croatia today - The Fund for American Studies

Embassy of the Republic of Croatia
CROATIA TODAY
January 2007
[Vol. 4, Issue 1]
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Croatia Belongs in the European Union
Of Special Interest
• Pope
Benedict
XVI:
“Croatia Belongs in the
European Union and It
Must Become Its Member”
[pg. 2]
• Stronger Croatian Presence
in Afghanistan [pg. 3]
• Increasing Support for EU
Amongst Croatians [pg. 3]
• Be CROative – New
Croatian Export Offensive
Strategy [pg. 4]
Croatia’s Foreign
Policy Focus in 2007
•
•
•
Creation of a smooth
transition for membership
in NATO
Continuation to make
progress towards joining
the EU
Intensifying
the
fight
against
unemployment
and corruption
Pope Benedict XVI receiving the gift from Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader on 17 Jan 2007
at the Vatican [Photo: L’Osservatore Romano]
Government Activity in 2006
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Prime Minister Sanader visits U.S.
President Bush, gets support for
NATO/EU accession
At Riga Summit, Croatia moves closer
to getting an invitation to join NATO
in the spring of 2008
Brussels decided to separate Croatia’s
membership talks from the process of
Turkey’s negotiations
Opening of five policy chapters in the
negotiations with the EU
The payment of two government
installments to pensioners
Increased
exports;
lower
unemployment
Sale of INA oil company shares on the
stock market
Sale of pharmaceutical company Pliva
to American Barr
Croatian Presence in Afghanistan
Croatian Foreign Minister Grabar-Kitarović [right] with U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice discussing the role of the Croatian troops in Afghanistan [Photo:
Večernji list]
Current Affairs
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Pope Benedict XVI Receives Croatian Prime
Minister Ivo Sanader
Croatia, Montenegro Seek to Boost Ties; Sign
Cooperation Agreement for EU Integration
Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader [left], and his Montenegrin
counterpart, Željko Šturanović, met in Podgorica, Montenegro on
12 Jan 2007. Prime Minister Sanader was the first Prime Minister
and Head of Government to officially visit Montenegro. He
expressed Croatia’s readiness to share its experience and assist
Montenegro on its path to the European Union and NATO during
his official visit. [Photo: Getty Images]
Pope Benedict XVI receives the gift from the Prime Minister Ivo
Sanader [Photo: L’Osservatore Romano]
PODGORICA, Montenegro, 12 Jan 2007 - Prime Minister Ivo
Sanader became the first Prime Minister and Head of
Government to officially visit the newly formed state of
Montenegro on 12 Jan 2007 January, after this republic
separated from Serbia in June of 2006. Prime Minister of
Montenegro, Željko Šturanović, offered thanks to Croatia for
showing readiness to share its positive experience with
Montenegro on the path to Euro-Atlantic associations, while
further warm words were exchanged after Prime Minister
Sanader opened the first Croatian Embassy in Montenegro.
Šturanović announced that Montenegro would soon open its
own Embassy in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, as a signal that
the two countries would soon experience a “new chapter” in
relations.
VATICAN, 17 Jan 2007 - Pope Benedict XVI welcomed over 70
Croatian pilgrims, most of whom were veterans of the Homeland
War or members of families which had been decimated by the
conflict. Among the Croatian guests was the Prime Minister Ivo
Sanader, along with War Veterans Minister Jadranka Kosor and
Culture Affairs Minister Božo Biškupić. The Pope then gave
Croatia his official blessing to mark the 15th anniversary of
Croatia’s independence. The reverence however was not one
sided, as many of the Croatian delegation were there to thank
the Pope and the Holy See for its recognition of Croatian
statehood, 2 days before the then 15 European community
member states.
