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SALT LAKE CITY — On his last overseas trip before retiring, Sen. Orrin Hatch visited Croatia last week where he received recognition from the government and paid tribute to a former BYU basketball star.
The seven-term Utah Republican is the only remaining U.S. senator who played a key role in the signing of the Dayton Accords, a November 1995 peace agreement ending the war in Bosnia and promoting peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic presented Hatch with the Order of Prince Branimir ribbon for his "contributions to the independence of the Republic of Croatia and relations between the Croatian and American people."
In 1992, Hatch and Sens. Bob Dole, R-Kansas, and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., introduced a resolution calling on the United States to recognize Croatia’s independence.
Hatch supported legislation that passed the Senate in August 1995 calling for the end of the arms embargo against Bosnia and Herzegovina. President Bill Clinton initiated the "Lift and Strike" policy and the Dayton Accords to end conflict in the area were signed a few months later.
In 1996, Hatch visited Croatia with Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Tom Daschle, D-S.D., to survey the implementation of the agreement.
Last week in Croatia, Hatch paid tribute to the late Kresimir Cosic, a native of Zadar and one of BYU's most celebrated athletes. Cosic, who died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1995, earned All-America honors in basketball in 1972 and 1973.
"Kresimir was a special man. His faith, his friendship and his patriotism to both his country of birth and his country of rebirth made him an unforgettable political and spiritual leader," Hatch said at an event hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "He was a bridge between two worlds and guide for leaders and lay people alike."
Cosic joined the church at BYU and paved the way for its establishment in Croatia, including translating the Book of Mormon into Croatian.
Cosic served as Croatia’s deputy ambassador to the United States and worked with Hatch in that capacity.
