During a four-day official visit, from November 12 to 17, 2022, to Washington, the capital and political seat of the United States of America, MP Veljko Kajtazi held several important meetings. Kajtazi was accompanied by the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America, His Excellency Mr. Pjer Šimunović.
Kajtazi visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, where he honored all the victims of the Holocaust. The museum’s impressive collection of exhibits and historical documents, which testifies to the extent of the genocide against the Roma in Europe (which was kept silent until recently) is an example of good practice that asserts the issue of the suffering of the Roma during the Second World War, serving as an inspiration for further work on the culture of memory in Roma memorial center in Ustica.
During official meetings with the leaders of the governmental institutions, Kajtazi promoted the importance of Roma inclusion in Croatia and Europe, stating the issues concerning the status of minority communities, but also stressing the influence of the global political situation on this current problem.
He visited the State Department, where he met with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs responsible for the South Central European (SCE), Gabriel Escobar. This meeting emphasized the long-standing strategic partnership between the Republic of Croatia and the United States of America and the friendly relations between the two countries. Kajtazi and Escobar discussed the position of the Roma in Croatia, the region, and Europe, as well as the political situation in the Western Balkans and Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Kajtazi also met Desirée Cormier Smith, the Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice for the United States State Department with whom he discussed all successfully implemented interventions aimed at combating discrimination against minority communities in the education system.
Kajtazi visited the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, an independent commision of the US Federal Government, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, where he held a meeting with senior policy advisor Janice Helwig. On that occasion, Helwig and Kajtazi exchanged information useful for further work on improving the position of endangered and vulnerable groups and minority communities, discussing successful initiatives. They also talked about the cooperation of the non-governmental sector and the Croatian government on the implementation of strategy papers focused on the Roma. Kajtazi had the opportunity to hear about senators Ben Cardin and Roger Wickers’s resolution, which was adopted by Congress in June 2022. Hereby the US Congress recognized the historical injustice of the genocide against the Roma in the Second World War and confirmed the importance of promoting its awareness. In doing so, the USA recognized the history, culture, and heritage of the Roma. Itis estimated that approximately one million Roma live in the States.
Kajtazi also met with Stacy Bernard Davis, Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues. The conversation was dominated by the topic of appropriate commemoration of the Roma victims of genocide in the Second World War. They also discussed the future plans for the Roma Memorial Center in Uštica, and the Croatian presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
Successful meetings in important political institutions in Washington gave importance to and emphasized the successes of the Croatian Romani Union “KALI SARA” and the Roma Memorial Center in Uštica, as well as the cooperation of MP Kajtazi and the Croatian Government on the preservation and promotion of minority and human rights.
