Annual NFCA assembly in Maryland
NFCA TO HOLD 2008 ASSEMBLY OF DELEGATES IN GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND
For Immediate Release
Washington, DC, May 9,2008 – The 15th annual Assembly of Delegates of the National Federation of Croatian Americans (NFCA) will be held in the Gaithersburg Hilton Hotel from Friday evening, June 6, through Sunday, June 8. Formal meetings will be held in the Montgomery Room on Saturday, June 7, 2008. Morning sessions will be for “delegates only” to deal with the business of the organization. Afternoon sessions will feature a series of guest speakers and will be open to the local Croatian American community. Saturday evening will consist of dinner at the Croatia Embassy in Washington, DC, where the delegates will have an opportunity to meet the new Croatia Ambassador to the United States, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic. For those delegates who will arrive early, we have requested meetings with Congressmen George Radanovich (R-CA) and Peter Visclosky (D-IN) — co-chairs of the Congressional Croatian Caucus — Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA) and Ranking Member of the House Europe Subcommittee, Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) and Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) – both senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The theme of this year’s gathering will center around Croatia’s recent invitation to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Alliance and the NFCA campaign to promote early ratification in the United States Senate. Guest speakers from the US State Department and the US Department of Defense will provide insight into the domestic activities leading up to the strong support for the Republic of Croatia present at the recent NATO Alliance Conference held in Bucharest, Romania.
A direct report on proceedings at the conference in Bucharest will be delivered by an official who was in attendance there. Speakers will address the necessary requirements for ratification by the United States and in the parliaments of our NATO allies. Full NATO membership has been the top foreign policy goal of Croatia, and accordingly it has been the main goal of the NFCA in support of Croatia for many years. There will also be a guest presentation on the future role of the Eastern Adriatic with emphasis on Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Kosovo.
Delegates attending the Assembly will be NFCA members from across the country who represent local Croatian American community member groups that have contributed $500 per person to the NFCA this year. There are also several delegate-at-large seats that can be granted to NFCA members who feel strongly about being present at this meeting. Anyone interested in performing in this capacity should contact the NFCA’s Washington area office to state your desire. Special room rates for NFCA meeting attendees are available at $99 per night. Room reservations can be made by calling the Hilton Hotel at 301-977-8900. Attendees should plan to arrive by Friday evening, June 6. There will be a continential breakfast available in the meeting room on Saturday morning and refreshments will be provided throughout the meeting. A formal luncheon will be served in the hotel.
The NFCA is a national umbrella organization of Croatian American groups that collectively represents approximately 130,000 members. For additional public affairs information, please call Mr. Joe Foley, NFCA Government and Public Affairs Director, at (301) 294-0937, or Mr. Ed Andrus, NFCA President, at NFCA Headquarters at (301) 208-6650, or by email at NFCAhdq@verizon.net. For recent NFCA newsletters, important NFCA membership and chapter information, and other Croatian American news please visit the NFCA’s Web Site at www.nfcaonline.com.
National Federation of Croatian Americans (NFCA)
2401 Research Blvd, Suite 115
Rockville, MD 20850
PHONE: (301) 208-6650
FAX: (301) 208-6659
E-MAIL: nfcahdq@verizon.net
WEB SITE: www.nfcaonline.com
Formatted for CROWN by Marko Puljić
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