Pope Benedict XVI with
L’Osservatore Romano]
the
Croatian
delegation
Following the ceremony, Šturanović and Sanader witnessed the
signing of an agreement binding Croatia and Montenegro on the
path to economic cooperation. The agreement was signed by the
President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Nadan
Vidošević, and the President of the Montenegrin Chamber of
Commerce, Vladimir Vukmirović in order to materialize
economic gains between the countries more quickly. The
economic forum was attended by over 100 business
entrepreneurs from both Croatia and Montenegro. Construction
of an Adriatic-Ionian highway was identified as the most
important joint product between the countries, one that will
greatly improve transit.
[Photo:
In concluding his first state visit to Croatia’s southern neighbor
of Montenegro, Prime Minister Sanader described this first state
visit to the Balkan nation as “substantial and fruitful.” The
Prime Minister also announced that past grievances between the
two countries would be forgiven and left in the past. “Apologies
were offered for the attacks on Dubrovnik and other areas of
Croatia. Now is the time for a new relationship, a new future.”
Sanader also presented the mayor of Kotor, Maja Catović, with a
check for two million Kuna to aid in the reconstruction of a
Roman Catholic Church of St. Eustachius. Sanader also pledged
greater financial support for the Croatian minority in
Montenegro.
Pope Benedict XVI gave a private audience to Prime Minister
Sanader. Among the pleasantries that were exchanged, the Pope
was heard remarking that “Croatia belongs in the
European Union and must become its member.”
Sanader later explained that despite the fact the Holy See is not
a member of the EU itself; the Vatican is a moral authority in
European society and indeed the world. Prime Minister Sanader
also explained that the friendship between Croatia and the
Vatican, and the faithfulness of the Croatian people to the Holy
See was evident by the Croatian pilgrims in attendance, along
with the Homeland Defense War veterans, and the families of
those soldiers who are dead or missing. As a reciprocal gesture
before leaving, Prime Minister Sanader invited Pope Benedict to
visit Zagreb, which the Pope readily accepted.
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/fe
atures/setimes/features/2007/01/31/feature-02
2
Current Affairs
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
President Mesić Attends Commemoration
for Holocaust Memorial Day
Stronger Croatian Presence in Afghanistan
BRUSSELS, Belgium, 26 Jan 2007 - The Croatian government
has recently lifted its territorial limitations regarding the
deployment of its troops in Afghanistan. Foreign Minister
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović explained that the only remaining
limitation will be regarding their specific operations, with
Croatian troops not engaging in any direct combat operations or
fighting local drug lords. Still, Croatian forces will be deployed
in all parts of Afghanistan. The primary mission of Croatian
troops will be to train and equip the Afghan National Army.
President Stjepan Mesić [first left] said that the Holocaust was one
of the biggest crimes, perhaps the biggest crime in the history of
humanity, at a commemoration on the occasion of Holocaust
Memorial Day at the Jewish Religious Community Bet Israel in
Zagreb. [Photo: www.predsjednik.hr]
ZAGREB, Croatia 27 Jan 2007 - The President of Croatia
Stjepan Mesić commemorated the Holocaust Memorial Day by
speaking at the Jewish Religious Community in Zagreb. “This
should not be forgotten and this should never happen again”
Mesić said while addressing the crowd. Holocaust Memorial
Day is observed on 27 Jan every year to recognize 27 Jan 1945,
when the final inmates of Auschwitz were liberated.
Members of a Croatian military contingent set to be dispatched to
Afghanistan received a send off from President Mesić in the city of
Varaždin on 2 Jan 2007. [Photo: www.htnet.hr]
Also, Croatia will increase its commitment to Afghanistan by
adding 50 soldiers to the 150 already there, brining the total
number to 200 in 2007, and again rising to 300 by 2008. As
well as an increase in personnel, the Croatia government also
pledged to donate 1,000 automatic guns, and 300,000 pieces of
ammunition to the Afghan National Army. Foreign Minister
Grabar-Kitarović met with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice during the conference, after Secretary Rice pledged the
United States would commit another 8.6 billion dollars in
assistance to the impoverished central Asian country.
