http://www.croatia.org/crown en-us http://www.croatia.org/crown N/A nenad@nenadbach.com Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:35:00 -0800 20 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9592/1/Marijan-Busic---a-Croatian-visionary-with-The-Cravat.html  The name of Mr. Marijan Bu¹iæ, Zagreb, is with the unbreakable knot connected to one of the most original and the most attractive Croatian products and souvenirs worldwide, the indigenous Croatian invention - to the CRAVAT. nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9559/1/Gordana-Muraja-Revives-Hidden-Cultural-Heritage-of-Croatia.html   The aim of Gordana Muraja is to revive the interest in the cultural heritage of Croatia as well as bring forth beautiful objects, which have a highly valued place in this contemporary world. She has succeeded in presenting the magnificent beauty of an art form otherwise unknown to the masses. nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9488/1/A-wedding-in-Croatia.html   Have you ever wanted to have a destination wedding? Have you ever thought to pick somewhere memorable to celebrate that special day? Does Croatia come to mind? If not BWT Weddings in Croatia will help you plan your wedding in Croatia. nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9442/1/Croatian-Tramway-in-Helsinki-Finland.html Helsinki City Transport (HKL) said that the trials of a low-floor tram supplied by Croatia's Crotram had proceeded so well that passengers would be allowed to board the test vehicle on lines six and eight. Ivobach2@aol.com (Ivo Bach) Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9434/1/Croatian-Aussie-Stan-Bilic-quotMoney-wont-make-you-rich-insidequot.html Stan Bilic (left) moved to Sydney in 1970 at 22 and then settled in Melbourne. He is a leading figure in the Australian-Croatian community, runs a building company that specialises in residential homes and is the president of Melbourne Knights, one of the biggest and most prominent football clubs in the country. nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9419/1/Organic-agriculture-in-Croatia.html Processors and traders from Western and Eastern Europe are increasingly looking for organic raw materials abroad. Croatia - an official candidate for EU membership since June 2004 - is considered a potential supplier of organic raw material in the medium term. In 2006, 5,000 hectares in total were being organically managed by 340 registered farms. nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 05 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9403/1/Croatias-highway-to-Europe.html The new A1 highway in Croatia winds 416km from near the capital, Zagreb, south, offering breathtaking views of the mountainous terrain and the Adriatic Sea. Built in six years, at a cost of 3 billion Euros, it has been hailed as a "national pride," a "masterpiece" and the "freeway to Europe." mmarusic@mef.hr (Prof. Dr. Matko Maru¹iæ) Sat, 15 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9383/1/Croatia---Dr-Shrink-distributor-expands-territory.html Exprimo Adria d.o.o. is taking Europe by storm. The Zagreb, Croatia-based Dr. Shrink distributor and applicator recently expanded their business into Italy, France, Austria, Germany, Spain and other countries in Eastern Europe. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9387/1/Croatias-HRT-Expands-Broadcast-Workflow-On-NETIAs-Radio-Assist-Software.html    NETIA's Radio-Assist suite of digital audio software products is being used by public radio broadcaster Croatian Radiotelevision (Hrvatska Radiotelevizija, or HRT) to streamline acquisition, editing, scheduling, broadcasting, and archiving within a highly efficient workflow. nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9364/1/Vinjica-estate-offers-riding-of-Arabian-horses-and-looks-for-investment.html Guests of Vi¹njica on the north of Croatia can, beside visiting the fallow-deer breeding site and the stud farm, enjoy riding beautiful Arabian horses or spend a day walking, jogging or riding a bike through the nature. To bring the entire estate to its purpose we need capital investments. vladom@xnet.hr (Vladimir Mihajloviæ) Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9351/1/Croatia-3--English-Retailers--12-billion.html It's not just English soccer fans who will be gloomily slumped over their pint glass after a loss against Croatia in a qualifying match took the English team out of the Euro 2008, the quadrennial European championship. The Defeat will cost British retailers an estimated £600 million = $1.2 billion. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9332/1/Touristic--Ecological-Estate-quotPustara-Vinjicaquot-ready-for-you.html Our goal is to create a new tourist destination by uniting the oldest economy - agriculture with the youngest - tourism. The revival of Pustara Vi¹njica on tradition of former agricultural estate and implementation of ecology, agriculture and tourism is based on symbiosis of hotel and agricultural activity; horse-breeding; fallow-deer breeding; ecological production of sweet potato and other vegetables vladom@xnet.hr (Vladimir Mihajloviæ) Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9324/1/Croatia-would-be-able-to-supply-raw-organic-products-to-the-EU.html Croatia would be able to supply raw organic products to the EU, but more organic products are imported than exported at this point of time. This could change in the future, but structural changes, a better ecological expertise and investments from abroad would be required. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9289/1/Opportunity-for-Croatian-Talent---RechargeIT-Request-for-Investment.html   Earlier this summer, Google.org launched its RechargeIT Initiative to accelerate the adoption of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and vehicle-to-grid technology through technical demonstrations, grant-making, advocacy and investments.   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9279/1/Kazulin-family-continues-tradition-of-boat-making.html The Kazulin family's tradition of designing and building fine watercraft began seven generations ago on the Adriatic Coast of Croatia. Since then, generations of the family produced commercial and pleasure boats in Europe and North America. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9276/1/Vida-Jurcic-runs-an-award-winning-design-firm-Hangar-18.html   Vida Jurcic is a principal of Hangar 18, a fast-growing, award-winning design firm specializing in corporate and retail communications that she co-founded in 1996.  to_nena@hotmail.com (Nena Kazulin) Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9264/1/1st-US-Croatian-conference-on-the-ICT-Biotechnology-and-Pharmaceutical-Industry.html  The Conference in Split, Croatia, October 1-4, 2007, will feature renowned experts from the U.S. and Croatia who will focus on determining opportunities and strategies that will lead to increased collaboration in several key areas that might directly influence educational and scientific exchange, investment and trade between the U.S. and Croatia in the ICT, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry sectors. mmarusic@mef.hr (Prof. Dr. Matko Maru¹iæ) Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9206/1/Organic-agriculture-rising-in-Croatia.html According to the latest statistics published by the Croatian government, organics are on the move in the country. There are 369 organic companies up from 130 in 2003.   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9208/1/GZH-Zagreb-Croatia-a-long-history-in-book-production-dating-back-to-1874.html    nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 12 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9167/1/Four-Croatian-Railways-subsidiaries-for-sale.html     nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9164/1/Atlantic-Group-buys-Viciski-Commerce.html    nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9153/1/Hungary-Croatia-sign-power-line-deal.html    nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9135/1/Flyglobespan-offers-new-route-to-Pula.html     stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9121/1/Croatia-and-Kazakhstan-to-boost-ties.html     nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9105/1/Family-tradition-continues-at-Grgich-Hills---The-Croatian-connection.html Of his life's work, 84-year-old Mike Grgich says he is clearly not done, but adds, "All of my life's work is coming to fruition unexpectedly."   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 29 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9111/1/Croatias-Konzum-grows-domestically.html nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9096/1/Japanese-Interested-in-Investing-in-Croatia.html An overview of the Croatian economy and the possibilities of investing into Croatia were presented at a seminar in Tokyo.  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9092/1/Government-To-Sell-20-Percent-Of-HT-Shares.html nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9095/1/Putin-in-Croatia---A-confirmation-of-Croatias-international-authority.html   Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the Croatian capital city of Zagreb to attend the Southeast European country's Energy Summit. nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 24 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9094/1/Green-Action-Against-Russian-Oil-in-the-Adriatic.html Green Action thinks Croatia should not allow Russian oil to be transported through the Adriatic and ought to invest in renewable sources.   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 24 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9066/1/JAVNOorg-Croatian-website-in-English-that-shows-up-daily-on-Google-search-for-news.html   The portal is also available in English, which allows us to reach out to users who speak other languages as well as to foreign citizens residing in Croatia.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 10 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9064/1/ProfDr-Marin-Soljacic-Wireless-technology-used-to-power-light-bulb.html   Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology made a 60 watt light bulb glow by sending it energy wirelessly - from a device 7 feet away - potentially heralding a future in which cellphones and other gadgets get their juice without having to be plugged in. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9063/1/HRVATSKA-JANA-8211-AMERIEKA-VODA-IVOTA.html     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8969/1/Polands-property-developer-will-invest-836442-million-in-Zagreb.html Globe Trade Centre SA, Poland's largest property developer by market value, will invest 42 million euros ($55 million) in office and commercial buildings in Zagreb.  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8967/1/Croatian-Tuna-for-Japan.html Croatian and Japanese fishermen collect tuna fish in the waters near the Adriatic coastal town of Zadar, Croatia. Japan is the world's biggest tuna consumer, eating one quarter of the global catch and fuelling a growing global industry, including Croatia.   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 02 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8958/1/Tesla-Motors-Selects-Site-For-Electric-Sedan-Factory.html Tesla Motors, the San Carlos, Calif., company that is marketing a $92,000 battery-powered roadster to boost the visibility of electric vehicles, said it had selected a site in Albuquerque for a factory to build a $50,000 electric passenger sedan.   c.mateo@verizon.net (Martin Cvjetkoviæ) Thu, 22 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8926/1/Croatia-India-Sign-Co-operation-Agreement.html  Croatian Minister of Science Dragan Primorac and his visiting Indian counterpart, Kapil Sibal, signed a declaration on strengthening bilateral scientific and technological co-operation. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Wed, 07 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8920/1/Croatia-Gifts-established-by-Pam-Kelley-and-Melissa-Obenauf.html     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 30 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8898/1/Kastav-Croatia-on-the-World-map-thanks-to-Darko-Ivaneiae--ELCON----KEZIA-formed.html One of the most demanding businesses that ELCON Marine carried out was equipping the largest cruise ship in the world, Queen Mary II with the "heart" of  AV systems - audiovisual racks for local entertainment for the entire cruise ship. Numerous awards and acknowledgments followed.