Croatia soon to shortlist bidders for insurer stake 
 
ZAGREB, March 8 (Reuters) - Croatia is expected to shortlist bidders from among 
nine investors interested in insurer Croatia Osiguranje in 10 days time, the 
economy ministry said in a statement on Friday. It said it had received preliminary non-binding offers for a 51-percent stake in the country's largest insurance firm from six foreign insurers and a consortium of local companies by the deadline late on March 7. Potential investors are Allianz of Germany, Austria's Grawe and Uniqa,U.S. 
Leucadia National Corporation (NYSE:LUK - news), Slovenian insurer Triglav and 
Dutch-based TBI-Holding. Also, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank expressed an interest in supporting its selloff by buying a minority stake, the statement said. 
Croatia Osiguranje controls some 52 percent of the local insurance market, which 
is poised to grow through a development of as yet little used life insurance and 
private pension schemes. Shortlisted investors will be invited to conduct due diligence of the company before submitting their final binding offers, probably early in July, the 
ministry said. 
 
Op-ed 
 
Talent, honesty and brains. 
Talent, postenje i pamet. 
 
 
What is going on here. Croatia has been sold out. This letter is going to a lot of government officials and newspapers. Who can answer this question? Will Croatia be sold out under this administration? I personally do not know any details, but story after story, YOU are selling our Country. Am I wrong? Is it that I may not know enough? 
After these two administration we'll be left like banana republic. We who live outside of Croatia are pretty much taken care off, but it is too painful to see the ship sink so fast. There is virtually no production in Croatia. Do, president Mesic and premier Racan have any nerves (not to say balls) to answer any of these questions. President Mesic's website calls for cooperation. Is it just a good PR? 
 
They are doing to Croatia whatever they want. Nobody is challenging them. Centuries of dictatorships kicked out the talent, honesty and brains. 
 
My conclusion for the Croatians around the world is just one thing. We have to unite. CROWN is one way. At least I am putting my money and time where my mouth is. Leverage is powerful when you use it. 
 
Nenad Bach 
Editor-in-chief 
CROWN 
 
Sto se desava ovdje? Hrvatska se prodaje na drazbu. Da li itko moze ili hoce odgovoriti na ovu rasprodaju? Croatia Osiguranje? Ovo pismo ide na previse adresa, da bi se moglo reci da su svi promasili ovo pitanje. Da li je itko odgovoran i tko? Kad nova administracija ode, kao i prosla, ostati cemo kao banana republika. Mi koji zivimo izvan domovine imamo svoje osnovno zbrinuto, ali je pretesko gledati brod koji tone ovim tempom. Gdje je hrvatska proizvodnja. Imaju li predsjednik Mesic i premier Racan petlje odgovoriti na ovo pismo ili ce kao i do sada zabijati glavu u pijesak na ozbiljna pitanja. Predsjednikova web stranica poziva na suradnju. Je li to samo "public relations"? Vi kao hrvatska vlada cinite sto Vas je volja od drzave. Nemate nikakve izazove. Stoljeca diktatura su otjerala talent, postenje i pamet. 
 
Moj zakljucak za Hrvate izvan domovine je ujedinjenje. CROWN je jedan od nacina. Poluga je snazna kad ju se zna upotrijebiti. 
 
Nenad Bach 
Editor-in-chief 
CROWN 
 
 
cc: president Stjepan Mesic 
premier Ivica Racan 
 
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