ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - JULY 17

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000437

SIPDIS

EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KCOR HR SI SR CU
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - JULY 17


1. (U) MOU SIGNED TO IMPROVE LAW ENFORCEMENT INFORMATION
EXCHANGE WITH U.S.:
Minister of Interior Tomislav Karamarko and Ambassador Robert
Bradtke signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding
between the United States and Croatia on Combating Crime on
July 16. The MOU will allow for the formal exchange of
criminal history information of citizens from both countries.
Law enforcement officials from both countries will now have
an established method for exchanging information to combat
serious crimes, including the exchange of arrest records and
fugitive information, plus increased opportunities for
training programs. (RGrech)


2. (U) MAIN OPPOSITION PARTIES UNITE, ANTICIPATING EARLY
ELECTIONS:
On July 15, the leaders of the three largest opposition
parties (Social Democratic Party (SDP),the Croatian
Peoples, Party (HNS),and the Istrian Democratic Party
(IDS)),agreed on a strategic deal to cooperate in the next
parliamentary elections. Despite the fact that presidential
elections are likely to occur before the opposition is able
to orchestrate early parliamentary elections, the opposition
parties emphasized to local media that taking control of the
government would be their top priority, saying Croatia can no
longer afford to suffer under its current poor leadership.
SDP chief Zoran Milanovic said the parties would meet again
soon to create an election platform and demonstrate their
competence to assume responsibility for governing Croatia.
The formation of this left-center block, which clearly
features the SDP in the lead, is a boost to Milanovic, who
previously has had difficulties working constructively with
the HNS, particularly party chief Radimir Cacic. (DMeges)


3. (U) RAILWAY OFFICIALS ARRESTED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT:
A criminal investigation by the Office for Suppression of
Organized Crime (USKOK) has led to the arrest of a former CEO
of Croatian Railways, a former director of AGIT (a spinoff
company of Croatian Railways),and AGIT's commercial
director. Between 2003 and 2008, USKOK alleges the trio
opened offshore bank accounts and transferred nearly 3
million euro from AGIT into the accounts as payments for
spurious services. They were then apparently splitting the
proceeds. The state prosecutors ordered detention for all
three suspects and the criminal investigation is still
ongoing. (VDjukic)


4. (U) CROATIAN VANDALS DAMAGE SLOVENE AND SERBIAN CARS AND
CROATIA,S IMAGE:
In separate incidents this week, Croatian vandals slashed the
tires of two cars on the island of Vis and one car,s tires
on the island of Brac - all three cars bore Slovenian license
plates. On Wednesday, July 15, Croatian youths in Dubrovnik
significantly vandalized a car with Serbian license plates
belonging to a vacationing Serb lawyer. Croatian police are
still searching for the perpetrators in the island incidents,
but have made three arrests in the Dubrovnik case. Local
media have painted the incidents as setbacks to Croatia,s
efforts to attract more tourists from the former Yugoslav
republics. (DMeges)


5. (U) NUMBER OF H1N1 CASES IN CROATIA NOW 18:
The Croatian Institute for Public Health has reported 8 new
cases of H1N1 flu this week. This brings the total number of
cases in Croatia to 18, three of which were human-to-human
transmissions inside Croatia. All individuals affected are
reportedly recovering well and the symptoms in most cases
have been very mild, according to public health authorities.
(DWestfall)


6. (U) PRESIDENT MESIC ATTENDS NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT SUMMIT:
President Mesic spoke on Thursday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
at a summit for member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM). Croatia is attending the conference as an observer
state. In his address, Mesic called for a "new world order"
based on multilateralism and a stronger UN. He said that
each country was entitled to "choose its own path" but that
this did not mean negating universal values such as democracy
and human rights. During the summit Mesic met with Cuban
leader Raul Castro and both leaders expressed a desire to
further develop bilateral and economic relations between the
two countries. They also discussed the possibility of a
visit from Mesic to Cuba in the fall. Since former Yugoslav
president Josip Tito was one of the founding members of NAM,
Mesic explained, it was logical Croatia would attend the
summit as a Yugoslav successor state, as it has in the past.
(JNCallahan)
BRADTKE