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DE RUEHVB #0437 2010552
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 200552Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9403
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000437 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KCOR HR SI SR CU
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - JULY 17 
 
¶1.  (U) MOU SIGNED TO IMPROVE LAW ENFORCEMENT INFORMATION 
EXCHANGE WITH U.S.: 
Minister of Interior Tomislav Karamarko and Ambassador Robert 
Bradtke signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding 
between the United States and Croatia on Combating Crime on 
July 16.  The MOU will allow for the formal exchange of 
criminal history information of citizens from both countries. 
 Law enforcement officials from both countries will now have 
an established method for exchanging information to combat 
serious crimes, including the exchange of arrest records and 
fugitive information, plus increased opportunities for 
training programs.  (RGrech) 
 
¶2.  (U) MAIN OPPOSITION PARTIES UNITE, ANTICIPATING EARLY 
ELECTIONS: 
On July 15, the leaders of the three largest opposition 
parties (Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Croatian 
Peoples, Party (HNS), and the Istrian Democratic Party 
(IDS)), agreed on a strategic deal to cooperate in the next 
parliamentary elections.  Despite the fact that presidential 
elections are likely to occur before the opposition is able 
to orchestrate early parliamentary elections, the opposition 
parties emphasized to local media that taking control of the 
government would be their top priority, saying Croatia can no 
longer afford to suffer under its current poor leadership. 
SDP chief Zoran Milanovic said the parties would meet again 
soon to create an election platform and demonstrate their 
competence to assume responsibility for governing Croatia. 
The formation of this left-center block, which clearly 
features the SDP in the lead, is a boost to Milanovic, who 
previously has had difficulties working constructively with 
the HNS, particularly party chief Radimir Cacic.  (DMeges) 
 
¶3.  (U)  RAILWAY OFFICIALS ARRESTED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT: 
A criminal investigation by the Office for Suppression of 
Organized Crime (USKOK) has led to the arrest of a former CEO 
of Croatian Railways, a former director of AGIT (a spinoff 
company of Croatian Railways), and AGIT's commercial 
director.  Between 2003 and 2008, USKOK alleges the trio 
opened offshore bank accounts and transferred nearly 3 
million euro from AGIT into the accounts as payments for 
spurious services.  They were then apparently splitting the 
proceeds.  The state prosecutors ordered detention for all 
three suspects and the criminal investigation is still 
ongoing.  (VDjukic) 
 
¶4.  (U) CROATIAN VANDALS DAMAGE SLOVENE AND SERBIAN CARS AND 
CROATIA,S IMAGE: 
In separate incidents this week, Croatian vandals slashed the 
tires of two cars on the island of Vis and one car,s tires 
on the island of Brac - all three cars bore Slovenian license 
plates.  On Wednesday, July 15, Croatian youths in Dubrovnik 
significantly vandalized a car with Serbian license plates 
belonging to a vacationing Serb lawyer.  Croatian police are 
still searching for the perpetrators in the island incidents, 
but have made three arrests in the Dubrovnik case.  Local 
media have painted the incidents as setbacks to Croatia,s 
efforts to attract more tourists from the former Yugoslav 
republics. (DMeges) 
 
¶5.  (U) NUMBER OF H1N1 CASES IN CROATIA NOW 18: 
The Croatian Institute for Public Health has reported 8 new 
cases of H1N1 flu this week.  This brings the total number of 
cases in Croatia to 18, three of which were human-to-human 
transmissions inside Croatia.  All individuals affected are 
reportedly recovering well and the symptoms in most cases 
have been very mild, according to public health authorities. 
(DWestfall) 
 
¶6.  (U) PRESIDENT MESIC ATTENDS NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT SUMMIT: 
President Mesic spoke on Thursday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt 
at a summit for member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement 
(NAM).  Croatia is attending the conference as an observer 
state.  In his address, Mesic called for a "new world order" 
based on multilateralism and a stronger UN.  He said that 
each country was entitled to "choose its own path" but that 
this did not mean negating universal values such as democracy 
and human rights.  During the summit Mesic met with Cuban 
leader Raul Castro and both leaders expressed a desire to 
further develop bilateral and economic relations between the 
two countries.  They also discussed the possibility of a 
visit from Mesic to Cuba in the fall.  Since former Yugoslav 
president Josip Tito was one of the founding members of NAM, 
Mesic explained, it was logical Croatia would attend the 
summit as a Yugoslav successor state, as it has in the past. 
(JNCallahan) 
BRADTKE