Prime Minister Milanović was greeted in Pittsburgh by national president Bernard M. Luketich, secretary and treasurer Edward W. Pazo, vice president for member services Franjo Bertović, second vice president George Pavlicic and board of trustees president Bernadette Luketich-Sikaras.
Prime Minister Zoran Milanović and his wife, Croatian Ambassador to the USA Joško Paro and staffers from New York made the trip from New York to Pittsburgh in late September to visit the Croatian Fraternal Union. The high-ranking guest was greeted at the entrance to the CFU home office by national president Bernard M. Luketich, secretary and treasurer Edward W. Pazo, vice president for member services Franjo Bertović, second vice president George Pavlicic and board of trustees president Bernadette Luketich-Sikaras.
After words of welcome and greeting national president Luketich took the guests from Zagreb and Washington on a tour of the museum, library, music collection and the CFU offices. Prime Minister Milanović was impressed with the rich collection of exhibits the CFU keeps at its premises and that bear witness to the settlement of Croatians on this continent and their activity in the social and economic life of this friendly and economically powerful country.
National president Luketich and other members of the CFU leadership were happy and proud to answer all questions posed concerning the exhibits on display and the work of this, the oldest, largest, most regarded and economically most successful Croatian institution in the world.
After the tour of the CFU offices national president Luketich invited his guests to a dinner at D’Imperio’s restaurant. They were welcomed there by some one hundred twenty members of the CFU and society figures in Pittsburgh. At the end of this pleasant evening and the sounds of the tamburitza music provided for by the TS St. George ensemble out of Cokeburg, Prime Minister Milanović thanked his hosts and all of the gathered, noting how important it was to have an organisation like this in the world, which works on well conceived foundations to preserve the culture of its people and the Croatian identity.
Text by: Franjo Bertović