Croatia Helps Building Franciscan Student Centre in Sarajevo

The Croatian Government will support the building of the Bosna Srebrena international Franciscan student centre in Sarajevo, stated on Monday the State Secretary at the Ministry of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development, Damir Špančić.

Špančić spent three days in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Sarajevo he visited the student centre which the management of the Bosna Srebrena Franciscan Province is building on the site of a monastery which was nationalized after World War II.

He said the Croatian Government was expected to approve in September funds for the project that would help the building of coexistence and tolerance in Bosnia.

Špančić added that the donation was just a part of the money which the Croatian Government was earmarking for reconstruction projects and that in Bosnia's case a larger part of the money was being used for the reconstruction of houses for potential returnees.

He announced that in cooperation with the Bosnian authorities a special agency would soon be set up to help returnees find jobs and permanently stay in their home areas.

The head of the centre being built in Sarajevo, father Stipo Karajica, said the Croatian Government was expected to donate HRK 800,000. The Government has already invested HRK 150,000 in the student centre's culture and history institute.

Karajica also said that the Franciscans had not received any assistance from Bosnia's state or federal authorities.

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