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8888/1/Croatia-would-soon-be-calling-for-bids-to-privatise-five-of-its-largest-shipyards.html     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 09 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8880/1/Croatias-food-industry-challenges.html     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 24 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8878/1/Forum-discusses-Vietnam---Croatia-economic-co-operation.html     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 24 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8844/1/The-dead-sexy-Tesla-delivers-on-its-promise-100--Electric-car-No-more-excuses.html     c.mateo@verizon.net (Martin Cvjetkoviæ) Thu, 30 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8835/1/Skup-Hrvata-i-njihovih-prijatelja-zakazan-za-9-i-10-prosinca-2006-u-Las-Vegasu.html   hssd@hssd.hr (Niko ©oljak) Fri, 24 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8815/1/America8217s-Oldest-Croatian-Church-Could-Be-Sold-To-Italians.html   Despite efforts of Pittsburgh Croatians to buy the closed church and convert it into a shrine. St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church, built in 1901 and worshipped in until it was closed in 2004, could soon be bought by the Follieri Group. vmiocic@croatianchronicle.com (Visnja Mioèiæ) Tue, 14 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8764/1/BB--Biti-Bolji-8211-Be-Better---Novi-Blog.html Jeste li se ikada zapitali gdje je srce poduzetni¹tva? Odmah vas misli odvedu na interese, novac, nekorektnost, zakone, kalkulacije, rad i znoj...... ili postoji ne¹to vi¹e, dublje....¹to ne poznajemo dovoljno...a zapravo zaboravljamo ono glavno: da je centar svega èovjek: poduzetnik, talentiran, obrazovan, struèan, motiviran, nabijen pozitivnim emocijama.   vladom@xnet.hr (Vladimir Mihajloviæ) Thu, 26 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8762/1/MALA-HRVATSKA-TVRTKA-SA-MOGUAENOAEU-BRZOG-RASTA-TRAI-INVESTITORA.html Mala hrvatska tvrtka, sa moguæno¹æu brzog rasta, tra¾i investitora ili venture capital tvrtku zainteresiranu za ulaganje u Hrvatskoj. Investicija mo¾e biti izvedena na vi¹e naèina, ali na legalan naèin i posve transparentno. Zainteresirane molimo da se jave gospodinu Goranu Nikola¹eviæ, direktoru poduzeæa, putem e-mail adrese: dentamete@vip.hr Investitor mo¾e biti poslovni anðeo, druga tvrtka ili venture management kompanija. dentamete@vip.hr (Goran Nikola¹eviæ) Thu, 26 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8756/1/A-brand-new-product-for-toothcare-toothbrushing-tablets-DENTAMETE.html BRONZE MEDAL FOR "DENTAMETE" ON ZAGREB AUTUMN TRADE FAIR 2006. I would like to introduce a brand new product for toothcare, toothbrushing tablets DENTAMETE. Dentamete are microbiologically and chemically tested and approved by Croatian public health institute. dentamete@vip.hr (Goran Nikola¹eviæ) Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8739/1/Varazdin-Free-Zone.html The baroque city of Varazdin, Croatia, is seen in this September 2005 file photo. The Varazdin Free Zone is today bustling with activity as local and foreign investors rush to expand their production facilities   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 07 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8734/1/Businessmen-from-Western-Australia-visit-Croatia-on-Sept-20th-2006.html    A delegation from the Western Australian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce recently visited Croatia for their second time since first coming in September 2004. A rich programme was prepared especially for them compact with talks and encounters vesna@matis.hr (Vesna Kukavica) Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8695/1/Zaeini-Nadalina-na-njemaekom-tritu.html Tvrtka "Luxor - Zaèini Nadalina" iz Solina i njemaèka tvrtka "Dalmina" iz Pforzheima potpisale su 8. rujna ugovor o poslovnoj suradnji i distribuciji dalmatinskog aromatiènog i zaèinskog bilja iz programa NADALINA ETNO na njemaèko tr¾i¹te.   stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8619/1/Croatia-will-strengthen-its-armed-forces-with-ten-more-Mi-171Sh-helicopters.html The Russian state special exporter of military engineering FSUE Rosoboronexport concluded the contract for delivery for Croatia Ministry of Defence 10 combat-transport Mi-171Sh helicopters of Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant production.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 20 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8605/1/Unemployment-in-Croatia-has-fallen-to-its-lowest-level-in-a-decade.html Unemployment in Croatia has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, according to statistics released Thursday. Unemployment, which peaked at 23.3 percent in the former Yugoslav republic in 2002, dropped to 16 percent, or some 270,000 jobless, according to the state bureau of statistics. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 11 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8522/1/E-High-end-Jana-Water-in-New-York-Post.html Kona Deep - set to compete against high-end Fiji and Jana     Michael Stipe from REM New York Post SALT-WATER DAFFY: IT'S BRINY, BOTTLED AND PRICEY New York Post - New York, N.Y. Author: SUSANNAH CAHALAN Date: Jun 25, 2006 Start Page: 008 "It tastes like a penny," groused paralegal Robert Soloman, 20. Jewelry designer Portia Peters said, "It tastes like a swimming pool. I'd take a bath in it but I wouldn't drink it." Judging from a Post panel of taste testers, DeepSea International's Kona Deep - set to compete against high-end Fiji and Jana - will have to navigate some tricky waters to win over the high- end H2O market. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/nypost/access/1067597781.html?dids=1067597781:1067597781&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+ 25%2C+2006&author=SUSANNAH+CAHALAN&pub=New+York+Post&edition=&startpage=008&desc=SALT-WATER+ DAFFY%3A+IT%27S+BRINY%2C+BOTTLED+AND+PRICEY  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 05 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8523/1/E-Barr-Raises-Pliva-Bid-to-23-Bln-Beating-Actavis.html Barr Raises Pliva Bid to $2.3 Bln, Beating Actavis   (Update2) June 30 (Bloomberg) -- Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. raised its offer for Pliva d.d. to $2.3 billion in cash to trump Actavis Group hf in the largest takeover of an eastern European drugmaker. Pliva investors will get 755 kuna a share, or about $26.15 for each global depositary receipt, Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey- based Barr said in a PRNewswire statement today. Actavis offered 735 kuna a share yesterday, and said it already owns more than 20 percent of Zagreb, Croatia-based Pliva. The acquisition would give Barr, the largest U.S. maker of birth control pills, access to Pliva's European markets, where Barr currently has little presence. Actavis says it will fold much of Pliva's European operations into its own. The winning bidder will become the third-biggest company in the world generic-drug market, which may reach $100 billion by 2010. ``Barr means more independence for Pliva, at least in the European markets,'' said analyst Hrvoje Stojic at Hypo-Alpe-Adria Bank in Zagreb. ``Actavis will want to take more control.'' For that reason, Actavis may have a tough time persuading the Croatian government, which holds about 18 percent of Pliva through pension and privatization funds, to sell, Stojic said. ``I think they will continue to show their resistance,'' he said. ``They're more for Barr.'' Actavis Stake Reykjavik-based Actavis used private purchases and call- option agreements to build up a stake in Pliva after the Croatian company's management endorsed Barr's bid June 27, Actavis Chief Executive Officer Robert Wessman said. U.S. takeover law prohibits Barr from making private purchases of Pliva stock. Actavis spokesman Halldor Kristmannsson said company executives are examining Barr's counterbid and will comment later today. Actavis touched off bidding for Pliva with a 570 kuna-per- share offer in March, later raising the offer to 630 kuna. Pliva's management said the offer was too low, and opened up the bidding to other companies. Pliva spokeswoman Marija Mandic couldn't be reached for comment. Barr is paying about 2 times Pliva's revenue, compared with the 4.2 times that Sanofi-Aventis SA paid in March when it bought 24.9 percent of Czech generic-drug maker Zentiva NV. Pliva was founded in 1921 and now has operations in more than 30 countries. About 1,400 of Pliva's 6,000 employees are involved in sales and marketing, compared with 350 of Barr's 2,000 workers. Barr Markets Barr gets about two-thirds of its sales from generic medicines, including the widely used blood thinner warfarin. The company sells the Plan B ``morning-after'' emergency contraceptive as well as the Seasonale birth-control pill that works by making women menstruate only four times a year. Barr, with 50 generic drugs in development, will also gain the 120 that Pliva has in the works, and the capacity to expand into copies of genetically engineered medicines. The companies began cooperating last year on a copycat version of Amgen Inc.'s Neupogen, a white blood-cell stimulator used to treat cancer patients. Actavis says it's currently working on more than 300 products, and the addition of Pliva's drugs would create ``one of the strongest pipelines in the industry,'' the company said in a statement yesterday. Actavis's Wessman said he wants to create a company that will be able to take on the generic-drug industry leaders, Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Switzerland's Novartis AG. To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Kuli at akuli@bloomberg.net. Last Updated: June 30, 2006 04:49 EDT http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ar44HjPfpkn0&refer= op-ed Is there anybody in Croatia who can answer these questions? 1. Why is Pliva being sold? 2. Where is that money going? 3. When Strategic industries are being sold, what is left of autonomy? Nenad Bach letters@croatianworld.net nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 30 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8521/1/E-Croatia-To-Spend-12-Billion-Euros-To-Modernize-Create-Professional-Army.html Croatia To Spend 1.2 Billion Euros To Modernize, Create Professional Army By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ZAGREB, Croatia Croatia is to spend some 1.2 billion euros ($1.5 billion) over the next ten years to modernize its armed forces with the aim of having fully professional army in line with NATO standards, according to a strategy document published June 29. ”Since there is a small possibility of a classical military threat coupled with the need of participating in a wide specter of military tasks, the ranks of armed forces will be filled on voluntary basis,” the document said. The defense ministry said that by the end of the decade the army should be completely professional and reduced to 18,000 soldiers plus 2,000 civilian staff. By the same time the country would spend two percent of its gross domestic product on the military, up from 1.7 percent in this year, as requested by NATO. The project envisages acquisition of modern weapons, including 73 armored vehicles and 12 fighter planes, and modernization of existing military equipment, it added. The former Yugoslav republic is hoping to join the North Atlantic military alliance by 2008. Croatia is a member of NATO’s Partnership for Peace Programme and in late 2002 it began reorganizing its armed forces, including trimming its army from 40,000 to 25,000 to bring it up to NATO standards. http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=1917390&C=europe nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 29 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8519/1/E-Croatia-Rijeka-Gateway-Project-to-Increase-Intl-Cargo-Traffic.html Croatia: Rijeka Gateway Project to Increase Int'l Cargo Traffic   13:47 - 02 June 2006 - Modernisation, overhaul and restructuring of Rijeka port within Rijeka Gateway project is gradually changing the look of Rijeka port and coastline, as the project aims to transform this port into one of the main ports not only in Croatia, but also in the central and eastern Europe, it was shown during a videoconference on revitalisation of European ports organised by the World Bank and organisation Global Development Learning Network (GDLN), 'CT' reports. Rijeka Gateway project was initiated in July 2003 by Croatian government in cooperation with the World Bank, while this project should be completed by autumn 2009. As it was said, this project also aims to increase competitiveness of Croatian economy by improving international cargo and passenger traffic in Rijeka, to modernise traffic connections between the port and road network and to revitalise and privatise port's business operations. So far, a total of 20 contracts were signed within Rijeka Gateway project worth over USD 60 million, said Rijeka Port official Snjezana Papes. Port works are conducted by companies from Japan, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Canada and Croatia. This project also includes construction of a new maritime passenger terminal, 300 metres of the coastline, etc. The total value of the project Rijeka Gateway amounts to USD 266 million, out of which USD 156,5 million were secured as a loan from the World Bank. Source: Croatia Today. http://www.reporter.gr/fulltext_eng.cfm?id=60602134725 nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8518/1/E-Croatia-baterije-will-Close-Down-Operations-after-100-years.html Croatia: CB Closes Down Operations   14:28 - 02 June 2006 - Croatia baterije (CB) d.d. is one of the leading European producers of pocket flashlights with annual production of about one million pieces, will close down operations as the factory is no longer profitable, said management, 'CT' reports. In Croatia, this Zagreb-based company currently holds a 70% of pocket flashlights market, while 94 percent of production is exported, mainly to European countries. However, after expanding in the past couple of years to non-European markets, such are Egypt and India, and after expanding palette of products to military flashlights, CB management estimated that production in this factory is no longer profitable, which means that the plant would be probably closed by the end of the year. As explained by Croatia baterije Management President Drazen Ivanesic, because of the huge competition from China and overall price decrease in this sphere of production, each production below 2 million flashlights per year is not profitable. As the company closed facility for production of batteries, the company would be closed for good in the year when it was supposed to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Aside from flashlights, CB is also manufacturing car batteries and light bulbs. Croatia baterije was established as a workshop in 1907 in Zagreb by Ivan Paspa, the head of the light department in Vienna Royal Theatre, and later head of Zagreb National Theatre. This workshop became a factory in 1918, and was mainly producing batteries and repairing electric engines. In 1935, CB won a Grand Prix award a the exhibition of electrical equipment in Brussels, and another one at the exhibition in Paris the following year. The most famous brand ever to be produced by this factory was a flat 4.5V battery dubbed "Croatia". But, as the market changed, so did the company Croatia baterije, which later focused on services, reducing production at the same time. According to Ivanesic, production in 2005 made only for 7,5 percent of revenues of Croatia baterije out of the total of Kn 106,5 million revenues. Today, the company operates within the group Orbico, which primarily deals with distribution of food and consumer products. This also means that CB is also generating the bulk of revenues by distributing consumer products in Croatia, mainly in the sphere of batteries, by selling products manufactured by Germany's Varta. CB Management President Ivanesic also said that the company is currently preparing plans for redundancies. Majority owner of CB is Branko Roglic, who holds a 78,12-percent stake, while according to Zagreb Stock Exchange, Croatian Privatisation Fund holds 15,27 percent. Even though the company almost tripled revenues in 2005 compared to 2004, the head of Croatia baterije Drazen Ivanesic explains that this was mainly contributed by expanding distribution to sanitary products and cosmetics manufactured by SC Johnson Wax, and not because of primary activities. Even though Ivanesic did not wish to comment on the future plans regarding production facility to be closed, he confirmed that the company also owns a 57-hectare lot in Ivanic Grad, where a central warehouse spanning over 15.000 square metres would be constructed. Source: Croatia Today. http://www.reporter.gr/fulltext_eng.cfm?id=60602142838 nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8520/1/E-Croatia-will-have-the-first-35GHz-frequency-in-the-European-market.html Croatia will have the first 3.5GHz frequency Samsung to rollout WiMAX in Croatia 25/05/2006 by Parthajit Samsung Electronics will team up with Croatia's fixed operator H1 to introduce WiMAX in the Croatian market. The two companies entered a strategic partnership in February 2006. Samsung will be providing the Croatian market with the equipment and technologies for its upcoming user trial service. The service will begin in Split, Croatia's second largest city, followed by nationwide availability soon thereafter. The WiMAX trial in Croatia will be the first commercialisation of the 3.5GHz frequency in the European market. http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=15597 nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 26 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4314/1/E-Djuro-Djakovic-Interested-in-Power-Plants-Acquisition.html  Croatia: Djuro Djakovic Interested in Power Plants Acquisition 15:59 - 08 May 2006 - The company invested a total of EUR 850.000 in business premises spanning over 1.100 square metres, while the official opening of new business premises was scheduled for the fall 2006, 'CT' reports. With the completion of the construction of the business centre in Oberhausen, Djuro Djakovic Montaza celebrated its 80th anniversary and 50 years of business operations in Germany. The opening of this facility, after the company established its first affiliate in Oberhausen in 1961, also means that Montaza would for the first time have its own premises in this city. "This would significantly improve our operations in Germany, while our assembly technicians would no longer have to travel back to Croatia for necessary training," said Montaza Director Darko Katic. For the past 50 years, during which the company is present in Germany, Montaza has taken part in construction of 80 power production facilities in this country. At the moment, the company employs 325 workers in Germany throughout 15 construction sites, some of them including the largest waste burning facility in Germany located in Stuttgart and two energy production facilities in Hamm - Uentrop. As Germany would be initiating in 2007 a new investment cycle for construction of large power plants, Djuro Djakovic hopes to take part in these projects, as the company hires skilled workers, offering at the same time good quality, price and respecting of necessary deadlines, said Montaza Germany Director Jozo Nikolic. Montaza is currently engaged in projects throughout Germany earning the company a total of EUR 20 million per year, which is almost half of all earnings generated by the company. http://www.reporter.gr/fulltext_eng.cfm?id=60508155900#Scene_1   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 07 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4316/1/E-Actavis-Makes-16-Billion-Bid-to-Buy-Croatias-Pliva.html  Actavis Makes $1.6 Billion Bid to Buy Croatia's Pliva March 17 (Bloomberg) -- Actavis Group Fh, an Icelandic generic-drug company, said it offered to buy Croatian rival Pliva d.d. for about $1.6 billion to form the world's third- largest maker of copycat treatments. The 570 kuna-a-share offer is about 35 percent more than the average Pliva stock price in the last three months, Reykjavik- based Actavis said today in a statement on its Web site. Drugmakers are buying rivals as demand for copycat medicines rise. Israel's Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. acquired Miami-based generic maker Ivax Corp. in January for $7.6 billion, while Switzerland's Novartis AG grabbed a leading position in the generics market when it purchased Hexal AG and Eon Labs Inc. in 2005. ``Geographically, it makes a lot of sense for Actavis and Pliva to hook up,'' said Frances Cloud, an analyst at Nomura Code Securities in London. ``By and large, Pliva is fairly strong where Actavis is fairly weak.'' Pliva's global depositary receipts soared 12 percent, or $1.99, to a six-year high of $18.50 at 1:22 p.m. in London. Actavis rose 1.3 kronur, or 2.2 percent, to 60.5 kronur. Marija Mandic, a spokeswoman for Zagreb-based Pliva, said she hadn't heard about Actavis' statement and didn't offer any immediate comment. Actavis spokesman Halldor Kristmannsson didn't immediately return calls for comment. ``Croatia would become the hub for Central and Eastern Europe and a key centre for future R&D and manufacturing, providing significant support for all of our other international markets,'' Chief Executive Officer Robert Wessman said in the statement. ``There would also be an important role for the Pliva brand, which has a fantastic heritage in established markets.'' Generic drugs work the same way as branded medicines. Because their makers spend less on research and marketing, the copycats often sell for less than half the price of brand-name equivalents. To contact the reporter on this story:Alex Kuli in Budapest at celser@bloomberg.net.Last Updated: March 17, 2006 08:39 EST   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4315/1/E-Zagreb-Fair-an-essential-European-marketplace-since-1909.html  Zagreb Fair: an essential European marketplaceEstablished in 1909, the Zagreb Fair was one of the first fairs in Central Europe. Today the event is celebrating its 95th anniversary, said Zagreb Fair representative Mirjana Leskovic, during a speech she gave at the Mercure Korona Hotel in late February. Leskovic told her audience about the fair’s history as well as its activities. In 1990, the City of Zagreb became a member of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), the most important world business family with approximately 300 members from more than 80 countries. Zagreb Fair organizes around 30 events annually, 16 of which carry the UFI (Union of International Events) symbol. It hosts over 7,000 exhibitions from 70 countries and regularly attracts over 700,000 visitors annually. This year’s activities started in January with PRIME, an international marketing event. February hosted “Fashion and Beauty Days” as well as the “Zagreb Sports and Boat Show.” Exhibitions such as “Etnogastronomy and Tourism as well as the “Zagreb Auto Show” are organized in March, while the “Construction and Equipping” exhibition will take place in April. The most significant multi-industry trade fair in Central Europe, Zagreb International Fall Fair, organized in September, is an exhibition focused on central economic happenings in Central and southeastern Europe. Among the exhibitors, Hungary had the strongest participation in this fair, Leskovic said.As the cultural, political, scientific and business center of Croatia, Zagreb lures its visitors with the beauty of its architecture and its nature, as well as a large number of events organized throughout the year. Pointing out Zagreb’s long tradition of bringing people together to exchange information and products, Mario Zmajevic, president of the Croatian National Tourist Board, was also on hand and discussed a large array of cultural and social happenings in the Croatian capital. Anita Brkanichttp://www.businesshungary.com/marcius/events02.html  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4317/1/E-Seaport-Of-Rijeka-To-Become-Adriatic-Gateway-To-Europe.html  Seaport Of Rijeka To Become Adriatic Gateway To Europewww.chorvatsko.cz The reconstruction of Croatia’s largest seaport of Rijeka, which should be completed in 2009, will help this Adriatic port to look more like Barcelona or Baltimore, the World Bank said in a press release on its website Friday. The project was launched in 2003 by the Croatian government in cooperation with this international financial institution, reports HINA (Croatia, 03/05). The project, known as the Rijeka Gateway project, "will change the face of the city and help increase the competitiveness of the Croatian economy by improving the international traffic sector in Rijeka for cargo and passenger transport, modernizing the connections between the harbor and road networks and revitalizing the harbor business activities through better road and bridge maintenance," the World Bank said. "Its new facilities will accommodate cruisers of up to 500 passengers and other passenger ships. The central part of the Rijeka basin will be opened up for commercial use, while local citizens and visitors will be able to access the coastal area, creating an attractive Mediterranean port city," reads the press release. The project is worth $266 million, and the World Bank has ensured $156.5 million through loans for this purpose. The project is expected to "create a dominant traffic route in Croatia, connecting seaways with European road and railway corridors. Already, because of established road transport through the corridor V, the port of Rijeka generates around 40 percent of its cargo traffic with Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Traffic growth should make Rijeka one of the main ports in the Central and Eastern Europe." // World Bankhttp://economie.moldova.org/stiri/eng/10312/  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 08 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4318/1/E-Sealine-T50-is-the-winner-of-the-Croatian-Boat-of-the-Year-2006.html   Sealine T50 is the winner of the "Croatian Boat of the Year 2006" Monday, 27 February 2006 Awards news:   World and Croatian shipbuilders have again this year elected the Croatian boat of the Year. Thanks to the original idea of Naucat, the voters are exclusively shipbuilders, whose boats are at present on the Croatian market. The profession itself decides which boat should be pronounced the