Turner highlights Sinclair Community College’s role in diplomacy during NATO PA
DAYTON, Ohio (WKEF) -- Rep. Mike Turner (R-10th District) visited Sinclair Community College on Wednesday to highlight the college's critical role in hosting key bilateral meetings during the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
While the assembly was taking place in downtown Dayton, the college played a pivotal and confidential role in diplomatic discussions for three days.
Sinclair’s Building 12, the David H. Ponitz Sinclair Conference Center, served as host for the heads of state and diplomats from the Balkan countries to have discussions with one another, as well as with both U.S. and E.U. officials.
"They were just as meaningful, and they were just as important, because the meetings that occurred here today will set forth the future of both the Balkans and the relationship for international and national security and for the future of the Balkans and for Europe," said Turner.
“Sinclair provided a safe, secure, and private environment for diplomatic discussions between the presidents, ministers, and other officials with Balkan countries, three decades after the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the Bosnian War,” said Dr. Steve Johnson, president and CEO of Sinclair Community College.
Diplomats from countries including Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia met for discussions with government officials from the U.S. State Department and Congress, including U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, as well as U.S. Representative Mike Turner, U.S. Rep. Linda Sanchez, and U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson.
The officials who attended these meetings at Sinclair included Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina eljka Cvijanovi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia & Herzegovina Elmedin Konakovi, President of Croatia Andrej Plenkovi, President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Marko uri, President of Kosovo Vjosa OsmaniSadriu, President of Albania Bajram Begaj, President of European Parliament Roberta Metsola, and Special Envoys from the U.K. and France.
Sinclair’s Building 12 offered a conference center with a full service of numerous room configurations, media and technology services, and space to spread out to provide each delegation, including the U.S. State Department, with their own private office for staff and diplomats.
The community college's police department provided dedicated police officers to work with on-site United States Secret Service, Diplomatic Security Service, Ohio BCI, Ohio Highway State Patrol, U.S. Marines, and U.S. Air Force officials to maintain a secure environment for the heads of state.
Sinclair Community College President Steve Johnson announced at the end of the press conference that they're working with Turner to host a special educational and economic development summit featuring Balkan countries in the future.
As the NATO Parliamentary Assembly has ended, there are still cultural events for the public to enjoy.
An exhibit showcasing the history of Dayton is now open to the public for one more day.
Artifacts and stories that celebrate Dayton's legacy create the 'Dayton Around the World' exhibit. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 29, at the old Montgomery County Courthouse.
People can learn about everything from the Wright brothers' groundbreaking innovations in aviation to the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords to geologic and fossil specimens found in the Miami Valley to historical items from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
"And so as it relates to NATO, we pulled together a number of exhibits, not just the forming of NATO and those peace accords, but also items that are really indicators that Dayton has an impact around the world," said Brady Kress, Dayton History president-CEO.
Kress wants visitors to know that Dayton brought a lot to the world stage.
"We should all really just be incredibly excited about how Dayton, through its technology, its innovations, its inventiveness, and its creativity, has changed the world and has built a better world," Kress.
If you can't make it to the exhibit. Some of the artifacts can be seen in cases at Carillon Historical Park.
The Sarajevo Philharmonic and Dayton Philharmonic will honor the Dayton Peace Accords with a 'Concert for Peace' at the Schuster Center on Thursday, May 29 at 8 p.m.
