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DE RUEHVB #0182/01 0930930
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 030930Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9125
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000182 
 
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 - APRIL 3, 2009 
 
¶1.  CROATIAN LEADERS HAIL HISTORIC ACCOMPLISHMENT OF BECOMING 
A MEMBER OF NATO: 
Prime Minster Sanader told the press on April 1 that by 
becoming a member of NATO, Croatia achieved a goal that it 
had been trying to achieve for nearly two decades.  Sanader 
stated that a special debt of gratitude for this 
accomplishment was owed to the veterans who fought to defend 
Croatia during the 90s.  President Mesic said that by 
becoming a member of NATO Croatia had achieved the first of 
its two main foreign policy goals, the second being to join 
the EU.  Mesic went on to say that with entry into NATO 
Croatia had ensured its security.  He also stressed that the 
Alliance protected democratic values, and noted that Croatia 
becoming a member of NATO confirmed that the country has 
adopted and defends high-democratic standards.  Both leaders 
also congratulated Albania for becoming a member of the 
Alliance.  (D,Amico) 
 
¶2.    (U) JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR OFFERS STRAIGHT TALK TO 
CROATIAN AUDIENCES: 
Over a two-day visit organized as part of IIP's Strategic 
Speaker Initiative, Justice O'Connor impressed her audiences 
with her frank and open discussions under the overarching 
theme of judicial independence.  In her talk to over 150 
students and faculty at the Zagreb Law Faculty, Justice 
O'Connor told them that Supreme Court Justices may be 
appointed by one President but serve long after his term and 
are not bound by the 'President's views.  She shared her own 
story of making her legal career as a woman in the 1950's and 
of being appointed to the Supreme Court.  Questions covered 
the electoral college, the death penalty, the role of foreign 
legal decisions and property rights.  The Dean hosted a lunch 
for Justice O'Connor, the Ambassador and eight junior faculty 
members who studied or received their degrees in the U.S.  In 
the afternoon, Justice O'Connor spoke about judicial 
independence to Croatian judges at the Zagreb County Court, 
and to judges from Split and Rijeka via digital video 
conferencing equipment that the Embassy had donated.  Her 
talk was right on target, emphasizing current themes of 
debate in Croatia such as the procedures for impeachment, 
financing of the courts, and financial disclosure 
requirements.  Justice O'Connor met separately with the 
Presidents of the  Constitutional and Supreme Courts and the 
Minister of Justice and with top judicial officials at a 
dinner hosted by the Ambassador.  The discussions focused on 
judicial reform in Croatia, including resolving outstanding 
war crimes issues, combating organized crime and corruption, 
giving the Constitutional and Supreme Courts discretion to 
hear cases, and methods for appointing and promoting judges. 
During a lunch hosted by the DCM for Croatia's premier NGO 
leaders, Justice O'Connor received a candid briefing on 
ongoing corruption and human rights issues.  In all cases, 
Croatian officials enthusiastically solicited Justice 
O'Connor's assessment of their reform efforts and, for her 
part, the Justice said she was impressed by the progress 
being made in Croatia. Croatia's leading daily newspaper 
interviewed Justice O'Connor and expects to publish the 
article in their weekend edition.  Her visit will provide a 
platform from which we can develop future programs to support 
Croatian efforts in judicial reform.  Coming on the same day 
as Croatia became a full NATO member, this was a banner day 
for the Embassy and U.S.-Croatian relations.  (RPost) 
 
¶3.  (U) TRANSNATIONAL STING OPERATION NETS 40 SUSPECTED HUMAN 
SMUGGLERS: 
On Wednesday the Office to Combat Corruption and Organized 
Crime (USKOK), in cooperation with 11 police precincts 
throughout Croatia, arrested 40 people suspected of engaging 
in people smuggling.  "Operation Tara" was organized in 
cooperation with Austria, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and 
is the culmination of an investigation that began late last 
year.  Most suspects were from areas close to Croatia's 
borders with Austria, Slovenia and Hungary, and a large 
number came from the Roma community.  The suspects will be 
charged with at least 150 cases of human smuggling. 
(JNCallahan) 
 
¶4.  (U) OFFICIAL DATA CONFIRM GDP SLOWDOWN FOR 2008, WHILE 
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS CONTINUE TO FALL IN 2009: 
Data released by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics on March 
29 show 2.4 percent growth in GDP for 2008, well below 
earlier projections of 4.5 percent growth. Initial 
calculations indicate 2008 GDP totaled HRK 342.1 billion 
($62.2 billion) at current prices. Fourth quarter growth fell 
to 0.2 percent year-on-year, marking the slowest quarterly 
growth since 2000. Both imports and exports showed negative 
growth in the fourth quarter. This trend has continued into 
2009, with exports down 3.8 percent and imports down nearly 
 
ZAGREB 00000182  002 OF 002 
 
 
24 percent year-on-year in February. The steeper decline of 
imports shrank the trade deficit about 40 percent to HRK 7.5 
billion ($1.4 billion) for January-February 2009, while 
raising the export-import ratio to 54.8 percent. (SLitke) 
 
¶5. (U) LOCAL ELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK: 
Local media are reporting that the Croatian Government will 
deliberate the timing of the formal announcement for local 
elections next week, and the official start of the campaign 
season will likely be set for April 15.  The local election 
law stipulates that local elections will be held on the third 
Sunday in May--this year May 17--and the government can 
announce the formal campaign period to begin between 30 and 
60 days before the actual election date.  (DMEGES) 
BRADTKE