Holocaust Seminar for Croat Teachers
ZAGREB, Croatia, 25 Jan 2007 - A group of teachers gathered in
the Croatian capital of Zagreb in order to hold a Holocaust
seminar, with material consisting of works by Anne Frank and
stories of Oscar Schindler, as well as Croatians who saved Jews
throughout the course of World War 2. “We teach the history of
the Holocaust, A to Z, in depth” said Stanlee Stahl, executive vice
president of the group Jewish Foundation of the Righteous,
which is based in New York City. The initiative is seen as a
signal that Croatia is remembering lessons of the past, some of
which concern atrocities which were committed in Croatia while
it was under Nazi occupation. Since Croatia’s independence, the
country has repeatedly and openly condemned Nazism and
fascism. The Jewish Foundation of the Righteous has given out
over 22,000 medals of The Righteous to non-Jews who helped
rescue Jews from persecution and the Holocaust. Of the 22,000
awarded, 105 have gone to Croatians.
Popular EU Support Amongst Croatians
ZAGREB, Croatia, 20 Jan 2007 - In a new poll conducted by
Croatia daily Večernji list, a majority of the Croatian population
said they would support membership in the European Union.
As of January 2007, 53% of Croatians polled feel that joining the
EU is in the best interest of their country, with 33% feeling it is
the wrong path to take.
U.S. Ambassador in Croatia Robert Bradtke
Revisits the ‘Burgh
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/25/europe/EUGEN-Croatia-US-Holocaust.php
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, 18 Jan 2007 - The U.S.
Ambassador to Croatia, Robert Bradtke, is revisiting his roots in
a return trip to the Pittsburgh area. Although he lived in
Pittsburgh for only a few years, he recalls that his time there was
well spent as he spoke to members of the Croatian Fraternal
Union of America in nearby Wilkins. Most importantly, the
Ambassador is striving with many leaders of Croatia in an effort
to help them gain accession into the EU and NATO. According
to Bradtke, “They are very important steps for the future of
Croatia.” Bradtke was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to
Croatia by President Bush in 2006, and is the fifth U.S.
Ambassador to Croatia since its independence.
Croatia Fights Corruption
ZAGREB, Croatia, 12 Jan 2007 - The Croatian government
allocated 1.8 million Kuna from the budget to the Office for the
suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime for a survey of
the state of corruption throughout the country. Most of the
money however, will likely be used to simplify customs
procedures and improve the efficiency of the customs service in
accordance with EU standards. Other notable projects include
30 million kuna for protection against water pollution along the
Adriatic coast.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/tod
ay/s_488835.html
3
Economy/Business
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Strong Export Campaign
Investment in Winter Tourism
ZAGREB, Croatia, 8 Jan 2007 - A group of municipalities in the
Velebit mountain ranges have started to work on a project to
build a center for mountain and winter tourism. The new ski
center will be strategically located between Dalmatia and the
highlands of Lika, about 1,500 meters above sea level. The
project has already won favor with the Croatian government,
and is now receiving over 1.8 million euros from the European
Commission. This particular mountain range has all the
necessary quality for becoming a major ski resort; therefore
many investors have been anxiously waiting to see how this
particular project turns out. Such investors are crucial for the
development of the region, brining the potential for hotels and
more tourist attractions in the future.
The Croatian Boat Receives the Award of the
Best European Boat of 2007
Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said that if Croatia wanted to have a
successful economy, it needed to increase its exports in order to
create higher GDP growth, higher living standards, and more jobs
overall. [Photo: www.htnet.hr]
ZAGREB, Croatia, 22 Jan 2007 - The Croatian government
recently presented its national export promotion strategy for the
2007-2010 period at a convention of Croatian exporters. The
strategy was dubbed the Croatian Export Offensive, which aims
to increase the number of exporting companies from 11,000 at
present to 13,800, or by a 25% total increase, by 2010. The
overall strategy of the new plan is to eliminate barriers which
could be retarding Croatian economic growth, such as small
capacities, fragmentation of production and lack of
competitiveness.
