If only all countries were as European as Croatia…

When Croatia invites, Europe responds, like here in the Council of Europe. Foto: Eurojournalist(e) / CC-BY 2.0

(KL) – At the occasion of the Croatian Statehood Day, the Croatian Ambassador to the Council of Europe, Toma Galli, invited guests to a lunchtime get-together at the Council of Europe yesterday. Over Croatian jazz and canapés, there was a lively exchange between the small but very active Croatian delegation and numerous representatives from other countries.

It is noticeable that the Croatian delegation is always very present in Strasbourg life. Sometimes it donates a rare score by the Croatian composer Vinko Jelic who lived and worked in Alsace for a long time to the National Library; sometimes it organises concerts; a rare tree was planted in the Orangerie park to mark the 25th anniversary of membership of the Council of Europe and there is no European activity in which the Croatian delegation does not participate.

Ambassador Toma Galli and the judge at the ECHR Davor Derencinovic. Foto: Eurojournalist(e) / CC-BY 2.0

‘For us Croats, the concept of Europe is extremely important,’ says Ambassador Toma Galli, ’because membership in the Council of Europe closed the chapter on Yugoslavia for us. Perhaps that explains our commitment to Europe’. This is certainly true, but other countries only joined the Council of Europe later and many of these countries have no visibility in the European capital, hardly any activities and show little European conviction.

Strasbourg can be pleased to host diplomatic representations such as that of Croatia. After all, the commitment of the many diplomatic representations to the European institutions shows just how European the European capital of Strasbourg really is. Among these, the Croatian delegation stands out very positively – and one can only hope that Croatia’s European commitment will continue!