VZCZCXRO5568
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
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DE RUEHVB #0154/01 0791449
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201449Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9089
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000154 
 
SENSITIVE 
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 - 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 
 
ZAGREB 00000154  002 OF 002 
 
 
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