Croatia News

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2008-05-15T17:41:00.002-07:00

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Izrada Internet Stranica - rjesenja po mjeri

2008-05-13T14:16:00.004-07:00

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sponzorirana veza:

Od jednostavnih web stranica, , prezentacije turistickih kapaciteta ili tvrtki do programski kompliciranih internet projekata kao portala, oglasnika i online trgovina te raznih zahtjevnih aplikacija.

Croatia Vows To Become 28th EU Member By 2010

2008-04-09T04:03:00.001-07:00

D.C. Morales - AHN News Writer

Brussels, Belgium (AHN)-Croatia is determined to join the European Union by 2010, the country's foreign minister said Tuesday.

Gordan Jandrokovic said Croatia is working to become the 28th member of the EU. The minister said that by the end of June Zagreb expects to open up seven of the 35 policy areas, or chapters, that candidates must complete to join.

The Balkan state's accession to the European bloc has been picking up pace recently and Jandrokovic reiterated to EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn that Croatia was ready to do "whatever it takes" to attain membership in two years, according to Thomson Financial News.

Croatia's membership discussion started in 2005.

Rehn agreed that "there is a renewed dynamism in the EU accession process of Croatia," but Zagreb still had "plenty of work ahead, particularly on judicial and public administration reform and in the fight against corruption."

Donovan and O'Neill claim gold in Croatia

2008-03-10T01:35:00.002-07:00

Sunday, 9 March 2008 11:14

Eric Donovan and Darren O'Neill claimed gold medals at the Zlatko Hrbic Senior Multi-Nations in Zagreb, Croatia on Saturday night after recording impressive wins over Russian and German opponents.

Donovan, of the St Michael's, Athy club, finished on top of the podium following a 34-29 win over Russian lightweight Maxim Inatev.

And Paulstown, Kilkenny middleweight O'Neill, who moved up to light heavyweight for this tournament, chalked up a 20-12 victory over Rene Krause of Germany.

Saturday's wins were Donovan's and O'Neill's third victories in as many days.

The wins will also be a big confidence booster to the Irish duo ahead of next weekend's box-off at the National Stadium in Dublin.

The box-off will be used as a selection process for the Irish squad for the final Olympic qualifier for European boxers which begins in Athens on 7 April.

The National Stadium box-off will be held on 14/15 March and will involve the semi-finalists from the 2008 National Senior Championships.

Light flyweight Paddy Barnes, from the Holy Family club in Belfast, and Cavan bantamweight John Joe Nevin have already qualified for the 2008 Olympics.

Barnes had been due to compete in Zagreb this week but withdrew from the Irish squad as a precaution because of an injury to his left hand.

Zlatko Hrbic Senior Multi-Nations Results Zagreb, Croatia

Quarter-final results 6 March
60kg: Eric Donovan (Ireland) beat Philip Pavlik (Croatia) 46-24
81kg: Darren O'Neill (Ireland) beat Emil Markic (Bosnia) RSCO3

Semi-final results 7 March
60kg: Eric Donovan (Ire) bt Livbomir Marjanovic (Serbia) 27-18
81kg: Darren O'Neill (Ireland) beat Mate Matkovic (Croatia) 34-10

Finals results 8 March
60kg: Eric Donovan (Ireland) beat Maxim Inatev (Russia) 34-29
81kg: Darren O'Neill (Ireland) beat Rene Krause (Germany) 20-12

Coaches: Tony Davitt (Drimnagh) & Jim Halpin (St Saviour's OBA)

Croatia coach up for SV Hamburg job

2008-03-05T13:32:00.001-07:00

Croatia coach Slaven Bilic is the latest candidate for the SV Hamburg coaching job next season, Kicker sports magazine reported on its website Tuesday.

Kicker said that Hamburg sports director Dietmar Beiersdorfer and board member Katja Kraus were in Zagreb for talks on Monday.

Hamburg spokesman Joern Wolf said the club will not comment on speculation around the coaching job.

Hamburg, who stand third in the Bundesliga, are in need of a new coach after the season as Huub Stevens returns to his native Netherlands. He said he wants to be close to his ill wife and will take over PSV Eindhoven.

