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P 121512Z DEC 07
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 001072 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA 
OSD FOR WINTERNITZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT--DECEMBER 12, 2007 
 
¶1. (SBU) COALITION NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE, FINAL ELECTION 
RESULTS DUE DEC. 13: 
Due to minor irregularities in the first round on November 
25, a handful of polling stations around Croatia had to 
re-run their vote on December 9.  The number of voters was 
too small to have any impact on final results.  The final 
results are now expected late on December 13.  President 
Mesic is therefore likely to decide on December 14 or 15 to 
whom he will give a mandate to try and form a government, and 
it is looking increasingly clear that the mandate will first 
be given to HDZ leader and current PM Ivo Sanader.  HDZ 
negotiations with the key coalition partners of the HSS and 
HSLS continued all of this week.  Both press and private 
reports indicate that the HDZ has decided to take its time 
and pursue detailed negotiations over the terms of a 
coalition government agreement.  Ministerial level 
negotiators on December 12 reported that they had reached 
agreement on 25 out of 30 issues.  At least some of the 
remaining issues, including how to handle HSS calls for a 
referendum on NATO membership and for full implementation of 
the protected fishing zone in the Adriatic, will only be 
settled at a final set of negotiations by Sanader with HSS 
President Josip Friscic and HSLS President Djurdja Adlesic. A 
final agreement on a coalition therefore appears likely next 
week.  (RHoltzapple) 
 
¶2.  (U) Embassy Sponsors DVC in Observation of World Aids Day: 
Post sponsored a digital video conference on December 6 on 
HIV/AIDS awareness for student audiences in Zagreb and Zadar. 
 The DVC featured Kevin Johnson, who is 24 years old, HIV 
positive, and a full-time student working as a youth outreach 
specialist with the AIDS partnership of Michigan.  The 
conference reached 16 students in Zagreb preparing for 
careers as nurses and medical technicians and approximately 
50 secondary school students from two schools in 
traditionally conservative Zadar.  Emphasizing the themes of 
prevention and testing, Johnson made an impact on our young 
audience by openly answering many difficult questions. 
Attended by two journalists, the DVC received favorable 
coverage from a local Zadar daily.  The conference was 
effective public diplomacy because the speaker communicated 
with the audience on a human level, increasing awareness of 
the need for HIV/AIDS prevention and testing as well as 
providing a social perspective on living with the disease. 
(KWetzel) 
 
¶3.  (U)Retired FSO Given Award as Part of Human Right's Day 
Celebrations: 
On the occasion of Human Right's Day, December 10th, the 
Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights presented awards 
to three "defenders of human rights".  The "Miko Tripalo" 
award for the protection and promotion of human rights was 
presented to Ambassador Robert W. (Todd) Becker, a retired 
FSO and for the last seven years the Deputy Head of the OSCE 
Mission in Croatia. The Josko Kulusic award went to the 
Croatian Television program for ethnic minorities "Prizma". 
Peter Kuzmic, a prominent evangelical scholar, was also 
awarded for his work in the promotion of inter-religious 
dialogue. In addition, GOC officials, UNHCR, OSCE, Croatian 
Red Cross, and numerous Croatian NGOs celebrated the December 
10th Human Rights Day through a series of concerts, 
ceremonies, and public outreach efforts on Zagreb's main 
square. (DFisk) 
 
¶4.  (U) Croatians Perceive Judiciary and Health Care as Most 
Corrupt: 
On December 6, Transparency International (TI) released its 
Global Corruption Barometer 2007, a public opinion survey 
gauging ordinary Croatians' perceptions of corruption.  As in 
2005 and 2006, Croatians perceive the judiciary as the most 
corrupt (4.3 on a scale of 5), followed by medical services 
(4.2), businesses (4.0), political parties (4.0), and 
parliament (3.9).  Only 8% of 2007 Croatian survey 
respondents reported having paid a bribe for services, while 
the overall rate for Southeast Europe was 12%.  About a 
quarter (28%) of respondents think corruption will decrease 
in the next three years, while 40% expect an increase.  About 
60% said the government's efforts to fight corruption are 
ineffective.  In his statement at the TI Croatia event to 
release the Barometer, Croatian President Stepan Mesic also 
said he was not satisfied with the past work of the 
government on countering corruption.  (SLitke) 
 
¶5.  (U) FAA Briefs Croatian Civil Aviation Authority: 
Post hosted an FAA briefing on the International Aviation 
Safety Assessments (IASA) process via 
DVC on December 10 for the Croatian Civil Aviation Authority 
 
ZAGREB 00001072  002 OF 002 
 
 
and Foreign Ministry.  The briefing 
familiarized the Croatians with the IASA process, a necessary 
precursor to approval of a pending 
codeshare agreement between United Airlines and Croatia 
Airlines.  A formal assessment of 
Croatia,s compliance with International Civil Aviation 
Organization safety standards will 
be made by an FAA team expected to visit Zagreb in the second 
half of January, 2008. (NBerliner) 
 
¶6.  (U) Hanukkah Celebrated on Zagreb's Main Square: 
Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic and Israeli Ambassador to Croatia, 
Shmuel Meirom, marked the celebration of Hanukkah, the 
Festival of Lights, by lighting candles on the capital's 
central Ban Jelacic Square. In a culminating ceremony on 
December 10th, religious leaders, politicians, diplomatic 
representatives, and the general public, attended an evening 
ceremony presided over by Tel Aviv head rabbi Ysraela Meir 
Lau. In addition to lighting ceremonies on the main square, 
individual Jewish community celebrations occurred throughout 
the eight-day holiday. (DFisk) 
 
¶7. (U) Weighing A Regional Warehouse: 
Embassy Zagreb's Management Team just ran a competition to 
model a regional warehouse to support Zagreb, Ljublijana, 
Sarajevo and Belgrade.  Two interdisciplinary teams, one 
looking at complete outsourcing and the other at providing 
the service in-house, probed and crunched the staffing, 
customs, NEPA, transportation and other issues (including 
cost).  They presented their findings to the other team and a 
panel of "judges" a month later.  The analysis of both teams 
concluded that a drastic loss in service standards, as well 
as difficulties both in property accountability and in 
clearing customs multiple times outweighed the cost savings. 
Instead, Zagreb is moving forward with our consolidation plan 
to eliminate a costly leased warehouse upon the departure of 
AID. (TFavret) 
BRADTKE