ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MAY 29, 2008

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000404 SIPDIS FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA OSD FOR POPOVICH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV HR SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MAY 29, 2008 REF: 07 ZAGREB 623 ¶1. (U) REGIONAL COOPERATION EFFORTS ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT BRING RESULTS...: Croatia hosted a pair of meetings aimed at promoting greater cross-border cooperation during May. On May 5, in Dubrovnik, under the framework of the Mount Igman Initiative, officials from the Dubrovnik region in Croatia; the municipalities of Neum, Ravno and Trebinje in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and the cities of Kotor, Tivat and Herceg Novi in Montenegro signed a declaration on cooperation among their respective institutions to respond to disasters and strengthen infrastructure links. While attended by the three respective Foreign Ministers, MFA officials stressed to the Embassy that the real goal was to get municipal officials, who in the past have failed or refused to work together, to improve their coordination. Croatian FM Jandrokovic stressed the practical benefits of the cooperation, noting that it was particularly important how each entity had agreed that their personnel would be able to cross borders to best respond to any crisis. A follow-up meeting is expected to be held in Herceg Novi in the fall. On May 27 Croatia also hosted a meeting in Zagreb of foreign ministers from the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative countries (including all Adriatic and Ionian littoral states well). This meeting also focused on specific cooperation projects in the areas of tourism, transportation, and environmental management, including a task force to include local authorities in developing "projects on fire protection and mutual assistance." (RHoltzapple) ¶2. (U) ...BUT ALSO PROVIDE STAGE FOR ILL-TEMPERED RHETORIC: Media coverage of the concrete achievements of the May 27 Adriatic-Ionian Initiative was overshadowed by Serbian FM Jeremic's address to the ministerial in which he accused Croatia of ethnic cleansing of the Krajina during the Homeland War, and sharply criticized Croatia's decision to recognize Kosovo. In response, Croatian FM Jandrokovic and others observed that Jeremic's comments appeared driven largely by domestic Serbian politics, but that the Croatian offensives to re-take its territory during the Homeland War had been a legal response to Serbia's attacks on Croatia, and that recognition of Croatia was a simple acknowledgement of the new political realities in the region. (RHoltzapple) ¶3. (U) CROATIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ENGAGE WITH IRAQI KURDS: Croatian President Stjepan Mesic received members of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government on 26 May 2008. The Kurdish delegation, visiting Croatia at the invitation of Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Damir Polancec, was led by the region's Deputy Prime Minister Omer Fattah Hussein. Discussions with Mesic focused on intensifying economic cooperation between Croatia and Kurdistan, as well as Iraq as a whole. Both governments spoke of the potential for Kurdistan students to attend university in Croatia, and Hussein issued an invitation from Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to Mesic to visit Iraq. During a subsequent meeting with Croatian businessmen at the local Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Hussein highlighted opportunities for investment in the reconstruction of Kurdistan's energy infrastructure, agriculture and tourism sectors, as well as general construction projects. Speaking to the press, Hussein rejected comparisons between Kurdistan and Kosovo, and instead emphasized the desire of the Kurdish people to be a part of a federalized Iraq. (CRhoton) ¶4. (U) WHILE LOCAL OFFICIALS EXPLORE ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH IRAN: Radimir Cacic, prefect of Varazdin County in northern Croatia and president of Croatia's third-largest political party, the HNS, visited the northern Iranian province of Khorasan Razavi from May 16-20 with a delegation from the Varazdin Tourism Board and Chamber of Commerce. The trip was apparently the initiative of the Iranian Ambassador to Croatia, and supported by the Croatian Ambassador to Iran, Esad Prohic, who is also a member of the HNS. In a magazine article chronicling his trip, Cacic said the Varazdin delegation visited about 15 firms in Iran, including a biotechnology center, but that the best prospects for trade seemed to be in the food processing and construction sectors. In the article, Cacic observed that international sanctions against Iran meant it is easier to export Croatian products to Iran than to buy Iranian products, and spent considerable time detailing the strict controls on women in Iranian society. He said a return visit by Iranian local officials to Croatia may be arranged in the near future. (RHoltzapple) ¶5. (U) CONTROVERSIAL SINGER "THOMPSON" TO PERFORM ON ZAGREB'S MAIN SQUARE: ZAGREB 00000404 002 OF 002 On May 30, Marko Perkovic "Thompson", a controversial pop singer of patriotic/nationalist songs whose concerts in the past have drawn neo-Nazis to the audience (REFTEL),will be the headline act at a concert on the Zagreb's main square to mark the occasion of the Zagreb War Veterans' Day. The concert is organized by the Association of Veterans of the Homeland War (HVIDRA),and is partially financed by the Zagreb city government. Responding to critical media commentary about choosing such a controversial performer, HVIDRA said they had chosen Thompson, a Croatian vet himself, because he best represents their patriotism. HVIDRA and Thompson held a press conference stating they will not tolerate the presence of unwanted symbols and black uniforms on the square. An estimated 350 policemen and 200 security guards plan to secure the May 30th concert, although police have acknowledged a lack of clarity under the law regarding which sorts of clothing, symbols or language might be prohibited. Thompson, who has recently had performances banned in Austria and Switzerland on grounds that his concerts might provoke public disorder, continues to deny any fascist or anti-Semitic sympathies, and media reported that at a concert in Stuttgart last week he attempted to publicly distance himself from a group of neo-Nazi youth in his audience. (DFisk) ¶6. (U) EMBASSY ZAGREB REACHES OUT TO AMERICANS THROUGHOUT CROATIA: Staff from the Consular Section and Public Affairs Office joined to present American Citizens Services Nights at the American Corners at the Zadar Public Library May 27 and the Rijeka University Library May 28. Public Affairs Officer and Vice Consul Marlene Nice, Federal Benefits Unit regional assistant Martina Delija, and Senior Assistant for American Citizen Services Verica Haramincic, provided information on voter registration, U.S. elections, passport applications and citizenship issues, as well as Social Security, Veterans Affairs, civil service and other benefits. Attendees were able to submit passport applications and receive notary services. Some wanted to discuss possible careers in the Foreign Service and issues about living in Croatia, including Croatia's new Foreign Workers Visa Law. About 100 people attended the meeting in Zadar and about 50 stopped by in Rijeka. The next American Citizens Information Night is scheduled for June 5 at the American Corner in the library in Osijek. (MNice) ¶7. (U) EMBASSY ZAGREB CONTINUES STUDENT OUTREACH: The U.S. Embassy in Zagreb was host to three student groups from the University of Zagreb and two elementary school groups in May. During the university-level visits, students learned about the functions of the embassy and staff, Croatian-U.S. relations and current events through brief presentations and question-and-answer sessions with FSO's and locally employed staff. Highlights of the visits included a behind the scenes look at the Consular Section, a tour of the facility and meeting the Ambassador or Deputy Chief of Mission and a U.S. Marine. (MNice) Bradtke