best. This year, the competition will get the attention of the world public, because the results will appear on all the best known nautical web sites and in numerous European nautical magazines. In the election overall 63 boats were involved, divided in 3 categories and 10 groups, with a voting panel of 40 shipbuilders from the whole world, making a wide and expert voting body.The announcement of the winners took place in Zagreb Fair at the 15th edition of "Sport and Nautic" show. The winner of the competition "Croatian Boat of the year 2006", as well as winners in the categories of sailing boats and Croatian-manufactured boats, were awarded Naucat's boating cat statuette, while winners of the particular groups were awarded plaques. Zeljko Baotic received the statue on behalf of Baotic Yachting and Andreas Nehlis on behalf of Sealine International, Japec Jakopin on behalf of Seaway and general manager of Elan Pbo from Obrovac, Croatia.Nautical catalogue Naucat has been present on the Internet for six years now, during which period it has evolved to one of the biggest world on-line catalogues of new pleasure boats. Since the very beginning, Naucat has been bilingual (Croatian/English), so is visited not only by a regional audience, but also one from all around the world, and is a source of information for boating journalists. In the next few months Naucat will be fully redesigned and will present news to the Boat market of used boats in 10 languages (as the specific trilogy which will fill out complete Naucats offer beside current nautical news and catalog of new boats, and Yellow pages as the nautical address book of Adriatic east coast, from Slovenia to Montenegro). Naucat is also a member of TINC, the International Nautical Connection.Winners: Category I Motor Boats: MB Cruiser/Open 29 ft: Linssen Grand Sturdy 299 MB Cruiser/Open 30-35 ft: Menorquin 90 MB Cruiser/Open 36-41 ft: Portofino 37 HT MB Cruiser/Open 42 ft :Mochi Craft Dolphin 44' MB Sport/Fish 31 ft: Jeanneau M. Fisher 655 Marlin MB Fly 52 ft: Sealine T50 Motor Yachts: Riva 68 Ego Category II sailing boats: Sailing boats 36 ft: Hunter 31 Sailing boats 37 - 45 ft: AD Boats Salona 37 Sailing boats 45 ft: Shipman 63 Overall winner in the Category III Croatian manufacurers: Elan Power 42 Overall winner in the Category II Sailing boats: Shipman 63 General winner: Croatian Boat of the Year 2006 Sealine T50 Last Updated ( Monday, 27 February 2006 ) http://www.bymnews.com/new/content/view/25419/56/ nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 03 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4319/1/E-GlaxoSmithKline-buys-the-research-institute-of-Croatian-drug-maker-Pliva.html Glaxo in $50m Croatian drug deal GlaxoSmithKline has bought the research institute of Croatian drug maker Pliva in a deal worth up to $50m (£28.7m).Zagreb-based Pliva, eastern Europe's largest drug maker by sales, will get an upfront sum of $35m with possible further payments of up to $15m.In addition, Pliva will receive royalties on certain assets should they reach the market.Glaxo, Europe's biggest drug maker, is to take control of Pliva's intellectual property assets and employ its staff.The deal is expected to be completed in April, subject to regulatory approval.Pliva opened its newly built state-of-the-art research and development institute in 2002 and focuses on the generic drugs business. It has a target to launch between 60 and 80 new generic products this year.BBC News February 14, 2006 Tuesday , 14 February 2006 http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=25918   Formatted for CROWN by Ivo Bach  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 26 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4324/1/E-Conference-on-Cultural-Heritage-as-a-Generator-of-Economic-Development.html  Conference on Cultural Heritage as a Generator of Economic Development   click on the photo for pdf file.VILLAS_Cro-conference.pdf   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 13 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4321/1/H-Lider---novi-poslovni-tjednik.html  www.liderpress.hr  Lider press je izdavačka kuća sa sjedistem u Zagrebu. Osnovana je je kao dioničko drustvo početkom svibnja 2005. s prvenstvenim ciljem izdavanje novog poslovnog tjednika. Tjednik kojega smo nazvali LIDER počinje izlaziti u petak 7. listopada (u Zagrebu je na kioscima već u četvrtkak 6. listopada), a 3. listopada pokrenuli smo i ovu web stranicu. Cilj nam je stvoriti medije koji će prije svega biti korisni poslovnoj zajednici u Hrvatskoj. Osim toga, želimo biti "odvjetnici" poduzetnika i menedžera prema državnim institucijama. Želimo biti branitelji ekonomske logike pred političkim populizmom. Zagovornici smo globalizacije i ulaska Hrvatske u Europsku uniju, ali ćemo okupiti sve relevantne stručnjaka da pokusamo odgovoriti kako u postojećim okolnostima voditi ekonomsku i poslovnu politiku koja će maksimirati koristi po domaću ekonomiju. Ne želimo svoju publiku zatrpavati velikim količinama informacija. Njima su bombardirani i previse. Postavili smo sebi cilj da za njih probiremo informacije, odabiremo najvažnije i stavljamo ih u kontekst globalizacijskih zbivanja. Trudit ćemo se za nase čitatelje otkrivati skrivena značenja pojedinih poslovnih događaja u kojima leži moć.To je prva faza života izdavačke kuće Lider press koja će se spacijalizirati upravo za "proizvodnju" poslovnih informacija i analiza. Plan nam je vrlo brzo krenuti u izdavanje poslovnih knjiga, CD-a, organiziranje okruglih stolova, savjetovanja i seminara. Većinski vlasnici dioničkog drustva Lider press su sami zaposlenici. Uz njih, dioničari drustva su i dvije tvrtke iz sustava koncerna Agram: Euroagram iz Zagreba i Eurodom iz Osijeka. U narednih godinu dana želimo stvoriti dioničku strukturu u kojoj će siri krug urednika, novinara i ostalih zaposlenika zadržati 55 posto vlasnistva, 20 posto zadržale bi tvrtke koje su trenutno suvlasnici, a 25 posto dionica namijenjeno je partneru iz novinske djelatnosti koji će nam omogućiti brži razvoj i lakse dosizanje ciljeva. KontaktiLIDER PRESS d.d.Savska cesta 4110144 ZagrebTelefon: +385 1 6333 500Fax: +385 1 6333 599Vladimira Pavlović â€" poslovna tajnica tel: +385 1 6333 505fax: +385 1 6333 599e-mail: vladimira.pavlovic@liderpress.hrŽeljko Vukelić â€" direktortel:+385 1 6333 500E â€" mail: zeljko.vukelic@liderpress.hrMiodrag Sajatović â€" glavni uredniktel:+385 1 6333 500E â€" mail: miodrag.sajatovic@liderpress.hrManuela Tasler â€" zamjenik glavnog urednikaTelefon: +385 1 6333 503E â€" mail: manuela.tasler@liderpress.hrDusanka Figenwald â€" urednicaTelefon: +385 1 6333 514E â€" mail: dusanka.figenwald@liderpress.hrZvonko Pavić â€" urednik web izdanjaTelefon: +385 1 6333 521E-mail: zvonko.pavic@liderpress.hrTanja Pavičić â€" urednica prilogaTelefon: +385 1 6333 515Mobitel: +385 91 4604 549E â€" mail: tanja.pavicic@liderpress.hr http://www.liderpress.hr/Default.aspx?sid=902   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 11 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4322/1/E-Croatia-A-New-Deal-for-Transport-Infrastructure.html  Croatia: A 'New Deal' for Transport Infrastructure  February 03, 2006 23 10 GMTSummaryCroatia will begin an infrastructure-improvement project by the end of 2006 that is ambitious enough to be dubbed the "New Deal" by Transport Minister Bozidar Kalmeta. Consisting of an expansion of railways and waterways, the project will position Croatia as the fastest inland route from Asia to Central Europe. The economically favorable project will solve many transportation problems facing the entire region, such as congested transport in the Bosporus and unstable transport through Serbia. And as Croatia begins its accession talks with the European Union, these projects will further solidify its bid. AnalysisCroatia will begin an ambitious construction project of rail, road and waterways that will make the country the fastest inland route from Asia to Central Europe -- a plan baptized the "New Deal" by Croatian Transport Minister Bozidar Kalmeta. The projects include a large rail line from Rijeka, Croatia, to Barcs, Hungary; an expansion of the Croatian ports of Rijeka and Vukovar on the Adriatic Sea; and a channel connecting the Danube and Sava rivers. The economically favorable projects will solve many transportation problems for the entire region, such as congested transport in the Bosporus and the unstable state of transport through Serbia. As Croatia begins its accession talks with the European Union, these projects further solidify its bid. Croatia is one of the few countries from the former Yugoslav bloc with a functioning economy and no outstanding political issues, making its bid to join the EU as early as 2008 a shoo-in. In addition to furthering Croatia's economic development, these projects will reduce government spending on road projects, increase gross domestic product (GDP) and create many new jobs throughout the nation -- especially in the high-unemployment region of Slavonia, where the channel is to be built. They will also fit in with a shift in EU transportation policies over the past few years from road transport to rail and river due to cost and ecological issues.The first project is a $740 million channel connecting the Danube and Sava rivers, set for completion in 2013. The channel will begin in the Danube port of Vukovar, cut across Slavonia and connect to the Sava port of Slavonski Brod -- reducing the distance goods must travel between the ports by 259 miles. At present, the Danube and Sava transport only a small percentage of their capacity. Thirty-two million tons a year transit the Danube, though it has a capacity to transport 92 million tons. The Sava river transports under a million tons a year, though it has the capacity to transport 15 million tons. And the channel will have a 12 million ton capacity. The difference in transport capacity between the Danube and Sava rivers will be dealt with by using the port of Vukovar to load containers on smaller ships for transit on the Sava and larger ships for transit on the Danube. Vukovar, which serves both Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, is already a highly important port. And once the channel is complete -- along with the connecting rail projects -- Vukovar will be even more important as a key port connecting the North, Black and Adriatic seas. Currently, 850,000 tons per year transit Vukovar. After the planned expansion, however, this will grow to 2.5 million tons by 2015 and 6.5 million tons by 2025. The second segment of Croatia's construction project is a $1.3 billion rail line beginning at the port of Rijeka, crossing the Sava in Zagreb and ending in Barcs. A rail line built in 1873 follows a portion of this route; 5 million tons of goods per year transit this route. The proposed line follows a more direct route that will cut the travel time in half, and will have the capacity to transport 25 million tons a year. The port of Rijeka will begin transporting more than 30 million tons of goods a year, making it one of the most important ports in Central and Eastern Europe -- more than the ports in Trieste, Italy, or Kopar, Slovenia. Upon the completion of both projects, Rijeka and Vukovar will create a corridor able to cut transportation time from the Black Sea to Europe by a week. Moreover, the new route will solve the European Union's transportation problems through the Bosporus and Serbia. The Bosporus, which links the Black Sea with the Mediterranean, is one of the most-used and most-congested cargo routes from Asia to Europe, resulting in constant delays.Serbia has also constituted a transport obstruction since the 1999 NATO bombings wiped out most of the infrastructure along its highly used section of the Danube. This included the bombing by NATO of several bridges, which blocked commercial traffic. Debris from the bombings remains, still hindering transport; the bombing also affected sections of the riverbed. Serbia is currently preoccupied with its own political instability as it faces independence referendums from two of its territories, Montenegro and Kosovo. Europe can reopen its transportation routes from the region -- and more securely -- with Serbia's neighbor, Croatia. For its part, Croatia faces the predicament of financing its large projects, projects due to begin by the end of the year. The planned budget is not entirely out of Croatia's pocket, since the projects will lead to reduced spending on road-building, greatly increased GDP and lower unemployment. And the EU will more than likely step in to aid the investments, if not fully subsidize them, especially since Croatia is expected to join the European Union eventually and the projects reduce EU dependence on outside factors, such as Turkey and Serbia.http://www.stratfor.com/products/premium/read_article.php?id=261789  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 09 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4323/1/E-UK--Croatia---Cubus-Lux-acquires-Plava-Vala.html  UK & Croatia  Cubus Lux acquires Plava Vala and rights to build and operate marina on Uglijan Tuesday, 07 February 2006 Marian MartinAIM listed casino operator Cubus Lux PLC, which currently operates three casinos in Croatia, has acquired Plava Vala, the company that owns the license to build and operate a marina on the island of Uglijan in Croatia. Cubus Chairman, Gerhard Huber, said: “This acquisition is part of our goal of becoming the pre-eminent tourist and leisure business in Croatia. We have identified further leisure opportunities and have already started work on a proposal to establish one of the first golf resorts in the country.