The President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, received the Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Fra’ John Dunlap, on an official visit yesterday. The meeting is of historic importance, being the second official visit by a Grand Master to the Republic of Croatia since the establishment of official diplomatic relations in 1992.
During the talks, in which President Milanović expressed appreciation for the Order’s work around the world, there was a shared desire to strengthen cooperation in the humanitarian, medical and social fields for the benefit of the most vulnerable, with a cooperation agreement also on the agenda. In this context, the establishment in 2025 of a Relief Corps with 40 volunteers was highlighted.
Deep concern was also expressed at the multiplication of armed conflicts and humanitarian crises, while reaffirming the Order of Malta’s commitment to promote, in international fora, a multilateral approach to dispute settlement and full respect for international law, with the aim of protecting civilians and humanitarian workers.
The Grand Master was also welcomed by Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who reiterated their esteem for the Order of Malta within the framework of its strong diplomatic relations and friendly relations with Croatia. Yesterday, the Grand Master also paid tribute to the memory of the fallen at the Homeland Memorial, a symbol of the suffering that has shaped the history of the Croatian people.
As part of the official visit, Grand Chancellor Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo met with Foreign Minister Grlić Radman, discussing negotiations for the Cooperation Agreement. The minister thanked the Order for its generous assistance in the 2020 earthquake, expressing his admiration for its projects worldwide and in his country.
The delegation led by the Grand Master went today to the Marija Bistrica Sanctuary, where they met with the director of the first-aid station, housed inside the centre which will receive pilgrims, to which the Order has donated high-quality medical equipment and materials. In 2025, the Order – with 40 volunteers, including doctors, nurses, a pharmacist, and non-healthcare support staff – assisted approximately one hundred pilgrims with serious problems.
During the visit to Croatia, Grand Hospitaller Josef D. Blotz met with Marija Bubas, State Secretary of the Ministry of Health. This was an opportunity to illustrate humanitarian initiatives on a global scale, from Gaza to Venezuela, and discuss further cooperation through the Croation Relief Corps.
Order of Malta in Croatia
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta has been operating in Croatia since 1992, when the Malteser Hilfsdienst established a liaison office in Zagreb to coordinate international volunteers during the war in Yugoslavia, later integrated with the crisis unit of the Croatian Ministry of Health. Since then, the Order has promoted numerous social and health projects, including centres and schools for vulnerable children and the Roma community, summer camps for the disabled, home care for isolated elderly people, a centre for children affected by war trauma and constant donations of medical equipment. The emergency interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic were noteworthy and, following the 2020 earthquake, the construction of approximately 100 wooden earthquake-proof housing units in collaboration with the NGO Bauern helfen Bauern. In 2025, the commitment continued when a first-aid station for pilgrims was opened at the Marija Bistrica Shrine, managed in synergy with Caritas Croatia.
