ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MARCH 20, 2009

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SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MARCH 20, 2009


1. (SBU) CROATIA MOVING AHEAD ON ITS DOMESTIC NATO
RATIFICATION PROCESS:
The Government of Croatia held a session on March 18 that
approved the draft legislation of Croatia's NATO accession
protocols. According to the MFA, once the President's office
is formally given the opportunity to comment on the draft,
it is submitted to the Sabor. The Sabor is expected to vote
the on the draft later next week. See Zagreb 148 for more
details. (PD'Amico)


2. (U) EMBASSY HOSTS AMERICAN CITIZENS INFORMATION NIGHT:
On March 17 the Consular Section organized the second annual
American Citizens Information Night in the Embassy Atrium.
More than 150 U.S. citizens, guest experts, and Embassy
employees attended the event which offered consular services
and information on a variety of topics. Croatian
representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and EU
Integration, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of
Justice, and the Bureau of Vital Statistics were available to
answer questions on Croatian residency requirements,
purchasing property, and obtaining Croatian civil documents.
Other organizations such as AMCHAM, the Boy Scouts, the
American International School, and the American College of
Management and Technology of Dubrovnik were on had to speak
about their activities. Embassy offices included Consular,
POL/ECON, Management, FCS, ODC, PD, the MSG, and the Zagreb
Employee Association. The three hour event included
welcoming remarks by Ambassador Bradtke, the Consular Chief,
and the RSO. (PWingate)

3. (SBU) HSLS GAMBIT IN BJELOVAR AIMS TO PRESERVE PARTY
STRONGHOLD:
Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Croatian Social
Liberal Party (HSLS) Djudja Adlesic leaked to local media
last week that her party*with two seats in the Sabor*was
considering leaving the coalition government if they did not
get more support from the Prime Minister,s Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ). Press commentaries quickly concluded
this was a pressure tactic to get the HDZ to support the
HSLS,s mayoral candidate in Bjelovar. Our meetings with
HSLS officials on March 11 support this explanation. The
HSLS, a small party in decline for several years, is keenly
focused on maintaining the mayorship in its two
strongholds*Varazdin and Bjelovar. Adlesic, a former mayor
of Bjelovar, is hoping her gambit to leave the government
will spur the HDZ to support the HSLS candidate. (DMeges)

4. (U) GREEN ARCHITECTURE DVC AT AMERICAN CORNER ZAGREB:
Dr. Eric Pallant of Allegheny College addressed an audience
of 50 at the American Corner in Zagreb, discussing the latest
trends in green architecture. The core audience included the
AmCham's Environmental Committee, the City of Zagreb's Green
Building Council (of which the Embassy is a member),the
University of Zagreb, and the Croatian Association of
Architects. Beyond introducing innovative environmental
practices, the event will generate future exchanges of ideas
among Croatian participants and Allegheny College. (KWetzel)


5. (U) CITY MAY FUND PROPOSED THOMPSON CONCERT:
Media reported this week that the city of Zagreb may fund a
concert by controversial nationalist singer Marko Perkovic
Thompson in the city's main square. The concert would take
place at the end of May to mark Veteran's Day and would cost
the city approximately 70,000 USD. A similar concert, also
paid for by the city, was held last year at the same time
drawing much criticism. Thompson's critics accuse him of
glorifying the fascist Ustasha regime that ruled Croatia
during WWII and inciting anti-Serbian sentiment. The main
opposition leader, Zoran Milanovic, criticized the possible
funding of the concert saying that while the concert should
not be banned neither should it receive city funds (MJelenc)

6. (U) CROATIAN COMPANIES TO CONSTRUCT MOTORWAY IN
MONTENEGRO:
A consortium consisting of three Croatian civil engineering
companies, Konstruktor, IGH, and Tehnika d.d., has won the
public tender for the construction of the Bar-Boljara
motorway in Montenegro. This is the largest project Croatian
companies have won since independence in 1991. The
consortium, headed by Konstruktor, managed to outbid the
Greek civil engineering consortium headed by Aktor
Concessions. The 169.2 km-long highway is valued at 3
billion EUR. The project includes 42 tunnels and 92 bridges
and viaducts and will employ approximately 6000 workers. The
consortium will also have a 30 year concession for
maintaining the highway once the project is finished.
(DMatijas)


7. (U) JFDP REGIONAL CONFERENCE HELD IN ZAGREB:
From March 12-15, 25 alumni of the Junior Faculty Development

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Program (JFDP) from Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, and Albania
participated in an alumni-planned and organized conference
looking at the latest in teaching techniques. Up and coming
professors representing a variety of disciplines shared ideas
from their U.S. exchanges and academic experience. The
embassy hosted a reception to welcome the group. (KWetzel)


8. (U) MULTIPLE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY EVENTS IN GOSPIC:
On a trip organized by the Information Resource Center (IRC),
the APAO, the Ambassador's OMS, and the President of the
Sabre Foundation of Zagreb visited the small city of Gospic
which is struggling to overcome the economic effects of the
war. While Carol Bryan, the Ambassador's OMS, presented a
slide show and lecture on her Foreign Service Career at a
high school the APAO gave a talk on Abraham Lincoln at the
technical college. In coordination with the Sabre
Foundation, the Embassy arranged book donations at the Gospic
Public Library and at the technical college. The group also
met with the curator of the regional museum. The visit was
greatly appreciated in Gospic, a city which faces economic
challenges and receives few international visitors. (KWetzel)
BRADTKE