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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000782 
 
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 - NOVEMBER 7, 2008 
 
¶1. (U) ELECTION BREAKFAST FOR KEY CONTACTS GENERATES WIDE 
MEDIA COVERAGE: 
Ambassador Bradtke hosted a post-election breakfast early on 
November 5 for over 300 key embassy contacts from the 
Croatian government, the media, academia, and the business 
and diplomatic communities.  Despite the early start, turnout 
was impressive, with guests eager to discuss the final 
results as they came in, including in the Alaska Senate race 
in which Croatian-American (and Anchorage mayor) Mark Begich 
was the Democratic candidate.  Prominent guests included 
Foreign Minister Jandrokovic, Zagreb Mayor Bandic, as well as 
assistant ministers and state secretaries, NGO leaders and 
academics.  Featuring multiple wide screen televisions 
carrying the latest election news from television networks 
and the internet, the event took place in the ballroom of the 
downtown Esplanade hotel.  The morning's program included a 
digital video conference with Dr. David Schaller, an expert 
on American government and the U.S. presidency at the 
University Maryland in Baltimore, and a video clip from 
Croatian National Television correspondent Anka 
Bilic-Keserovic, who is currently in the United States on an 
International Visitor elections program.  With the hotel's 
elegant ballroom as a backdrop, the Ambassador granted both 
live and recorded interviews to HTV, RTL, Nova TV, Croatian 
Radio, Radio 101 and national daily Novi List.  Other 
newspapers and magazines sent photographers to cover the 
event, with prominent next day coverage.  (KWetzel) 
 
¶2. (U) AMBASSADOR BRADTKE LIVE ON RADIO 101 ON ELECTION DAY: 
The previous evening, Ambassador Bradtke was the featured 
guest on Radio 101's weekly diplomatic program on November 4, 
discussing the U.S. general elections, and answering a wide 
variety of questions from live callers on everything from 
campaign finance to the workings of the electoral college. 
Beyond the elections, the Ambassador also discussed the 
international financial crisis, transatlantic relations, and 
the security situation in Zagreb with the program's 
well-known host Zrinka Vrabec-Mojzes.  The Ambassador has 
appeared on this popular hour-long radio program three times, 
engaging in conversation with one of Croatia's most respected 
journalists and connecting with Zagreb citizens in a live 
format.  (KWetzel) 
 
¶3. (U) FULBRIGHT ALUMNI HOLD PANEL ON 2008 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL 
ELECTIONS: 
The Croatian Fulbright Alumni Association and the 
Croatian-American Society organized a panel discussion on the 
U.S. Elections on October 30 at Zagreb University's School of 
Humanities and Social Sciences. Fulbright alumnus and 
professor of history Tvrtko Jakovina introduced the panel and 
showed biographies of the candidates through State's Video 
Acquisition Service.  Ivan Grdesic, former Croatian 
Ambassador to the U.S., professor of political science, and 
two-time Fulbright alumnus; Vedrana Spajic, Fulbright Alumna 
and professor of comparative education; and Ivo Banac, 
professor of history at Yale and Zagreb universities and 
President of the Croatian Helsinki Committee, gave short 
overviews of the candidates and issues in the 2008 U.S. 
elections.  More than 100 senior students of history, 
sociology, English, political science, and a number of 
faculty attended this event.  In a ninety-minute discussion a 
variety of questions were raised about the programs of the 
Democratic and Republican candidates on a wide range of 
issues:  U.S. foreign policy, economy, energy, environment, 
terrorism, abortion, education.  (RPost) 
 