Bilic, 39, has been Croatia coach since 2006. His playing career included a term in Germany at SC Karlsruhe.

Other men linked with the Hamburg job are Fred Rutten (Twente Enschede), Christian Gross (Basel), Juergen Klopp (Mainz 05) and Bruno Labbadia (Greuther Fuerth).

Eastern Europe Property Guide: Buy in Croatia

2008-03-04T02:42:00.002-07:00

Overseas property guides for buying in up and coming investment hotspot Croatia. Plus, search for property in Croatia.

Croatia is a country at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, central Europe and the Balkans and has recently emerged as a very popular location for holidaymakers.

Bordered by Slovenia and Hungary to the north, Serbia to the north-east, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east, Montenegro to the far south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the south, the country boasts a Mediterranean climate that has attracted holidaymakers, particularly to its costal areas.

To search for overseas property in Croatia, visit: www.justoverseas.co.uk

Most of the inland areas experience short, cool summers and long, severe winters, in contrast to the coast, which is more temperate. For a relatively small country, local terrain is quite diverse and includes flat plains along the Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near the Adriatic coastline and islands.

The capital, Zagreb, is home to around 750,000 of the nation's 4.4 million people and is the cultural, scientific, economic and governmental centre of the country.

Pros to Buying Property in Croatia

However, people looking to purchase second homes in the country are typically drawn to the coastal areas. As Lonely Planet explained: "With its sublime stretch of Adriatic coast, Croatia has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful parts of Europe."

For example, the visit-croatia.co.uk site noted that Istria is a popular area and is commonly referred to as the Croatian Tuscany. In particular, towns such as Porec, Rovinj, and Pula are good options. However, the site does note: "Property is quite expensive due to high demand and Istria's proximity to the rest of Europe".

The site also claimed that the regions of Kvarner Riviera and Nothern Dalmatia are becoming popular options for people. Here, it said that the seaside towns of Zadar, Sibenik, Trogir, Crikvenica, Kraljevica and Novi Vinodolsk are all good options.

However, the most popular area for tourists is currently Southern Dalmatia. It said that Split is a good place for people looking for second homes and added: "The Makarska Riviera and the ancient town of Dubrovnik are amongst the most attractive places, although both these locations are quite expensive, especially due to the popularity of the latter."

Cons to Buying Property in Croatia

Experts are currently unsure about the long-term health of the property market in the country, which is commonly deemed to be in its "infancy ".

A recent report from Amberland explained the problem. It stated: "Depending on what you read, all in the garden of Croatia’s housing market is either healthy or decidedly unhealthy! The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

"If you look at the most popular holiday hotspots then you will witness international demand, strong house prices and a market where properties put up for sale do actually sell.

"But step away from the tourism hotspots and the picture is very different."

Despite this caution, the Global Property Guide suggested that house prices jumped by seven per cent in the first half of 2006. Currently, the site estimates that the average price in the country is €2,215 per square metre, making it cheaper than Turkey or Portugal.

However, the site does show that popular areas are considerably more expensive. For example, houses in Dubrovnik can cost between €300,000 and €1.4 million. On the popular islands, which include Hvar, Korcula and Brac, homes can cost similar amounts. Despite this, it is possible to still find some bargains. For example, smaller apartments on Korcula and Brac still change hands for less than €100,000.

What you need to know when buying property in Croatia

The avatar-croatia.com site noted that foreign citizens "may, under condition of reciprocity, acquire real property in Croatia either as inheritance or by other legal transactions such as purchases, deeds, trusts etc".

It added: "When acquiring real estate other than by inheritance, foreign citizens need to obtain the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia."

Extension of Term for Filing PoA in Croatia No Longer Possible

2008-03-04T02:40:00.001-07:00

ZAGREB - According to the Croatian Intellectual Property Office's (IPO) recent official notice, it will no longer be possible to request extension of term with the Croatian IPO for filing of the Power of Attorney (PoA), (Article 7(6) of the Croatian Law on Representatives in the field of Intellectual Property. This rule is effective immediately.

