The Croatian delegation consisted of CHF director Marin Knezović, CHF legal department head Diana Mašala Perković, and representatives of the Municipality of Rešetari: municipal mayor Zlatko Aga, council president Milka Perković, head of the Rešetari Literary & Art Society Ivan De Villa and teacher Ivana Prakaturović. The Croatian delegation was warmly received by hosts Ilinden Mayor Žika Stojanovski and his associates.
On the occasion of the signing of a friendship and cooperation agreement between the Municipality of Rešetari in Croatia and the Municipality of Ilinden in Macedonia a Croatian delegation in the frame of local government visited Ilinden, a suburban municipality of the city of Skopje.
The Croatian delegation consisted of CHF director Marin Knezović, CHF legal department head Diana Mašala Perković, and representatives of the Municipality of Rešetari: municipal mayor Zlatko Aga, council president Milka Perković, head of the Rešetari Literary & Art Society Ivan De Villa and teacher Ivana Prakaturović. The Croatian delegation was warmly received by hosts Ilinden Mayor Žika Stojanovski and his associates.
From February 7 through 9 the Croatian delegation visited a number of sites in the Municipality of Ilinden. During the tour they learned of the opportunities and potential for economic development, visiting a number of local companies and the major facilities in Ilinden.
The hosts also presented an exhibition on the occasion featuring the work of Dubravko Naumov, a Canadian painter of Croatian extraction, entitled Goodbye to the Infinitive. The exhibition has already been shown in Paris, Brussels and at culture events in Skopje and Ohrid.
The Croatian delegation was also received by Croatian Ambassador to Macedonia Zlatko Kramarić and minister-counsellor at the Croatian embassy Stjepan Glas. The visiting delegation presented all of the editions published to date of the Rešetari poetry meetings.
The tour included a delightful visit to the Catholic cathedral of the Most Holy Heart of Jesus and a meeting with Bishop Kiro Stojanov and monsignor Antun Cirimotić. The nuns kindly prepared local specialities for the visiting delegation.
The Croatian delegation was very interested to learn about the Croatians living in Macedonia. They had a very cordial meeting with the Croatian Community in the Republic of Macedonia represented by the association’s president Ivan Bradić. The delegates from Rešetari presented the representatives of the association with gifts and invitation to the Rešetari meeting of poets and numerous questions were fielded by the guests from the CHF.
Director Marin Knezović spoke with the representatives of the Croatian Community who spoke highly of the many years of fruitful collaboration with the CHF. They expressed their desire to participate in CHF projects and to propose joint projects.
Text by: Ljerka Totch Naumova