¶4.  (U) GLAVAS AND DJAPIC, RIGHT-WING HEADLINERS, TO GO HEAD 
TO HEAD IN OSIJEK CITY ELECTIONS: 
Branimir Glavas--currently standing trial for war 
crimes--announced on October 31 that he would seek his 
party's nomination for the mayorship of Osijek.  Glavas said 
he was confident his trial would end in an acquittal, and 
that he looked forward to campaigning against Croatian Party 
of Rights (HSP) leader Anto Djapic.  Djapic, who has not yet 
formally announced his candidacy, boasted in September that 
despite the right-wing HSP's poor showing in the November 
2007 general election, the party would stage a "great 
comeback" in local elections.  HSP leaders have been working 
to reorganize the party branches and promote new faces, while 
sidelining self-aggrandizing "false party stars," who 
neglected the building of local party infrastructure.  The 
HSP hopes to maintain control in Osijek, Sisak, and Slavonski 
Brod, and potentially expand its position in Sibenik, but 
will face a potentially difficult battle with Glavas' local 
HDSSB party.  (DMeges) 
 
¶5. (U) TRADE DEFICIT GROWS AS ANALYSTS FORECAST SLOWING GDP 
GROWTH: 
 
ZAGREB 00000782  002 OF 002 
 
 
According to preliminary data from the Croatian Bureau of 
Statistics, Croatian exports totaled 
HRK 52.27 billion ($9.5 billion) in the first nine months of 
2008, while imports totaled HRK 
115.59 billion ($21.0 billion). Compared to the same period 
in 2007, these amounts represent an 
8.3 percent rise in exports, a 13.6 percent rise in imports, 
and an 18.4 percent increase in the 
trade deficit. In its October 31st Croatian Economic Outlook 
Quarterly, the Zagreb Institute of 
Economics forecasts GDP growth at 4 percent for 2008, 
dropping to 3.8 percent in 2009. Forecasts 
released by the European Commission on November 3 indicate 
3.5 percent growth in GDP for 2008, 
falling to 3 percent in 2009. The Commission attributes the 
slowdown to a strong deceleration in 
the growth of household consumption, partly due to lower 
government transfers to pensioners and 
slowing credit growth. (DWestfall) 
 
¶6. (U) DIRECTOR OF MIT LIBRARIES ADDRESSES CROATIAN ACADEMIC 
AND SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY CONFERENCE: 
Dr. Ann Wolpert, the Director of Libraries at the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was the keynote 
speaker at the annual conference of the Croatian academic and 
scientific libraries in Zagreb.  Speaking about "The Value of 
Academic Libraries in the 21st Century", Dr. Wolpert spoke 
about the international, inter-institutional and 
interdisciplinary aspects of the modern library, emphasizing 
the current convergence of instruction, publishing and 
information management.  Dr. Wolpert provided an overview of 
the organization and activities of the MIT libraries, 
discussing cooperation with faculty in identifying research 
and development needs.  Focused on continuing education for 
librarians and information professionals, the annual 
conference provides information on the latest trends, 
products, and technologies for managing information 
resources.  Apart from the lecture at the conference, Dr. 
Wolpert also held a workshop for librarians entitled "Coffee 
with Ann" and lectured the University of Zadar.  The U.S. 
Embassy helped sponsor her trip to Croatia.  (KWetzel) 
 
¶7.  (U)DCM SPEAKS ABOUT THE AMERICAN DREAM TO UNIVERSITY 
STUDENTS IN OSIJEK: 
Deputy Chief of Mission Vivian Walker gave a lecture on the 
American Dream on November 3 in Osijek, the capital of the 
eastern Croatian region of Slavonia.  Drawing on themes from 
U.S. history, politics, culture, and literature, the DCM 
discussed the concept of the American Dream with 60 students 
from the Drama Academy and the English Department at the 
University of Osijek.  The speech generated questions on 
contemporary social issues in both the United States and 
Croatia.  Such events are greatly appreciated at regional 
universities which do not receive a large number of 
international speakers.  The Embassy has long enjoyed strong 
relations with the English Department at the University of 
Osijek, through providing Fulbright scholars and senior 
specialists, English Language Fellows and through book and 
DVD donations.  (KWetzel) 
Bradtke