June 30, 2013—New York—AJC congratulates Croatia on becoming the 28th member state of the European Union.

"This is wonderful news," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "We have long been admirers of the ambitious vision of the EU's founders, against the backdrop of Europe's past wars, to create a zone of peace, open borders, enhanced commerce, and greater understanding. Croatia's membership now further expands that zone."

"We applaud Croatia for its remarkably successful journey during a relatively short time span—just over two decades—to reach this milestone occasion. It augurs well for the people of Croatia and for the Balkans. With the former Yugoslav republics of Slovenia and Croatia now part of the EU, as well as Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania, and others in the neighborhood seeking to follow suit, we can envision an entirely new era for this promising region, which in the past was too often synonymous with conflict and enmity."

AJC has maintained close contact with officials in Zagreb, Croatia's capital, as well as with Croatian diplomats in the U.S., at the UN, and in Europe, and representatives of the Croatian Jewish community, which was profoundly devastated in the Second World War.