According to SD PETOSEVIC, the term for filing the Power of Attorney is 60 days from receiving the official invitation to file.

SD PETOSEVIC provides a full range of intellectual property services in Eastern Europe, including the Balkans and the Commonwealth of Independent States (former USSR).

Croatia: Emilija Kokic to OGAE Second Chance

2008-03-04T02:36:00.001-07:00

Emilia Kokic, the lead singer of the band Riva, who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1989 for Yugoslavia, will represent Croatia in the OGAE Second Chance contest with the song Andeo (Angel).

The members of OGAE Croatia chose Emilija to represent the country in the OGAE Second Chance contest.

The full results of the selection are (in brackets - the number of points):

1. Emilija Kokić - Anđeo (207)
2. Antonija Šola - Gdje je srce tu je dom (166)
3. Ivana Banfić - Mir (160)
4. Dye & The Colors - Zažmirim i putujem (152)
5. Vlatka Grakalić - Kaži mi (149)
6. Maja Šuput - Lako zaljubljiva (136)
7. Ivana Radovniković - Kakav tužan kraj (136)
8. Ivo Gamulin Gianni - Sanjam (120)
9. Zorica Kondža - Za tobom luda (117)
10. Bonaca & Nera - Tvoje je oko ka' more duboko (112)
11. Prva liga & Druge - Vila (104)
12. Maja Blagdan - Zvala sam ga anđele (97)
13. Tamara Obrovac - Amor (96)
14. Danijela Pintarić - Dotakni zvijezdu (95)
15. Đani Stipaničev - Ja san umra za ljubav (93)
16. Mor Roll - Ne razumijemo se (88)
17. Giuliano - Plava vještica (80)
18. Pero Galić - Otvori mi oči (78)
19. Martina - Idi leđa mi okreni (67)
20. Alen Islamović - Mirno spava kosa plava (57)
21. Hari Rončević - Ležim na suncu (55)
22. Ibrica Jusić - Iskoči sa mnom iz jurećeg vlaka (49)
23. Kraljevi Ulice & 75 Cents - Romanca (0, Winner of Dora 2008)
24. Dino & Bane - Milina (0, Disqualified from Dora 2008)

The OGAE Second Chance contest is an annual contest where all OGAE clubs around Europe are sending their favorite song, that took part in the preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest, but didn't win.

Emilija Kokic won the Eurovision Song Contest of 1989 for Yugoslavia, as the lead singer of the band Riva, with the song Rock Me.

Thanks to Goran Dobrila from OGAE Croatia for his contribution to the article.

upport for Croatia’s NATO, EU Entry Rises

2008-03-04T02:33:00.001-07:00

Support for Croatia’s NATO, EU Entry Rises
The increased support of Croatia’s access to NATO and the EU can be explained by an unstable neighbourhood and a fear of new conflicts.

Lajla Mlinarić
I.K./Hina

ZAGREB, CROATIA – A survey conducted by the Promocija plus agency indicates that 54.2 of those surveyed supported Croatia’s access into NATO, which is the highest support rate registered so far. 37 percent of those surveyed oppose Croatia’s entry into NATO, while 8.8 percent are indecisive.

Support of Croatia’s accession to the European Union also rose by four percent and amounts to 53.7 percent, which is interesting because tensions between Croatia and the EU and the subject of the ZERP (Protected Ecology and Fisheries Zone) have been topical in the past few days. The increased support can be explained by an unstable neighbourhood.

Those surveyed assessed that the most important issue in February was Kosovo’s independence. The second most important issue was the ZERP, which citizens connect to Croatia’s accession into the EU.

The research was conducted between February 29 and March 1 on a sample of 1,300 people.

