Press Releases
Croatian Parliamentarians to visit Minnesota 27 through 30 September 2006
EMBASSY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Public Affairs Section
Zagreb, Croatia
Seven members of the Croatian Parliament and three representatives of the Croatian Ministry of Defense will participate in a U.S.-sponsored one-week study trip to examine the working relationships between the civilian government and military leaders at both the federal and state level. Parliamentarians and MoD representatives will travel to Washington, D.C. and Minnesota to discuss how the military operates in a civilian-controlled environment. They will meet with representatives of the Department of Defense and the U.S. Congress as well as the Minnesota National Guard and the Minnesota state government.
In Washington, the delegation will concentrate on the cooperation and interaction between the Department of Defense and Congressional committees designated to work on military issues (armed services, finance, veterans affairs, etc). In Minnesota, the delegation will tour Minnesota National Guard facilities. They will also meet with Minnesota state government leaders designated to work with the military.
The Croatian leaders will be accompanied by Tom Selinger and Lieutenant Colonel Greg Scofield. Mr. Selinger, from the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb, Croatia and, LTC Scofield, the Bilateral Affairs Officer from the US Office of Defense Cooperation are both natives of Minnesota.
During the one-week visit, the Croatian delegation will gain a better understanding of the interaction between legislative institutions and the military necessary to meet the needs of an effective civilian-controlled military -- a key component in the development of Croatian institutions on the path to membership in NATO.
The Minnesota/Croatia partnership is one of 30 country/state partnerships in the Eurasia area. The partnership has continued to develop since its inception in 1996.
Point of Contact for the Minnesota National Guard:
Major Kevin Olson, Public Affairs Office, (651) 268-8949