Croatian boat “Salona 37”, produced by AD Brodovi, receives 2007
Cruiser/Racer of the Year award. [Photo: Walter Cooper]
DUSSELDORF, Germany, 22 Jan 2007 - The Croatian boat
“Salona 37” was given the award of best European boat of 2007
in the 10 to 12 meter boat category. Management at AD Brodovi
of Solin, near Split where the yachts are produced, was certainly
pleased with this success in very tough competition for this class
of boat.
AD Brodovi, a branch of a car component
manufacturing company, has only been building sailboats for
the past five years. Nominations for each class came from 30
different countries. Also, the United States magazine “Sailing
Word” proclaimed Salona 37 as the 2007 Cruiser/Racer of the
Year. “From the stainless-steel grid in its bilge to the top of its
aluminum rig, the Salona 37 is a well made, great handling, dual
purpose racer,” according to the magazine. The Salona 37
should certainly have a bright future among global consumers.
http://www.sailingworld.com/sailboats/boatreviews/salona-37-2007-cruiserracer-of-the-year48593.html
Nadan Vidošević [left], President of the Croatian Chamber of
Commerce, Ivo Sanader [center], Prime Minister of the Republic of
Croatian, and Branko Vukelić, Minister of the Economy, Labor and
Entrepreneurship presented the campaign called “Be CROative”.
The purpose of this project is to promote quality Croatian products
as part of Croatia’s tradition, development and research, and
inventions, as well as show that apart from successful athletes and
a beautiful nature, the country also has top-quality products
[Photo: www.htnet.hr]
HAKFAS - Promoting Croatian-American
Networking
PLITVICE, Croatia, 3 – 5 Nov 2006 - The Croatian Alumni Club
of the Fund for American Studies [HAKFAS], which primary
objective is to promote The Fund for American Studies (TFAS)
and Georgetown University educational programs and values of
freedom, democracy and free-market economy, as well as to be a
forum for networking and maintaining social contacts that
Croatian alumni made as students, held its annual meeting in
the central mountainous region of Croatia near the Plitvice
Lakes. The meeting gathered 40 alumni of the Fund for
American Studies, representing 16 countries across Europe.
Furthermore, as a part of “export offensive” strategy, the
Croatian Chamber of Commerce [HGK] will start promoting top
quality Croatian products under the slogan ‘Be CROative’. “We
cannot [compete with the goods] arriving from Vietnam, China,
Indonesia, India…”says HGK President Nadan Vidošević. “We
can however, look for niches through top quality products that
can be better positioned with prices.”
http://www.hakfas.hr/?id=14&lang=e&solo=12
4
Special Feature – Assessment of 2006
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Overview of Government Results in 2006
Overview of Membership Talks with EU
Croatia wrapped up 2006 with the completed procedure of
screening, an in depth analysis of the adjustment of national
legislation to European Union standards, and opened
negotiations on five policy chapters and provisionally closed two
chapters. The most important event by far in 2006, however,
was Brussels’ decision to separate Croatia’s membership talks
from the process of Turkey’s negotiations, thus paving the way
for Croatia to proceed as it sees fit. The majority of this year’s
negotiating process was spent on screening, which is the first
step towards accession negotiations. The screening entails the
examination of the adjustment of Croatia’s legislation to the EU
acquis communautaire. By all accounts, the screening went
smoothly, but the opening of negotiations on policy chapters
preceded more slowly than expected, with six months passing
before the second chapter was opened and provisionally closed.
So far, no EU member states have objected to Croatia in any
way, and a satisfactory pace of negotiations is expected for 2007.
The European Commission has complied reports for 20 policy
chapters, and it is expected to draw up its negotiating platform
on nine policy chapters very soon. The latest invitation was
received on 20 December 2006, where Croatia was invited to
send nine of its negotiating platforms, already having met the
benchmarks for opening the chapters of justice, freedom, and
security.