â€? In 2004, Plava Vala (Blue Bay) d.o.o. signed a contract of concession to build a 203 berth marina, at Sutomiscica, on Ugljan, in the natural bay in the centre of the town. At the time, it was expected that the marina would be ready to receive the first yachts by the end of 2005 and would be completed by Easter 2006. http://www.bymnews.com/new/content/view/24620/56/   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 07 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4320/1/E-Jana-in-1500-Target-stores---Success-in-America.html  Jana's Great success in AmericaJana Water - Skinny Water in 1500 Target Stores.  If you go to Target, check if there is enough of Jana. Support our Croatian export.  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 07 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4325/1/E-Cuba-Croatia-Explore-Trade-Areas.html  Cuba, Croatia Explore Trade AreasHavana, Feb 1 (Prensa Latina) Cuba and Croatia will run from Feb 1-3 the 3rd Joint Commission for economic and commercial exchange.The meeting is led by Ricardo Guerrero, Cuban vice minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, and Vladimir Vrankovic, minister for Economy, Labor and Business of Croatia.Vrankovic expects an ample exchange with the ministries of Foreign Trade, Transportation, Basic Industry and Computer and Communications. He also mentioned as areas of interest the nickel industry, genetic engineering, medicine, foreign relations and transportation. Vice Minister Guerrrero said bilateral exchange with Croatia gained momentum in 2004 despite political adversities like the US over 40-year blockade and the effects of three hurricanes. The MINVEC release says Cuba's Institute of Civilian Aeronautics will sign a cooperation accord with Croatia's Ministry for Maritime, Tourism, Transportation and Development.The visiting delegation will also tour places of social and economic interests.http://www.plenglish.com/Article.asp?ID=%7B3BA7B517-1BC3-4CD6-BAD5-F32F984AE5AF%7D&language=EN  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 05 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4327/1/E-Croatia-EU-Grants-Euro-51-mn-for-Infrastructure-Projects-.html  Croatia: EU Grants €51 mn for Infrastructure Projects 17:11 - 31 January 2006 - The Croat government announced that it had received its first funds as an official candidate country for European Union (EU) membership as the country expects to receive a total of €245 million from the EU by the end of 2006 for such projects. As part of the accession package, candidate countries are eligible for funding to prepare them for joining, including funds earmarked for infrastructure improvements and structural reforms. Of the initial package of €51 million, €29 million will be used for a much larger project to rebuild a railway line linking the eastern city of Vinkovci with the Serbian border. (?)Another project to be funded by the EU is the development of a water supply project in the central town of Karlovac. The EU's first progress report on Croatia was positive, stating that the country is seen to be taking the necessary steps to prepare for accession. The majority of infrastructure funds are initially intended to go towards war reconstruction. Depending on the efficiency with which Croatia succeeds in implementing structural reforms and improving its infrastructure, the country is expected to join the bloc by 2009. http://www.reporter.gr/fulltext_eng.cfm?id=60131171150   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 31 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4326/1/E-Croatia-the-New-Europe-and-a-second-chance-for-Canada.html  Croatia, the New Europe and a second chance for Canada By Ottawa Business Journal StaffMon, Jan 30, 2006 12:00 AM ESTIn 1989, the Berlin Wall came down and the countries of the Soviet bloc embarked on a process of rapid transformation. Today, they represent, after China, the second most dynamic investment destination in the world. Canada largely missed out on that opportunity, preferring to focus on the United States. Now, countries like Croatia are going through the same rapid economic transition, offering Canada a second chance. Milan Bandic, the mayor of Croatia's capital, Zagreb, will make an official visit to Canada on Feb. 4 to 9. His itinerary will include Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, where most of Canada's 100,000 Croatians live. He is expected to meet with municipal and provincial government officials, chambers of commerce, corporations such as Bombardier and Lavalin, as well as business groups such as the Croatian-Canadian Business Association. While seeking to strengthen ties with cities that have large Croatian populations, Mr. Bandic is also interested in how Canada's municipalities have managed infrastructure, airports and waste. The mayor will talk about Zagreb's economic development strategy, investment in the city, restructuring and privatization, financial programs to support crafts, trades, and SMEs as well as significant initiatives for which partnerships are being sought. Zagreb should be of interest to Canadian business since it is located only hours from major capitals like Vienna and Budapest. Promoting opportunities and Croatia's modern image are also the main goals for Her Excellency Vesela Mrden Korac, the new Croatian Ambassador accredited to Canada in November. Her priorities are to let Canadians know that Croatia is open for business, has a welcoming investment climate, and offers opportunities in areas such as tourism, transportation, telecommunications, construction and energy. The ambassador would also like to increase cultural cooperation and exchanges. While the countries of Western Europe represent developed markets, to the east is a New Europe of economies undergoing rapid transition. These markets should interest Canada, which is trying to overcome dependence on a single trading partner. Situated strategically at the intersection of the two Europes, Croatia offers opportunities for collaboration and partnership as it pursues economic development and strives to meet international standards. Nowhere is Croatia's startling transformation more evident than in the massive waves of tourists that flock to the Adriatic coastline every year. When Canadians want to vacation they go to Western Europe; when Western Europeans vacation they go to Croatia. The majority of Croatia's tourists come from Germany, Italy, Austria and Slovenia. In 2004, Croatia was the single largest destination for French tourists. In 2005, the Lonely Planet tourist guide declared Croatia to be one of the most desirable tourist destinations in the world. This judgment was reflected in visits by American tourists – nearly 128,000 of them. This represented an increase of 39 per cent from 2004. An even larger number would visit if there were direct airline connections between the two countries, something the Croatian government is exploring. All signs suggest that tourism will continue to grow in 2006. Citing the attractions of the Kornati archipelago, National Geographic Adventure recently called Croatia one of the world's most desirable destinations. Croatia also appeals to a special type of tourist. The Ethic Tourist, a non-profit group from Berkley California, has pronounced it to be one of 13 countries that deserve to be visited not just because of natural beauty but also because of a special relationship with the environment and social development. Beyond tourism, Croatia is positioning itself to become a full participant in the international economy. It became a member of the Council of Europe (1996), NATO's Partnership for Peace (2000) the World Trade Organization (2000), the Central European Free Trade Area (2003) and is gradually concluding free-trade agreements with countries involved in the Stabilization and Association Process. Croatia is expecting an invitation for membership to NATO, having fulfilled all political, defense and military criteria. The country is also in negotiations to join the European Union and expects to become a member before European Parliamentary elections in 2009. While it is recognized that legislative alignment with the EU institutional framework is a long and complex process, Croatian authorities do not regard membership as an end in itself but rather as a means to reach out to other international markets, including Canada. Like other countries in southeastern Europe, Croatia is looking for foreign direct investment. It is a member of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency and it has accorded foreign investors the same rights, obligations and legal status as domestic investors. Special tax exemptions are even offered, depending on the nature of the investment. Croatia offers investors a tradition of quality, an educated work force, modern communication systems and high standards of transport infrastructure. Opportunities are abundant, even in service areas such as the management of health care, reform of the judiciary, or the development of a new vocational education and training policy to harmonize with Europe. Though it has a small domestic market, it is well situated to act as a springboard into the European Union. In addition, Croatia enjoys established business relationships throughout southern and eastern Europe. Canadians partnering with Croatian businesses can reap the benefit of those links through the Croatian ports of Rjeka and Split, which offer easy access. In 2004, Croatia's overall trade totalled $28 billion. But bilateral trade between Canada and Croatia amounted to only about $45 million, or 1.6 per cent of the total. Unless it moves quickly, Canadian business will miss out on yet another tremendous opportunity to enter a dynamic region. By Vesna Knezevic Special to the Ottawa Business Journal Vesna Knezevic is a federal policy analyst with a Masters in International Affairs. http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/357724466340615.php   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 30 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4328/1/E-Bringing-down-barriers-in-Croatia-through-online-partner-match.html  BRINGING DOWN BARRIERS IN CROATIA THROUGH ONLINE PARTNER MATCH - The Internet Institute in Croatia, which manages the Croatia Country Gateway, has joined a Europe-wide program called IDEAL-IST which provides an online service to findand match partners for EU-funded projects related to Internet Society Technologies (IST). The Croatia program is part of IDEALIST-Extend, which focuses on south-eastern Europe. In addition to wide and intensive dissemination of partner match information, the program supports and trains those with potential proposals, identifies experts for call evaluations and brings potential partners together for networking events and workshops. Learn about IDEALIST-Extend Croatia: http://www.idealist-extend.hr Source: Development Gateway Newsletter http://www.southeasteurope.org/subpage.php?sub_site=2&id=16195&head=hl   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 28 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4329/1/E-Buy-Croatian-not-bought-by-EU.html  European Commission officials told negotiators from the EU candidate country in Brussels yesterday that the 'Buy Croatian' campaign discriminated against products from other countries, particularly as it was financed from state funds.Croatia alters home-made goods drive for European Union ZAGREB: Croatia modified a widespread advertising campaign promoting home-made goods today after the European Union said it was against its rules, giving Zagreb a taste of what compliance with the bloc is all about.European Commission officials told negotiators from the EU candidate country in Brussels yesterday that the ''Buy Croatian'' campaign discriminated against products from other countries, particularly as it was financed from state funds.Officials from Zagreb and Brussels were reviewing the chapter on free movement of goods, one of the 35 chapters Croatia has to complete to achieve compliance with EU legislation before joining the wealthy bloc.Less than twenty-four hours later, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce said in a statement the campaign had been renamed to ''Produce and Buy Quality Products''.''We have launched a second part of the campaign, to make consumers realise that only quality products are competitive. This part of the campaign will not be disputable for the EU,'' the Chamber's head Nadan Vidosevic said in the