Arsenal physio may have saved my career, says Eduardo

2008-03-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Arsenal striker Eduardo said the quick work of physio Gary Lewin after he had broken his leg against Birmingham City last week could have saved his career.
The Brazilian-born Croatia international suffered a fractured left fibula and an open dislocation of his ankle joint after a tackle by Birmingham City defender Martin Taylor.
Eduardo, 25, is likely to be out for nine months but Arsenal expect him to make a full recovery.
"The injury was so grave I could have lost my foot," he told the News of the World.
"So I will always be grateful to Gary for what he did in lowering the risk to my leg. That was decisive. I do not remember too much about the blow.
"I remember the pain, seeing that my foot had rotated, but I only recaptured my senses in hospital."
Eduardo was visited in hospital by Taylor and has accepted his apologies for the tackle which has ruled him out of the Euro 2008 finals in June.
"All I could do was look at his face I was totally pre-occupied," said Eduardo.
"I wanted to believe what Taylor said and to think that what happened was an unfortunate accident.
"I had to look at him. I could not understand how anyone could make a tackle like that in only the third minute of a game.
"But in the end I believed that Taylor was sincere and I accepted his excuses.
"Even though he had destroyed my season it would be incredible to think that what he did was pre-meditated."
WORST BLOW
Eduardo said not being able to represent Croatia in Euro 2008 was "the worst blow" but he was heartened by the many messages of support from his club and international team mates.
"I will miss Arsenal's race for the title and the Champions League campaign but, most of all, my first European Championship with Croatia. That is the worst blow," he said.
"Euro 2008 was a big dream. To qualify was one of the best moments in my life but I am only 25 and I can play in other Euros. That's what is in my head."

(Writing by Justin Palmer, editing by Ed Osmond)

'Lucky Loser' Stakhovsky Wins at Zagreb

2008-03-01T15:08:00.003-07:00

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine won his first ATP title Saturday, defeating top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 7-5, 6-4 and becoming the first "lucky loser" to capture a tournament in 17 years.

Stakhovsky, ranked 209th, is only the fourth man in tour history to achieve the feat. The previous player was Argentina's Christian Miniussi in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1991.

A lucky loser enters the main draw of a tournament from the qualifying field at the last minute because a player is unable to compete.

Stakhovsky came into the tournament with a 6-13 match record for his career. He faced only one break point Saturday and improved to 5-0 this season.

He had not played on the main tour since San Jose, Calif., more than a year ago and his previous best showing in eight attempts was a quarterfinal appearance in Milan, Italy, in 2005.

Ljubicic was his third seeded victim following victories over No. 2 Ivo Karlovic and No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic.

Cold comfort for Croatia as Eduardo injury forces Bilic to shuffle his pack

2008-02-26T23:44:00.001-07:00

Jutarnji List is one of Croatia's more respectable newspapers, but their big sports exclusive this morning was headlined "Jutarnji goes training with Eduardo's executioner". Croatia had serious hopes of winning Euro 2008 this summer, but the loss of Eduardo has severely diminished them and the response has been widespread anger.

"This really frustrated me," said Vlatko Markovic, the president of the Croatian Football Federation. "When I heard what had happened I started to cry. When I saw how it happened ... it was without reason. I felt this was not random. It is a huge blow for Croatian football. It's a curse. We haven't anybody who can cover for his absence - that is a fact. The only sure thing is that [the national coach Slaven] Bilic will have to change our play and find a new answer. With Dudu [Eduardo's nickname] and without Dudu is not the same. All our play depended on Dudu."

An online petition demanding that Martin Taylor be banned from football for life has attracted over 30,000 names, many of them calling for retribution to be taken against the Birmingham defender. Jutarnji certainly wasn't pulling any punches, reporting how Taylor turned up to training in an Audi A6, and seemed untroubled by the events of Saturday. The general English reaction - gleaned from the usual sources of journalists, pub landlords and taxi drivers - that Taylor was clumsy, perhaps a touch reckless, was treated with mocking disbelief.

It would be easy for an English reader to moralise and wonder how on earth such a blinkered view could be taken - particularly when Eduardo himself has publicly defended Taylor - but the hounding of Deportivo La Coruña 's Argentinian midfielder Aldo Duscher after he had injured David Beckham ahead of the 2002 World Cup was just as unedifying.

