Dutch Foreign Minister: Let’s wait for Schengen
Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said in Zagreb on Wednesday that presiding over the European Union was a demanding and responsible job which Croatia will be able to do well. Croatia assumes its first six-month rotating presidency over the Union on January 1st 2020. According to Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman, Blok appreciates Croatia's plans to work on strengthening economic and infrastructure connectivity among EU member states and on reinforcing the EU's external and internal security.
Blok believes that Croatia has accomplished its tasks regarding its Schengen membership bid. “However we are in the middle of the process in which the European Commission is expected to make public its assessment, and let us wait”, said the Dutch official.
Minister Blok met with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and all we got is few press release lines (jutarnji.hr): “Plenković underlined the priorities of Croatia's EU presidency - they are still secret for Croatia - and its plans to join the Schengen and euro areas. The two officials also talked about the situation in the EU, migration, negotiations on the EU's financial framework for 2021-27, and the two countries' positions on Brexit”.
Pahor: Accept arbitration and enter Schengen
The Slovenian government would find it "much easier" to support Croatia's Schengen Area entry if Zagreb accepted the border arbitration ruling, Slovenian President Borut Pahor said in Šibenik on Wednesday during the sixth annual trilateral meeting with Croatian (Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović) and Austrian (Alexander Van Der Bellen) presidents. "I believe in the support of all member states when a decision will be made to join the Schengen Area as that's in everyone's interest. That would strengthen Croatia's guarding of the external border," said Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. I'm always repeating that Croatia and Slovenia are friendly countries, that we can rise above these outstanding issues," she added.
Three presidents talked about the EU's future, Croatia's EU presidency, the future of Southeast Europe, the Three Seas Initiative and climate change. They supported opening Albania's and North Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic integration negotiations as soon as possible, as well as granting Bosnia and Herzegovina EU candidate status. More in jutarnji.hr.
11th Croatian contingent departs for Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan
The 11th Croatian contingent will be deployed in the Train Advise and Assist Command – North in Mazar-i-Sharif and the Resolute Support HQ in Kabul. The Croatian troops will also advise the Afghan army, police and special forces. The contingent includes 38 troops of partner countries - 27 from Montenegro, seven from North Macedonia, two from Albania and two from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It is first Croatian contingent going to Afghanistan since lance corporal Josip Briški, a member of the 10th Croatian contingent killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan in July. Hina
Quote of the day:
“It is absurd that in Croatia public sector, meaning number of public servants is constantly rising while the number of citizens they are taking care of is plummeting”. Davor Huić, taxpayer’s association Lipa
Agrokor suppliers will take legal action
Agrokor's suppliers will take legal action so that the settlement reached for the former conglomerate is honoured, the representative of big suppliers in the Temporary Creditor's Council, Marica Vidaković, said on Wednesday, adding that no agreement had been reached with Fortenova Group (legal heir of food-producing and processing industry) on the payment of the border debt and that this was why suppliers were against refinancing a roll-up loan.
The former Agrokor conglomerate's Temporary Creditors' Council on Wednesday voted for refinancing a roll-up loan with three votes from representatives of financial creditors, while suppliers' two representatives voted against, Fortenova Group CEO Fabris Peruško said. More on novac.hr and jutarnji.hr
Italians poaching in Croatian waters
An Italian fishing boat with a six-man crew was caught poaching on Wednesday morning in the waters just off the island of Dugi Otok. The vessel carrying six Italian nationals was spotted in Croatian territorial waters by Zadar's maritime and air police at about 7.35 a.m.
The vessel was then accompanied to Zadar port. The boat's captain and the owner were taken to the police station for questioning while the rest of the crew remained on board guarded by police. jutarnji.hr
Ivo Malec died
Croatian composer, conductor and educator Ivo Malec has passed away. Since 1959 he has lived and operated in Paris, where he has been a member of the Groupe de Recherches Musicales since its founding in 1960. Between 1972 and 1990 he worked as a professor of composition at the highest French music institution, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique. Jutarnji list in today’s print edition said that “last author of Croatian musical avantgarde left” and added: “He was disgusted with the society he came from”.