statement.Vidosevic said earlier he was aware of acting contrary to EU norms. ''We know that, but before joining the EU we need to raise our consumers' awareness of the need to protect our products,'' he told the Jutarnji List daily today.Croatia, which gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, started EU membership talks in October. It hopes to complete them in time to join in 2009, although observers believe 2010 or 2011 is more realistic. http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=88671 Op-edEuropean countries had 200 years of developing 'buy German, Italian..etc' slogans and products. We didn't. So, what is the real problem? Are they afraid of word Croatian or is it buyout concept?NB  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4330/1/E-Italys-UniCredit-selling-Croatian-bank-HVB-Splitska.html  Croatia: Prospective Buyers Start Due Diligence Process on HVB Splitska Italians selling Croatian bank HVB Splitska14:26 - 18 January 2006 - Prospective buyers plan to start due diligence in Croatia's fifth largest bank HVB Splitska Banka next month. Italy's UniCredit, the owner of Splitska, contemplates of selling the bank in order to comply with the requirements imposed by the Croatian central bank thus avoiding a dominant position on the Croatian market. UniCredit, which owns Croatia's largest bank Zagrebacka as well, became Splitska's owner after a takeover of Germany's HVB. Unicredit is in the process of gathering names of potential buyers. Some potential bidders could be Belgian banking group KBC, French Societe Generale, Polish PKO Bank, National Bank of Greece, Hungary's MKB and Austrian BAWAG. http://www.reporter.gr/fulltext_eng.cfm?id=60118142633  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4331/1/E-Holcim-Croatia-to-Invest-in-Facilities-Modernisation.html  Croatia: Holcim to Invest â,¬5mln in Facilities Modernisation 15:46 - 25 January 2006 - Holcim Croatia, a fully-owned subsidiary of Swiss cement maker Holcim Group, intends to invest 37 mln Croatian kuna (5 mln euro) in modernisation of production and environment protection in 2006. Holcim Croatia is carrying out a 5.0 mln kuna (679,000 euro) revamp at its Koromacno factory. In 2005, the company completed two large-scale projects, including a 130 mln kuna (17.7 mln euro) new cement mill in Koromacno and a greenfield investment of 13 mln kuna (1.8 mln euro) at the concrete factory in Kukuljanovo, near Croatia's northern Adriatic port of Rijeka. Holcim Croatia has an annual production capacity of 750,000 tons of cement and over 150,000 cu m of concrete blocs. http://www.reporter.gr/fulltext_eng.cfm?id=60125154625  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 24 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4332/1/E-Croatia-builds-first-certified-WiMAX-network.html  Croatia builds first certified WiMAX networkTelecoms.com News20 January 2006James Middleton, james.middleton@informa.comU.S. vendor Redline Communications today announced that its WiMAX offering has been selected by Croatian systems integrator MICRO-LINK to establish what it claims to be the first certified WiMAX broadband network in Europe. HT, a Croatian service provider owned by Deutsche Telekom, has initiated deployment of Redline's RedMAX products in the Cakovec area in the northern part of Croatia. The system will be a part of a larger broadband wireless access network enabling HT to broaden its services and offer wireless broadband data, voice and video services for residential and business users nationwide.Just yesterday the WiMAX Forum today announced the first fixed wireless broadband network products to be WiMAX Forum Certified, including Redline Communications' offering. http://www.telecoms.com/marlin/30000000461/ARTICLEVIEW/mp_articleid/20017330818/mp_pubcode/MTEL?welcome=true&proceed=true&MarEntityId=1137712222133&entHash=10271d166c7&UType=true  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 20 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4333/1/E-Croatia-to-invest-in-Kish-Free-Zone.html  Croatia to invest in Kish Free Zone TEHRAN, Jan. 15 (MNA) -– Croatia’s Ambassador to Iran, Marjan Kombol, expressed her country’s interest to invest in Kish Free Zone (KFZ). The statement was announced in a meeting with Majid Shayesteh, the executive director of KFZ organization, on the sideline of the 4th International Free Zones Exhibition held in Kish Island, the Persian service of ISNA reported on Sunday. “Possessing required infrastructures, attracting foreign investment is one of the major goals of Kish,” he stated, adding that pleasant climate of the island is also a potential magnet for turning the zone into a tourist hub as well as offering suitable camps for various Croatian sports clubs.The Republic of Croatia, home to 4.8 million and an area of 57,000 square kilometer, has 15 free trade zones and is among the top four in shipbuilding industry in the world. The country attracts over 10 million tourists annually earning $7b in foreign revenues.http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=278384   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4335/1/E-Croatian-Businessman-Sells-2048-Stake-in-Slatinska-Banka.html  Croatian Businessman Sells 20.48% Stake in Slatinska Banka  Slatinska ranked 21st among the 37 banks operating in Croatia in 2005. 15:27 - 11 January 2006 - Croatian businessman Ante Simara sold 20.48% of the equity capital of the country's Slatinska Banka, announced the Varazdin Stock Exchange (VSE). The president of the bank's supervisory board Ante Simara sold 2,951 ordinary shares of the issuer Slatinska Banka through transactions on the Varazdin bourse. Slatinska's ordinary shares traded in relatively high turnovers on the VSE, in the last few days without any important price changes. The bank's ordinary share closed at 970 kuna (131.2 euro) on Tuesday, down 1.55% on a turnover of 710,900 kuna on the VSE. Furthermore, three companies owned by Simara - Lustrin, Centar Prom and Sloper - had sold a combined of 28,428 shares in Slatinska Banka. The 20.48% stake of the bank's equity capital sold in the separate transactions on the VSE equals to 27.36% of the voting rights.  Slatinska ranked 21st among the 37 banks operating in Croatia in 2005. (1 euro=7.3950 Croatian kuna) http://www.reporter.gr/fulltext_eng.cfm?id=60111152752   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 11 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4334/1/E-Wizz-Air---First-low-cost-route-to-Croatia.html  Wizz Air First low-cost route to Croatia Polish low-cost airline Wizz Air has launched the first no-frills flights between the UK and Croatia.The four times a week service will begin on March 27 and link-up Luton Airport with Zagreb, the Croatian capital. A promotional fare until the end of January will see tickets start from £26.46, including taxes and charges, after this time one-way tickets will start at £32.46. At the launch of the new route in Zagreb head of Wizz Air József Váradi said he had high hopes for the new link to Croatia. 'We are determined to further expand and develop our Croatian network for the benefit of more Croatian people and those who wish to visit this beautiful country,' he said. 'We plan to carry well over 100,000 passengers from and to Croatia in 2006.'Zagreb is centred on the Trg Jelacica square with cobblestone streets and pedestrianised areas making it an easy place to walk around and visit the many cafes, bars and restaurants.© Cheapflights Ltd Craig McGintyJanuary 11, 2006 Wizz Air | Permalink | Comments (0) | Print this article http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/2006/01/first_lowcost_r.html  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 11 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4336/1/E-Gavrilovic-Makes-Comeback-to-US-Market.html   Leading Croatian Meat-Processing CompanyMakes Comeback to U.S. Market ZAGREB, Croatia, Jan. 5, 2006 â€" Croatia’s leading meat processingcompany 'Gavrilović' exported 35 tones of itsbrand products to the Unites States. in the last two months.Gavrilović delivered its most famous brand productsincluding the liver pate and canned luncheon meat to theChicago-based AB Company. Gavrilović reported that thereturn of its product on the U.S. market after a 15 year-longbreak was ensured after the U.S. authorities issued allnecessary licenses to the Croatian company for the export ofits food products to the U.S.To see Gavrilović's official web site, please visit: http://www.gavrilovic.hr/flash/index.htm   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 08 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4337/1/E-Croatian-Koncar-Co-Posts-11-mo-Revenues-Up-by-94.html  Croatia:Croatian Koncar Co. Posts 11-mo Revenues Up by 9.4% 16:42 - 20 December 2005 - Croatian electrical equipment and engineering company Koncar posted 11-mo consolidated sales up by 9.4% y/y to 1.586 billion kuna (214.5 million euro). Its domestic sales for the 11-mo period rose by 11% to 968.5 million kuna, while exports increased by 7% to 617.2 million kuna. Koncar's divisions, which provide goods and services to the energy and transport sectors, contributing 74% to the company's sales. Koncar said its main domestic client was the state-owned electricity monopoly Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP), which had 44% of domestic sales. Most of Koncar exports in the January-November period were directed to Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Slovenia. Koncar includes parent company Koncar - Elektroindustrija, 23 subsidiaries and four affiliated companies. http://www.reporter.gr/fulltext_eng.cfm?id=51220164249   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4340/1/E-Flat-Tax---The-Case-for-Tax-Reform-in-Croatia.html  Flat Tax - The Case for Tax Reform in CroatiaDear friends and partners of the Adriatic Institute for Public Policy,A new book titled, "Flat Tax - The Case for Tax Reform in Croatia"co-authored by Natasha Srdoc, MBA and Joel Anand Samy will be released by Zagreb based publisher IBS on November 9, 2005, and followed by a book tour covering key cities in Croatia. The custom designed book for Croatia includes a "Flat Tax Simulation" based on the Adriatic Institute's proposed 15% flat tax. The easy-to-read and user-friendly guide on the flat tax is intended for Croatia's taxpayers, business, media and political leaders.The book's preface was written by Dr. Alvin Rabushka, senior fellow, Hoover Institution and Dr. Daniel Mitchell, senior fellow, Heritage Foundation. Ivan Miklos, Slovakia's deputy prime minister and finance minister made a tremendous contribution by providing a detailed report on Slovakia's tax reform, a review of the flat tax adoption (2004) and accurate and dependable results. Leaders contributing to the book project included John Willman, Chief Leader Writer and Assistant Editor of the Financial Times (UK), Peter Jungen, Venture Capitalist and President of the European Enterprise Institute (Germany), Stan Jakubek, Tax Partner of Ernst and Young (Croatia), Gunther Fehlinger, Chairman of Europeans for Tax Reform (Austria), Dr. Paul Ruebig, MEP, Austria and President of SME Global and Viktor Vresnik, Economic Reporter of Croatia's leading daily, Jutarnji list.Croatia's Minister of Justice, Vesna Skare Ozbolt's contribution to the book project includes a special report on judicial reform initiatives combating corruption. The Minister of Justice states an encouraging message to consider the flat tax in curbing corruption and reducing the black market.A "Flat Tax Simulation for Croatia" provides clear evidence that an immediate adoption of a 15% flat tax on personal and corporate income in Croatia will boost economic growth and increase government revenues in just one year's time. Through this simplified and fair tax system, the authors recommend a tax reduction initiative on the high VAT taxation of 22% to 15% over a three-year period of time.Please find enclosed a PDF copy of the front cover of the "Flat Tax" book written in the Croatian language and custom designed for Croatia's taxpayers.In this week's edition of business weekly, Lider Press, its chief editor, Miodrag Sajatovic, in a front page editorial began with the following headline: "The flat tax is knocking on PM Sanader's Door." This article is a prelude to a 2 page article that will be published in the business weekly prior to the book launch on the urgency for tax reform in Croatia with a brief overview of how the flat tax will boost the nation's economic growth. A major grassroots flat tax campaign will continue during the month of November. A PDF format - English version will be made available by mid-November 2005.For more information about the book, please email: AdriaticIPP@aol.comor Fax +385-51-626-582.Adriatic Institute for Public Policy, Croatia's first independent free market think tank is dedicated to advancing and advocating free market reforms based on the values of the rule of law and the protection of property rights. The institute provides pro-growth and principled solutions that promote