President George W. Bush and the Prime Minister of the Republic of
Croatia Ivo Sanader talk together in the Oval Office at the White
House on 17 Oct 2006. During the meeting President Bush clearly
stated that “It’s in the world’s interest that Croatia join NATO, as
well as the European Union. To that end, when I go to Riga, I will
make the case that Croatia should be admitted. It seems like a
reasonable date would be 2008.” [Photo: Eric Draper/White House]
The payment of two government installments to pensioners,
including Christmas bonuses as part of an agreement on an
increase in teachers’ salaries, in concordance with the opening of
five policy chapters in the negotiations with the EU, is the most
important result of government activity in Croatia in 2006.
Croatia Continues Successful Foreign and
Economic Policy
As far as economic activity is concerned, Prime Minster Ivo
Sanader
has
underlined
increased
exports,
lower
unemployment, and the sale of INA oil company shares on the
stock market as the more important results of Croatian progress
made in 2006. The government also sold its remaining state
owned shares in the pharmaceutical company Pliva along with
completing the first stage of a project to build a national gas
supply system with the construction of the gas pipeline PulaKarlovac.
The government, which was in its 3rd year, also marked its
progress by making an amendment to a decision on the
Protected Ecological and Fisheries Zone under which the EFPZ
will apply also to EU countries as of 1 Jan 2008. The move was
adopted by a majority vote. Croatia also continued to improve
relations with the IMF, following the conclusion of the stand-by
arrangement in mid-November, by the continuation of
cooperation based on regular consultations within Article IV of
the IMF Statute, after Croatia had been given the same credit
rating for five years. However, change came in 2006, with
Croatia’s credit rating improving three times alone in 2006
according to Dun & Bradstreet, giving Croatia a credit rating of
DB3d, putting Croatia at minimal risk as an investment
opportunity. In the closing weeks of December, Croatia, along
with eight other Southeast European countries and the U.N.
Mission in Kosovo officially formed the Central European Free
Trade Agreement [CEFTA].
Vice President Dick Cheney talks with Croatian Prime Minister Ivo
Sanader before a dinner meeting on 6 May 2006 in the Old City of
Dubrovnik, Croatia. The Vice President met with the Prime
Minister to express U.S. support of Croatia’s ambitions to become a
member of the transatlantic community through integrations into
NATO and the European Community. [Photo: David Bohrer/White
House]
The Croatian government will continue to maintain discipline in
2007 concerning its successful economic policy. The three main
points of focus will be creating a smooth transition for
membership in NATO, continuing to make progress towards
joining the EU, and intensifying the fight against unemployment
and corruption. Prime Minister Sanader said that GDP growth
was directly associated with Croatia’s progress towards the EU
and NATO because “all investors see membership in those
associations as an anchor of security and a guarantee that the
capital they are investing in Croatia is safe.” The government
has announced that it plans to reduce registered unemployment
from 12% to at least 11.2% along with an increase in funding for
science and technology.
On the military front, those countries which participated in the
NATO summit in Riga in November 2006 announced that
Croatia could expect an invitation to join NATO in the spring of
2008. Relations with the Hague war crimes tribunal were
marked by the government’s request to be given the status of
amicus curiae in the case of Gotovina, Čermak, and Markač and
the case Prlić and others, but the request was turned down by
the tribunals trial chambers as well as the Appeals Chamber.
5
Culture
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Croatia Exhibit in Kansas City
Evening at the Embassy of Croatia
Often referred to as the “Pearl of the Adriatic”, Dubrovnik was
inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 and 1994 as
an architectural landscape of outstanding merit considered without
equal elsewhere for the homogeneity in the quality of the built form
and for preserving the a unique testimony to the civilization of the
Republic of Raguse. [Photo: www.vip.hr]
Gregory Bland [left], CEO of the organization Things To Do along
with Neven Jurica, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatian in the
United States during the reception. [Photo: Embassy of Croatia]
KANSAS CITY, Kansas, 26 Jan, 2007 - Croatia’s Ministry of
Culture and the local Kansas City government have teamed up to
put on a display of art for the city’s large Croatian population.
