Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ZAGREB247
2008-03-13 09:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:
ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MARCH 12, 2008
how-toVZCZCXRO3700 PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHVB #0247 0730955 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 130955Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8751 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000247
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA
OSD FOR WINTERNITZ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MARCH 12, 2008
REF: ZAGREB 229
Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, POL/ECON, Reasons 1.4 B/D
C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000247
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA
OSD FOR WINTERNITZ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MARCH 12, 2008
REF: ZAGREB 229
Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, POL/ECON, Reasons 1.4 B/D
1. (U) POLLS CONTINUE TO SHOW RISING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR
NATO...:
Two polls conducted in early March confirmed the upward trend
of public support for Croatia's membership in NATO reported
in last week's activity report (REF). The first, conducted
by Accent agency and commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, asked 1000 respondents about whether or not they
supported Croatia joining NATO, an alliance of states
including Germany, France, the U.S. and others. Positive
responses were 59.3 percent, with 19.2 percent against and
21.4 percent undecided. This was reportedly a seven percent
increase in positive responses from the same agency's
previous poll. The results from the second poll, recently
conducted by the locally well-known GCF agency have not yet
been published, but foreign ministry sources told us its
results had 60 percent support for Croatia joining NATO, 21
percent against and 16 percent undecided. (ZTomic)
2. (C) ...AS OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS HE WILL NOT SUPPORT
EFFORTS TO FORCE A REFERENDUM ON NATO:
The president of the leading Social Democratic (SDP)
opposition party, Zoran Milanovic, told the Ambassador at a
private lunch on March 11 that the SDP would not support an
NGO campaign to collect 450,000 signatures and force the
government to organize a referendum on NATO accession (see
last week's report reftel). While one of the SDP's policies
in last November's parliamentary elections had been to
support such a referendum, Milanovic said that this issue was
now settled, and he would not be demanding a referendum.
(RHoltzapple)
3. (U) DOD-FUNDED EQUIPMENT MAKES CROATIAN POULTRY CENTER
SAFE FOR AVIAN FLU RESEARCH
The Croatian Veterinary Institute Poultry Center has
completed installation of a laminar flow microbiological
safety chamber provided by the US DOD European Command
Humanitarian Assistance Program. This $16,500 project
improves biosafety at the laboratory to level 2, the level
required for work with the avian influenza virus (H5N1)
according to international standards. With this equipment,
the Poultry Center will continue to serve as the avian flu
test lab for Croatia and a verification lab for other
countries in the region. (SLitke)
Bradtke
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA
OSD FOR WINTERNITZ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MARCH 12, 2008
REF: ZAGREB 229
Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, POL/ECON, Reasons 1.4 B/D
1. (U) POLLS CONTINUE TO SHOW RISING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR
NATO...:
Two polls conducted in early March confirmed the upward trend
of public support for Croatia's membership in NATO reported
in last week's activity report (REF). The first, conducted
by Accent agency and commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, asked 1000 respondents about whether or not they
supported Croatia joining NATO, an alliance of states
including Germany, France, the U.S. and others. Positive
responses were 59.3 percent, with 19.2 percent against and
21.4 percent undecided. This was reportedly a seven percent
increase in positive responses from the same agency's
previous poll. The results from the second poll, recently
conducted by the locally well-known GCF agency have not yet
been published, but foreign ministry sources told us its
results had 60 percent support for Croatia joining NATO, 21
percent against and 16 percent undecided. (ZTomic)
2. (C) ...AS OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS HE WILL NOT SUPPORT
EFFORTS TO FORCE A REFERENDUM ON NATO:
The president of the leading Social Democratic (SDP)
opposition party, Zoran Milanovic, told the Ambassador at a
private lunch on March 11 that the SDP would not support an
NGO campaign to collect 450,000 signatures and force the
government to organize a referendum on NATO accession (see
last week's report reftel). While one of the SDP's policies
in last November's parliamentary elections had been to
support such a referendum, Milanovic said that this issue was
now settled, and he would not be demanding a referendum.
(RHoltzapple)
3. (U) DOD-FUNDED EQUIPMENT MAKES CROATIAN POULTRY CENTER
SAFE FOR AVIAN FLU RESEARCH
The Croatian Veterinary Institute Poultry Center has
completed installation of a laminar flow microbiological
safety chamber provided by the US DOD European Command
Humanitarian Assistance Program. This $16,500 project
improves biosafety at the laboratory to level 2, the level
required for work with the avian influenza virus (H5N1)
according to international standards. With this equipment,
the Poultry Center will continue to serve as the avian flu
test lab for Croatia and a verification lab for other
countries in the region. (SLitke)
Bradtke