liberty, economic freedom, free enterprise with an emphasis on economic growth.www.AdriaticInstitute.orgwww.ils-wde.orgJoel Anand SamyPresident, World Development and EmpowermentCo-founder, Adriatic Institute and International Leaders SummitAdriatic Institute - International Leaders SummitMarkovici 1551000 RijekaCroatiawww.AdriaticInstitute.org WDE - International Leaders Summit37736 Starflower StreetP.O. Box 964Newark, California 94560USAwww.ils-wde.orgTelephone: +385-98-351-080 Telephone: +385-91-516-9129 T/F: +385-51-626-582 (Rijeka, Croatia) nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 31 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4338/1/E-Newly-Established-Croatia-Credit-Bureau-to-Use-CRIF-Technology.html  Newly Established Croatia Credit Bureau to Use TransUnion CRIF Technology October 31, 2005 09:05 AM US Eastern Timezone CHICAGO & ZAGREB, Croatia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2005--TransUnion CRIF Decision Solutions, announced today that HROK, Croatia's first bank-established credit bureau will use its International Credit Reporting System (iCRS) to manage its operations. iCRS is TransUnion's proprietary, state-of-the-art technology designed for emerging credit markets and bureaus. TransUnion CRIF is a joint venture company by TransUnion and CRIF, continental Europe's leading market player in the credit reporting and decision support systems segment. Together, TransUnion and CRIF are the largest owners or operators of credit bureaus worldwide. Based on a common web framework, iCRS is extremely scalable and flexible, allowing developers to modify and adjust components of the system to meet needs of the bureau and the country in which it operates. The system was built using some of the best technology and processes from around the globe in countries where TransUnion and CRIF operate, including the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, Italy and throughout continental Europe."The beauty of iCRS for international bureaus is that it removes redundancies in processing of credit information and eliminates the need to support disparate technologies," said Larry Howell, president of Europe and Asia, TransUnion. "Additionally, enhancements made to the iCRS in one country can easily be shared across borders, allowing developers throughout the world to take advantage of new technology and processes for their respective bureau." HROK in Croatia marks the third deployment of iCRS in this year, with the first two being Thailand and Russia. "We look at the deployment of iCRS for HROK as the first of many steps we can take together to bring additional services and technology offerings to this market," said CRIF's Fabrizio Fraboni, director, international division. "Moreover, we are very proud to contribute to the development of retail banking market in Croatia, making possible a future growth of credit risk management culture, which will be a benefit for both lenders and consumers." Founded by 20 Croatian banks under the auspices of the country's banking association, HROK represents more than 90 percent of the retail banking market. About CRIF Established in Bologna (Italy) in 1988, CRIF is an international group specialized in the design, development and management of credit reporting and decision support systems for the retail credit markets. CRIF provides an integrated range of information, scoring models, management solutions, software, consultancy and worldwide business information systems providing support to banks, financial institutions, insurance and telecommunications companies in every phase of the customer relationship cycle. From strategic planning, to acquisition and portfolio management, to debt collection. Visit us at www.crif.com About TransUnion TransUnion is a leading global information solutions company that customers trust as a business intelligence partner and commerce facilitator. TransUnion offers a broad range of financial services that enable customers to manage risk and capitalize on market opportunities. The company uses advanced technology coupled with extensive analytical capabilities to combat fraud and facilitate credit transactions between businesses and consumers across multiple markets. Founded in 1968, Chicago-based TransUnion employs 4,100 associates that support clients in more than 30 countries. Visit us at TransUnion.com. Graphics and/or photographs to accompany this release can be obtained by members of the media by contacting Jason Nierman (jnierma@transunion.com) at 312-985-3059 or Cliff O'Neal (coneal@transunion.com) at 312-985-2540.Contacts TransUnionClifton M. O'Neal, 312-985-2540coneal@transunion.com http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20051031005049&newsLang=en   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 31 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4339/1/E-IT-Technology-Centre-Opens-in-Varazdin.html  MICROSOFT BUSINESS-TECHNOLOGY CENTRE OPENS IN VARAZDIN 28-10-2005 08:46VARAZDIN, Croatia, October 28 /PRNewswire/ --- The Opening Ceremony Marks an Alliance Between Public and Private Sector Aimed to Help Increase Economic Growth, Competitiveness and Job Creation in CroatiaIvo Sanader, Prime Minister of Croatia, along with Ralph Frank, American Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, Ivan Cehok, Mayor of the City of Varazdin, and Davor Majetic, general manager Microsoft Croatia, today attended the opening ceremony of the Microsoft(R) Business-Technology Centre in Varazdin, Croatia. The Centre was formed through an alliance of number of partners that contributed resources toward the development and management of the Centre, including Cisco Systems Inc, the City of Varazdin, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft Corp, T-Com and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This Centre is the most recent example of public and private partnership to speed economic growth, increase competitiveness and more create knowledge-based jobs in emerging markets.(Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)The Centre was created to stimulate the development of Croatia's information and communication technology (ICT) industry. It will help Croatian entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to create innovative new products and services, bring those products and services to market, and build competitive businesses in the IT sector. The Centre will include both an incubator for start-up companies and a laboratory facility for development of joint projects among mature software developers and vendors, focusing on delivering knowledge transfer in both technology and business through classes, workshops, testing and demonstration.Microsoft is committed in establishing long-term partnerships with governments, academic institutions and private sector throughout Europe in an effort to grow local economic development and help enable these countries to better compete in the global marketplace through the use of technology."Establishment of the Business-Technology Centre is another direct Microsoft investment in local economy especially in SME sector," said Davor Majetic, Microsoft general manager in Croatia. "Over the next 30 months the Centre will directly assist a minimum of 100 independent software vendor companies with formal training or technical assistance, and we expect a minimum of 200 new employees will be hired by assisted companies. In the same period, we also expect establishment of at least 20 new start-ups and development of minimum 50 new software solutions. The Centre is the result of our recognition that Croatian enterprises across the economy need new advanced technologies in order to raise their productivity and capacity to deliver highly competitive goods and services at lower prices, as is highlighted in the Lisbon agenda. It is not a coincidence that this occasion is coming at a time when Croatia is starting its negotiation process for joining European Union."The latest IDC research study shows that the ICT sector in Croatia will create at least 7,200 new jobs and provide tax income of US$115 million in the next four years. Last year, 47 per cent of all IT jobs and taxes were related to the broad ICT ecosystem Microsoft has helped to create in the country and 9,400 jobs in Croatia are directly related to Microsoft and Microsoft partners' technologies."This Centre is a model for how the public and private sectors can work together," said Ralph Frank, American Ambassador to Republic of Croatia and the director of USAID mission in Croatia that has, together with Microsoft, initiated this project.Additional information on today's announcements is available on Microsoft's EMEA Press Centre website at http://www.microsoft.com/emea/presscentre .About MicrosoftFounded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 12,000 people in over 55 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.This material is for informational purposes only. Microsoft Corp disclaims all warranties and conditions with regard to use of the material for other purposes. Microsoft Corp shall not, at any time, be liable for any special, direct, indirect or consequential damages, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other action arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of the material. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting any kind of warranty.NOTE: Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp in the United States and/or other countries.The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Web site: http://www.microsoft.comhttp://www.itnews.it/risorse/EuroNews,Zj0xMjg2MTU5   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 28 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4341/1/HE-CROTRAM---Croatian-Tramway---Tramvaj.html  CROTRAM - Croatian Tramway - Tramvaj  Op-edA great success of Croatian industry. Consortium of Gredelj, Koncar i Djuro Djakovic, put together a beautiful Tramway, the way it is suppose to be. Not just import, but evidently export as well. Regional countries are already interested in buying Croatian Tramway. Isn't it gorgeous ! This news about Croatian Tramway was brought to you by Nenad Bach who works for Hina and is an editor for Poslovni Magazin (Business Magazine), not a musician, but the journalist. Here is the photo to prove that we are two different men. Actually there is a third Nenad Bach who is an architect living in Zagreb as well, but I didn't have time and stamina to put all three of us together. Since I am civil engineer as well, not just a composer, this makes a lot of confusion for some people. Nenad BachCROWN Editor in Chief / composer / civil engineer /man with the hat on the photo Nenad Bach & Nenad Bach, Zagreb 2005 Crotram zeli na regionalno trziste Konzorcij Crotram, koji ce do 2007. isporuciti Zagrebackom elektricnom tramvaju (ZET) 70 niskopodnih tramvaja, zapoceo je njihovu serijsku proizvodnju, a osim za Zagreb spreman je raditi i za druge narucitelje. U konzorciju isticu da im nije cilj konkurirati svjetskim tramvajskim divovima poput Siemensa i Bombardiera, vec osvojiti domace i regionalno trziste. Za njihov proizvod vec su zainteresirani u Beogradu, Sofiji, Varsavi i Osijeku. Konzorcij zasad cine Gredelj, Koncar i Djuro Djakovic. Oko 65 posto dijelova domace je proizvodnje, a cilj je da tramvaj postane potpuno hrvatski proizvod te da u njegovu proizvodnju bude ukljuceno sto vise proizvodjaca.   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 19 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4343/1/E-Crotian-reaps-11-billion-as-Chinese-market-calls-for-copper.html  Antofagasta reaps $1.1bn as Chinese market calls for copper  By Aaron Patrick (Filed: 16/03/2005)Chief executive Jean-Paul Luksic The global commodities boom has produced another profit bonanza for a FTSE miner, with Antofagasta being forced to pay a special dividend because it is generating so much cash. The Chilean copper producer increased pre-tax earnings 226pc last year to $1.16billion (£600m) as the price of the metal surged on heavy demand from China's fast-growing economy. It was the last of the four biggest miners on the London Stock Exchange to reveal 2004 earnings, in what was an exceptionally good year for the industry. Combined net earnings from BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Xstrata and Antofagasta last year were $9.2billion. They paid $3.2billion in dividends. Antofagasta, which is 65pc-owned by the Luksic family, announced it would pay a 40c special dividend in addition to a 24c final dividend, which will be paid to shareholders registered on May 13. The Luksics, one of richest families in South America, will receive £53m in dividends for the year. Antofagasta executives said they were interested in making acquisitions - the company owns only three mines - and had retained earnings to do that.Alejandro Rivera, vice president for finance and development, said he had never seen the commodities market as buoyant as this, and predicted the long lead time for new mining projects would keep prices high."The growth of the company [began in] 1997, and over the past five or six years no real new mines have entered into the market," he said. "That means the increasing demand we are seeing from China and the US will not be satisfied.The large profit increase was made despite costs rising by almost 20pc. Shipping charges were up because of the high oil price, the strong Chilean peso reduced returns, and less copper was obtained per tonne of ore mined.The company forecast copper production would fall this year from 498,000 tonnes to 470,000 tonnes as the copper seam in its main Los Pelambres mine became less rich. It expects copper prices to trade between 100c and 110c per pound, down from an average 130c last year and 80c in 2003. Merrill Lynch analyst Jason Fairclough said in a note that copper supplies would move into surplus in the second half of this year and prices over the long term would fall below the company's target. He advised investors to sell the stock. Antofagasta shares fell 8 to £13.19 after the result, as most mining shares moved lower. Copper is used in electrical work and piping, while molybdenum, the company's other product, is used to toughen steel alloys and found in fertilizers, dyes, enamel and reagents.http://www.money.