The first evening of the event was staged at the premises of event co-organiser the CHF. The other co-organisers are the Prsten association of Bosnian Croats, the parish of St Mary of the Angels and the Croatian Community of Bosnia-Herzegovina. A meeting was staged at which Mr Čović and Cardinal Vinko Puljić met with Croatians from Bosnia-Herzegovina now living in Croatia.
The Croatian member of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina Dragan Čović was on hand for the first evening of The Cultural and Religious Heritage of the Croatians of Bosnia-Herzegovina, a two-day event staged in Zagreb.
The first evening of the event was staged on the 7th of July at the premises of event co-organiser the Croatian Heritage Foundation. The other co-organisers are the Prsten association of Bosnian Croats, the parish of St Mary of the Angels and the Croatian Community of Bosnia-Herzegovina. A meeting was staged at which presidency member Mr Čović and Cardinal Vinko Puljić, the archbishop of the Vrhbosna archdiocese, met with Croatians from Bosnia-Herzegovina now living in Croatia.
In his opening address Mr Čović noted that the Croatians of Bosnia-Herzegovina can preserve their culture, traditions and language only by sticking together, that this was the critical mission—to strengthen Croatian unity across the whole of the homeland.
“We ought to be proud of our roots and must never allow the wealth of Croatian cultural heritage to be besmirched,” Čović said.
A pageant was staged on Sunday featuring richly adorned folk costumes from across Bosnia-Herzegovina, followed by a Catholic mass led by Cardinal Vinko Puljić.
This two-day event aims to bolsters links in Croatia and abroad, to showcase shared traditions, culture and folk costumes, to advance cultural, education, economic, social and other issues critical to the lives of Croatians from Bosnia-Herzegovina living outside the country and to provide support to Croatians in Bosnia-Herzegovina in preserving their national identity, faith and culture.
The event, which showcased the rich heritage of Croatians in Bosnia-Herzegovina, saw the participation of members of the community, culture and arts societies, clubs, associations and parish congregations that draw their roots from Bosnia-Herzegovina in Croatia.
The event was held under the auspices of the State Office for Croats Abroad, the City of Zagreb and its Mayor Milan Bandić
See the photo gallery at the State Office for Croats Abroad