The exhibit will have a debut of over 50 items depicting
architectural history and the natural landscapes of Croatia in the
Guldner Gallery at the Central Library on 14 W. 10th Street. The
exhibit will be titled “World Heritage Sites in Croatia” and
commemorates the 25th anniversary of the inclusion of Croatian
cultural landmarks on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage
list. Some of the sites depicted include the medieval town of
Dubrovnik, also known as the pearl of the Adriatic after the U.N.
restoration project that took place after the 1991 siege. The
grand opening took place on 28 Jan 2007 and included live
Croatian folk music provided by Michael Milkovich, a native of
Split. The exhibit is and will remain open to the public.
WASHINGTON, D.C., 26 Jan, 2007 - The Croatian Embassy
hosted an evening of culture promoting an array of authentic
Croatian cuisine and classical music. The Ambassador received
guests as they were welcomed to a wine tasting bar, classical
music composed by Croatian composers, and an array of
paintings and artifacts on display throughout the embassy. A
short film was featured which highlighted Croatia’s natural
beauty and landscape was also previewed for the guests in
attendance.
Vice Skračić [second left], Head of Political Affairs and Sandra
Štetić [second right], First Secretary of the Embassy of Croatia with
the guests during the reception. [Photo: Embassy of Croatia]
The primary goal of the Things To Do organization is to help
enrich personal and professional lives of professionals of all
ages. They accomplish this by producing a wide variety of
interactive social, educational, and cultural events that
encourage their members to learn new things and meet new
people. Some members from the organization already booked
the trip to visit Croatia this September, where they would have a
chance to enjoy in one of the most beautiful hidden treasures in
the world.
The Cathedral of St. Jakov in Šibenik, built between 1431 and 1535,
is the most significant example of Renaissance art and architecture
in Croatia, and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
in 2000. [Photo: www.culturenet.hr]
http://www.kansascitykansan.com/articles/2007/01/27/ne
ws/news3.txt
Note: To read more about cultural and natural heritage of
Croatia inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, please
visit:
http://www.thingstododc.com/eventframed.php?show=71
8
http://www.culturenet.hr/v1/english/feature.asp?id=3
6
Croatia in U.S. News
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
U.S. Magazine Travel and Leisure Recommends
Istria as the Tourist Destination
U.S. Travelgirl Magazine Recommends Croatia as
One of the Best Destinations This Year
The U.S. travel magazine “Travelgirl” has recently recommended
Croatia as one of the best destinations in the world as a cruise
destination. Reasons behind the recommendation consisted of
favorable weather, good cuisine, rich history, and cultural
heritage.
Croatia’s Quality of Life Recently Ranked 18th in the
World by International Living Magazine
International Living Magazine recently announced its top choice
countries in terms of quality of life, with Croatia placing 18th out
of the 193 countries officially recognized. France placed first,
with the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark and Luxembourg
reaching inside the top 10 as well. The factors considered when
evaluating each country include cost of living, culture and
leisure, economy, environment, freedom, health, infrastructure,
safety and risk, and finally climate.
Rovinj – beautiful and picturesque small town situated on the
western coast of the Istrian peninsula. [Photo: www.rovinj.hr]
The Istrian Peninsula was recently featured in the U.S. magazine
“Travel and Leisure” as one of the publication’s new travel
destinations for 2007. The magazine cites several similarities
between Istria and the French region Provence. “Its sunlit
rolling hills, miles of vineyards, and charming medieval towns
are much like those of its French rival, and its beaches sparkle as
brightly as those of the better known coast to the south,” was
just one of the ways the magazine described one of Croatia’s
leading attractions. The article also mentions that traveling to
Istria has become much easier recently, when British airline
EasyJet began introducing flights in the summer of 2006.