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml;jsessionid=DWRRDLR230EU1QFIQMGSM54AVCBQWJVC?xml=/money/2005/03/16/cnantof16.xml  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 20 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4344/1/E-Croatia-has-made-significant-advances-in-railroad-industries.html  Croatia calls for cooperation with Iran in railroad system Tehran: 20:41 ,2005/08/15 Croatia calls for cooperation with Iran in railroad system TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — In his recent visit with managing director of Iran’s Pars Wagon Production Company, representatives of Croatian rail industries companies called for the two countries’ cooperation in the railroad transport system sector. The official, on behalf of his accompanying delegation announced Croatian locomotive producing companies’ readiness for manufacturing DHL-100 locomotives, rebuilding, overhauling and modernization of the existing electric and GM locomotives currently existing in Iran as well as establishing a passenger electric train to commute between Tehran and Mashhad, in Khorasan Province.It was also decided that Croatia would provide and undertake the required equipments for the construction of 100 kilometers of the electric railroad as well as overhauling the electric trains commuting in Tabriz-Jolfa railroad; the cities are located in the northwestern part of the country.Croatia has made significant advances in railroad industries.http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=218730   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 18 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4346/1/E-Tourism-along-Adriatic-is-continuing-to-grow---Herald-Tribune.html  CROATIA: Tourism along Adriatic is continuing to grow MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2005ZAGREB, CroatiaTourism along Adriatic is continuing to growCroatia's tourism industry is riding high this year, with travelers flocking to a country that was locked in bitter interethnic war only a decade ago. Around 4.5 million foreign tourists visited Croatia's Adriatic coast in the first seven months of 2005, nine percent more than in the same period last year. In July alone, the number of foreign tourists increased 13 percent compared with the same month last year, and the number of Croatians touring their own country rose 18 percent. The government's goal is to have 11 million tourists in 2010 and to increase the industry's contribution to the economy to 29 percent of gross domestic product, compared with 21 percent last year. (AFP)http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/08/14/travel/travel15.php   nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 15 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4345/1/E-CROATIA-Bumper-Rise-in-Tourist-Arrivals.html  CROATIA: Bumper Rise in Tourist Arrivals 2005-08-15 11:44:11 Croatia expects tourism revenues to rise up to 10 percent this year compared to 2004 to record levels, the state secretary for tourism said this week. The country relies heavily on the tourist industry to fill the state coffers and cover a foreign trade gap which last year amounted to $8.6 billion. 'The tourist industry is showing record results, and we expect to earn some six billion euros ($7.42 billion) in that sector this year. It is a rise of 10 percent which is far above our projections of two percent growth this year,' Zdenko Micic said in an interview. In the first seven months of 2005, eight percent more people visited Croatia than in the same period a year ago. Micic said there was a substantial rise in the number of visitors from Scandinavian and Benelux countries, France, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Holidaymakers in Croatia have in recent years mostly been from Germany, Austria, Slovenia and other central European countries. Last year Croatian tourism earned 5.4 billion euros. The country suffered a huge decline in tourism revenues in early 1990s when it fought a four-year independence war. It has been gradually recovering ever since but its main problems remain a lack of accommodation capacity and a relatively short season which is mostly based around three summer months. Micic said Croatia would now focus on tackling those weak points. 'We see that interest for spending holidays in Croatia outside the regular summer season is rising each year. In order to take advantage of that trend we’ll have to keep the tourist offer alive also outside the summer months,' Micic said. While praising the maritime landscape, foreign tourists often complain about the lack of entertainment facilities on the Croatian coast. Another frequent objection is an insufficient number of luxury hotels to meet the demands of well-off guests. 'We’re well aware of accommodation problems in Croatia. Hence, we plan to tackle it in two ways in the coming years. We have to revitalize hoteliers which do not run businesses properly and in that context complete the sale of those still in state hands,' Micic said. Another effort must be made to attract people willing to engage in the tourist industry as greenfield investors, he added. http://www.seeurope.net/en/Story.php?StoryID=56315&LangID=1  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 15 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4342/1/E-Zeljko-Covic-of-Pliva-in-International-Herald-tribune.html  Zeljko Covic of Pliva in International Herald tribuneSpotlight: A juggler of science and commerceBy Carter Dougherty International Herald TribuneSATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2005ZAGREB, Croatia Working out of a non-descript office building, huddlingwith staff in a conference room adorned with mementos of his company'sinitial public offering, Zeljko Covic looks every bit the part of amodern businessman. As chief executive of Pliva, one of the toppharmaceutical companies in Eastern Europe, he is. So it is perhapsunsurprising that he turns visibly uncomfortable when speaking about hisbrief foray into Croatian politics in the early 1990s. "In business,you deal with concrete stuff," Covic said in an interview. "In politics,you are dealing with perceptions and feelings - the soft issues. I feelmuch more comfortable in business." Heading a company with roughly5,500 employees and 2004 profit of $129 million on sales of $1.1billion, Covic does not compete in the league of the pharmaceuticalgiants like Novartis, Merck or Bayer. But he is part of what he likes tocall "the international pharmaceutical community," executives who jugglescience and commerce to produce innovation and profit. Like many ofthose top players, Covic, 52, got his start on the scientific side,thanks to what he calls "his youthful fascination with biology andchemistry." A native of Zagreb, Covic earned a degree in biotechnologyin 1978, when Croatia was still a part of Yugoslavia, but enjoyed someeconomic freedom under the country's "self-managing socialism." His workat Pliva began in 1980, where he rose from scientist to seniormanagement in less than a decade. As the Cold War ended, Covic plungedinto the politics of the new era, becoming Zagreb's top economicofficial in 1991, and later an adviser to Croatia's vice president.Protestations to the contrary, other Zagreb businessmen point out, Covichad enough of a feel for politics to get appointed chief executive ofPliva, then still state-owned, in 1993. Ultimately, the political nosehe plays down meshed well with business imperatives. Covic took Plivapublic in 1996, even securing a listing in London that became a keystoneof the company's financial credibility. The move insulated the companyfrom the corrupt, cronyistic politics of then-president Franjo Tudjman.For much of the 1990s, Covic recalls, Pliva bobbed along the turbulentwaters of Balkan politics, unable to plan effectively for the future butnot suffering badly thanks to the royalties from an antibiotic,azithromycin, that it had developed. At one point, with the war 30kilometers, or 18.5 miles, away from Zagreb, Pliva was still shippinggoods to the United States under old contracts. "We couldn't negotiateany long-term business relationships," Covic said. Those times ended in1999, when Tudjman died and Croatia began its opening to Europe. Havingalready bought a Polish company in 1997, Covic spearheaded acquisitionsin the Czech Republic, Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain over fouryears. Most daringly, in 2002 Pliva entered the most competitivepharmaceutical market in the world with the acquisition of SidmakLaboratories in New Jersey. Pliva then filled out its portfolio bypurchasing the rights from an American company to Sanctura, a medicationfor overactive bladders, and hiring a sales force in the United States -a move that generated much criticism from stock analysts. Betting thatits sales force could sell the drug to specialists in the United Statesat a relatively low cost, Covic quickly ran afoul of two giants,GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis, who marshaled their enormous resources tosell competing products directly to doctors, and rapidly boxed out theupstart Croatian company. "They were marketing a drug that was old inEurope, and it was probably predictable that huge competitors would rushin," said Katalin Dani, an analyst with CAIB Securities in Budapest.Grimly conceding the venture had failed, Pliva sold Sanctura to anAmerican company in July - a move investors rewarded by pushing up theshare price. "There were other opportunities to better generate valuefor shareholders," Covic said. Divesting itself of Sanctura, a patentedpharmaceutical, became part of a broader revamp of the company thatcoincided with the expiration of the patent on azithromycin. In May,Pliva announced it was leaving the proprietary pharmaceutical businessentirely to become a generic producer - a major step for a company whoseroots lie in a research laboratory established in 1935. Indeed, Covicconcedes that tough competition is forming in the generics industry thatPliva is taking on. Acquisitions by Novartis briefly made Hexal thelargest generic manufacturer in the world, before being overtaken byTeva of Israel, which announced plans to purchase Miami-based Ivax inJuly. Whatever its troubles, Pliva remains the standout example ofsuccessful post-Communist business in the tiny Croatian market, as evencritics like Dani concede.  nenad@nenadbach.com (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 15 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4347/1/E-International-Leaders-Summit-Zagreb-Croatia---2005-Brief-Report.html  Pro-Growth Economic Policies Presented by Adriatic Institute for Public Policy to Croatia’s Government Leaders  The second International Leaders Summit (ILS) was jointly organized by Adriatic Institute for Public Policy, Croatia’s first independent free market think tank, The Stockholm Network, UK, and World Development and Empowerment, USA, through a partnering endeavor with Amcham Croatia. The second ILS took place on June 1 and 2 at The Regent Esplanade Zagreb in Croatia, focusing on “Economic Growth - Advocating Free Market Reforms.” Following the summit, the Adriatic Institute for Public Policy presented strategic pro-growth economic policies to Croatia’s leaders at a time when there is a lack of economic initiatives or specific market reforms championed by the Croatian government. The contributors of the strategic economic policies included The Adriatic Institute for Public Policy and ILS Board of Advisors, successful world-renowned economic reformers, experts and international business and media communications leaders that met together at the second ILS in Zagreb.ILS 2005 - STRATEGIC ECONOMIC POLICIES FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH: Implementing the “Flat Tax”: 15-15-15 tax rate for Croatia as proposed by the Adri