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Viewing cable 09ZAGREB37, ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - JANUARY 22, 2009

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09ZAGREB37 2009-01-22 13:37 2011-08-23 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Zagreb
VZCZCXRO2528
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVB #0037/01 0221337
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221337Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8944
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0088
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000037 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM, EUR/ERA AND IO/UNP 
OSD FOR POPOVICH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV CVIS UNSC HR LY
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - JANUARY 22, 2009 
 
1.  (U) EMBASSY HOSTS INAUGURATION RECEPTION AT AMERICAN 
CORNER ZAGREB: 
Embassy Zagreb hosted an inauguration event January 20 at the 
American Corner located at a downtown Zagreb library.  The 
reception targeted young Croatian academic, business and 
politicla leaders to give them the opportunity to see live 
inauguration coverage of President-elect Barack Obama 
including his swearing in, inaugural address and other 
program events.  Other Croatian library patrons including 
university students were also able to watch the inauguration 
on televisions provided by the Embassy.  Approximately 75 
Croatians, including guests from political parties, NGOs, 
government ministries, think-tanks, journalists, and previous 
Fulbright, Ron Brown, and Ben Franklin fellows attended the 
event.  The event was covered by the national Hrvatska Radio 
Televizija (HRT) station as well as on radio and in the major 
daily newspapers.  Ambassador Robert Bradtke gave interviews 
to the press after the inaugural address.  The event gave 
young political, social, and economic Croatian leaders a 
chance to witness the beginning of the Obama administration 
and emphasized the continuing partnership between U.S. and 
Croatia under the new administration.  (TBullock) 
 
2.  (U) CROATIAN MEDIA OPTIMISTIC ABOUT U.S. - CROATIA TRAVEL 
SECURITY DECLARATION: 
The January 19 signing in D.C. of a Croatia - U.S. 
Declaration on Travel Security received positive media 
coverage in Croatia, ranging from optimism to moderation on 
Croatia's prospects for joining the visa waiver program. 
Croatian national newspapers Slobodna Dalmacija and Vjesnik 
carried optimistic articles predicting Croatia would qualify 
for the visa waiver program in 18 months.  Rijeka-based Novi 
List factually reported that the declaration was an agreement 
to improve travel security between the two countries which 
would benefit Croatia's progress towards the visa waiver 
program.  Media coverage of the declaration helped to clarify 
for the Croatian public and government officials the steps 
necessary for membership in the VWP.  (TBullock) 
 
3.  (U) PRESIDENT MESIC CRITICIZES CROATIA'S PERMREP TO THE 
UN FOR ANGERING LIBYA: 
President Mesic, during a radio interview on January 19, 
blamed Croatian UN PermRep Neven Jurica 
for Libya's rebuff of Croatia's request for Libyan natural 
gas shipments during the recent gas 
crisis.  While press reports said Libya rejected Croatia's 
offer to purchase gas because it had 
no supplies available, according to Mesic, Libya's leader, 
Muammar al -Qaddafi, is still angry at 
Croatia for Jurica's walkout from an April 2008 Security 
Council session in response to remarks 
by the Libyan PermRep comparing the situation in the Gaza 
Strip with the Nazi Holocaust.  In his 
comment, Mesic did not mention that Jurica was joined in the 
walkout by the representatives 
of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and 
Costa Rica.  Despite press speculation, 
Mesic has not taken any steps to try and get the government 
to remove Jurica from his post, 
but publicly emphasized that he had scolded Jurica for his 
actions and reminded him that it was 
because of the support of non-aligned countries, such as 
Libya, that Croatia was on Security 
Council. (DMeges) 
 
4. (U) COALITIONS TAKE SHAPE IN OSIJEK MAYOR RACE: 
The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) announced on January 14 
that it would partner with the 
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) for May 2009 local elections 
in the eastern city of Osijek, 
where right-wing parties are more influential than perhaps 
anywhere else in Croatia. This 
alliance with the HDZ comes only days after the HSP's current 
coalition partners, the 
Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Croatian Peoples Party 
(HNS), refused to support Djapic's 
candidacy for mayorship of Osijek, due to a corruption 
scandal over some of Djapic's real estate 
deals.  The deal with the HDZ will require the HSP to support 
HDZ's candidate for county prefect 
in the Osijek region, and to support the HDZ's candidates for 
mayor and county prefect in many 
other races across the country.  Centrist and center-left 
parties such as the SDP and the 
Croatian Social Liberal party will likely run their own 
candidates.  As will the far-right 
Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB), 
 
ZAGREB 00000037  002 OF 002 
 
 
with indicted war criminal 
Branimir Glavas heading the list for mayor and city council 
and incumbent county prefect 
Kresimir Bubalo as a candidate for re-election to that 
office. (DMeges) 
BRADTKE