at war with the Islamic State. Is your country at war with ISIS and have you or will you do something to retaliate for the death of Salopek? ANSWER- We are not one of countries that are bombing because our military is not strong enough but we help in other ways. That includes coordination with other NATO countries to stop terrorists from coming into Europe and sharing intelligence.
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