New York Times Praises Croatian Film
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/where-to-gonext-istria-croatia
Internet Travel Site Expedia.com Named Croatia as
one of the Hot Spots to Travel in 2007
Scene from movie “I Love You” [Photo: www.htnet.hr]
The New York Times movie review recently gave critical acclaim
to the Croatian Drama “I Love You.” The film, by director
Dalibor Matanić, is set in Zagreb and deals with a disaffected
young man who has become lost in a sea of his own hedonistic
ways. Called “an unusually perceptive scrutiny of absence and
emptiness”, the movie stars Krešimir Mikić, Ivana Roščić, and is
being released by the Doors Art Foundation.
Vrboska, on the island of Hvar, is a typical, small fishing town that
lies in a picturesque, deep cove surrounded by vineyards, olive
groves and a forest of pine [Photo: www.croatia.hr]
Expedia.com, the immensely popular internet travel site, has
released its latest hot spots for travel in 2007, with Croatia
placing in the top 10 of all world wide destinations. Competing
for the top spot alongside Croatia are newcomers such as Cape
Verde, Devon, and Vietnam alongside more mainstream
destinations such as Las Vegas and Brazil.
Main star of the movie - Krešimir Mikić [Photo: www.htnet.hr]
http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id
=384044
7
Sport
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Croatians Make Their Mark in Football
Cro Cop to Make Debut in UFC
New Alabama football coach Nick Saban shakes hands with fans
after getting off a plane. Seeking to rebuild a championship football
program, Alabama lured Saban away from the Miami Dolphins.
Saban will receive an eight-year contract worth at least $30
million. That would make him the highest paid coach in college
football. [Photo: Michelle Williams/AP]
One of the top fighters in the world, Croatian Mirko “Cro Cop”
Filipović is making his debut in the United States where he will
enjoy support from the Croatian diaspora across the country.
[Photo: www.net.hr]
LAS VEGAS, 3 Jan, 2007 - Ultimate Fighting Championship
[UFC] introduced Croatian heavyweight Mirko “Cro Cop”
Filipović as its newest acquisition. Already a star in the
competitive PRIDE Fighting Championship’s heavyweight
division from November 2001 through September 2006, when
Cro Cop captured PRIDE’s Open Weight Grand Prix crown,
Filipović is slated to make his debut in the Octagon against
North County Fight Club’s Eddie Sanchez in Las Vegas on 3
February 2007.
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama, 3 Jan 2007 - Nick Saban, a well
known American football coach with Croatian heritage, just
accepted a deal to become the highest paid college football coach
in America with the storied Alabama Crimson Tide program.
The deal is rumored to be worth $32 million over an eight year
period, making him one of, if not the highest paid college coach
in America. Saban, however is not the only football coach with
Croatian heritage to make headlines lately. Bill Belichek, 3 time
Super Bowl champion head coach of the New England Patriots,
once again led his team into the playoffs, where his Patriots lost
in divisional finals against Indianapolis Colts.
http://67.ufc.com/
Note: The UFC debut of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović [UFC 67: ALL
OR NOTHING] will be LIVE from the Mandalay Bay Events
Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on 3 February 2007 on PAY-PERVIEW and UFC@DEMAND. Check with your local cable or
satellite provider for availability of this event.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=271
8517
Jelusić Makes First Podium Finish of Career
Croatia’s Ljubičić Wins ATP in Doha
DOHA, Qatar, 6 Jan 2007 - Croatian Tennis superstar Ivan
Ljubičić defeated Andy Murray on to win the Qatar Open along
with its $1 million purse. The win puts Ljubičić atop the ATP
Champions race, therefore giving him the title of world’s #1
tennis player. “The crowd has been fantastic and it’s a great
feeling to be number one in the ATP Champions Race…although
it may be for a short period.” The short period to which Ljubičić
was referring is the time that Roger Federer has spent away from
the game in order to rest up for the up coming season.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SPORT/01/06/tennis.doha/i
ndex.html
Note: Unfortunately, Ljubičić did not continue his winning
streak throughout the Australian Open where he lost in the first
round of the tournament.
Croatian young skier Ana Jelušić made her first podium of her
career and proves that there is a bright future for Croatian skiing.
[Photo: Željko Lukunić/24 sata]
Joe Sakic Captained in All Star Hockey Game
DALLAS, Texas, 24 Jan 2007 – Joe Sakic, a first generation
Croatian born in British Columbia, was captaining the West in
the NHL’s annual all star game on 20 January, 2007. This was
Sakic’s 12th all star game, having won the MVP award in the
2004 game, being the last to be awarded the honor due to the
lockout in 2005 and break for the Olympics last season.
ZAGREB, Croatia, 4 Jan 2007 - Despite the fact that Janica
Kostelić has taken a year long sabbatical from skiing, Croatia
still has other competitors ready to step up in her absence.
Although Austrian Marlies Schild, who is the current word cup
leader, won the Snow Queen Trophy slalom race on Mt. Sljeme
overlooking Zagreb, Croatia’s Ana Jelusić came in a close second
for the first podium finish of her career.
http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_5042078
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Miscellaneous
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Croatian Water Polo Players Featured
in New York Times
Andre 3000’s Croatian Look
Croatian water polo players showing off the new Ralph Lauren’s
spring collection for 2007 [Photo: John Balsom/NY Times]
NEW YORK, N.Y., 22 Jan 2007 - The New York Times recently
featured members of the Croatian Water Polo Team in an eight
page fashion spread. The players wore clothes designed by the
world’s top designers in the premises of their club. The players
are hoping that the combination of fashion, sports, and tourism
is likely to further boost Croatia’s promotion in the U.S.
Andre 3000 rockin’ a Croatian flag scarf on his way to the
“Charlotte’s Web” premiere in New York. [Photo: www.net.hr]
NEW YORK, N.Y., 4 Dec 2006 - Andre Benjamin, the popular
artist and member of the band Outkast, was recently spotted
sporting a Croatian scarf at the premier of the classic book
turned film, Charlotte’s Web.
Accompanying fellow cast
members such as Dakota Fanning and Julia Roberts, Benjamin
was first seen with the newly acquired Croatian apparel on the
red carpet. The scarf was apparently a gift from friend and avid
fan of Croatia, DJ Latin Prince.
The Beauty of Croatia Inspires American Clothing
Croats Sent Record Number of Text Messages for
Christmas and New Year
ZAGREB, Croatia, 3 Jan 2007 - Across the world and in Croatia,
Croatians literally helped ring in the New Year, setting a record
for amount of text messages sent. Croatian mobile phone users
sent a record 32.5 million text messages wishing fellow holidaygoers a happy near year, a 41% increase from last year. Croatia,
a country with only 4.4 million citizens, has more than 3 million
registered mobile phone users.
SANTA BARBARA, California, 19 Jan, 2007 - The U.S. clothing
brand Territory Ahead, which usually embraces an outdoor
oriented market, has recently embraced Croatian culture as an
influence towards its spring 2007 selection. Their motto for the
season is “Spring 2007: Inspired by the beauty of Croatia” and
will feature items which bear the names of certain regions in
Croatia. A few examples are the Lastovo shirt, the Istria jacket,
named after the pristine island and resort region respectively, as
well as the Doviđenja pullover.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070103/tc_afp/croatiane
wyeartelecom
Embassy of the Republic of Croatia
2343 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. 20008
Contact: Josip Babić
E-mail: [email protected]
Visit us on the web! http://us.mfa.hr
http://www.territoryahead.com/
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