A comparison with that incident at least reveals one slight silver lining: there is at least no doubt. This is not like the metatarsal injuries that afflicted Beckham - and later Wayne Rooney - in the build-up to major tournaments. Eduardo will not play in Austria this summer; there will be no procrastination, no agonising wait as newspapers print mock up X-rays and seek advice from faith healers: it's over. Bilic will not face the temptation of taking him half-fit and praying for a miracle; he can begin planning now how Croatia will play without their totem.

As far as positives go, that's about it. Two years ago Croatia had an awful World Cup. They were sluggish and boorish, and went out in the first round. Nobody then would have thought that they would have gone into Euro 2008 as everybody's favourite dark horses, and that they did was down largely to Bilic and two players: Eduardo and Luka Modric.

Modric will, hopefully, still be there, pulling the strings in the middle of a glorious creative line with Niko Kranjcar to his left and Darijo Srna to his right, but it doesn't matter how beautifully the bullets are crafted if there is no marksman to fire the gun. Vecernji List was trying to make the best of it this morning, pointing out that Mladen Petric and Ivica Olic, the likely strike pairing if Bilic sticks with the same formation in Eduardo's absence, have scored 21 goals between them in the Bundesliga this season, but that really is cold comfort.

There is one other option: Ivan Klasnic. Inconsistent but blessed with power and touch, his career looked as though it could be over when he had to have a kidney replacement last year. He returned at the end of November, though, and has since scored four goals for Werder Bremen. "It was a terrible shock," Klasnic said of Eduardo's injury. "I've spoken to him and told him he has to keep his head up. He said that he'd thought about my illness and how I've returned and he said that was an example to him at the moment. We have to pray for him and his return."

Both Petric and Olic have looked good alongside Eduardo, but both really are there to offer a physical foil. "He's not just a good player but a brilliant person," Petric said. "He's a special player and he's irreplaceable in the national team. Olic is in good shape and he's scoring regularly. He's probably first in line to take Eduardo's place."

Neither, though, has Eduardo's guile, his opportunism or his finishing ability. Eduardo is the sort of player who can rescue a side when they are playing badly with a moment of spontaneous invention; Petric and Olic both need the chances creating for them.

In Tallinn in June last year, for instance, Croatia found themselves frustrated by Estonia's hard-pressing and, with half an hour gone, had created nothing. Then a loose ball fell to Eduardo inside the box, he turned sharply and hooked a shot into the bottom corner. It was a goal from nothing, and it won a game that could easily have stagnated. Quite aside from his obvious ability, Eduardo is an escape clause.

So can Croatia still mount a challenge in Euro 2008? They can. For all the wailing and the gnashing of teeth, they were never a one-man team, but it will be much harder for them. The question mark previously was always whether, with just Niko Kovac protecting the back four, they would be good enough defensively (they did, after all concede three in Israel and two at Wembley in qualifying). There is now an added doubt about their potency.

The solution may be for Bilic to temper his attacking principles, leave just one centre forward and add an additional holding player, switching from a 4-1-3-2 to a 4-2-3-1. Marko Babic of Real Betis perhaps could be brought in alongside Kovac or, if Bilic wants to maintain the sense of adventure he could drop Srna, a full-back with Shakhtar Donetsk, back as the second holder, and bring in Schalke 04's hugely talented 19-year-old Ivan Rakitic on the right. Srna is a fine crosser and it would be galling to reduce his opportunities to arc balls into the box from wide, but the sacrifice might be worth it to add an extra runner behind Petric.

The thought of three such technically gifted players as Kranjcar, Modric and Rakitic operating in the same midfield is beguiling. But the truth is that however appealing the permutation Bilic selects, it would always look better with Eduardo at the front of it.

Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva breaks leg, likely to miss Euro 2008

2008-02-24T02:02:00.001-07:00

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger condemned Birmingham defender Martin Taylor for his tackle that broke Eduardo da Silva's left leg and put the Croatia striker out of the European Championship.

Taylor was sent off for his third-minute tackle in Birmingham's 2-2 tie ith Arsenal on Saturday, causing an injury that distressed some of the players.

"I think this guy should never play football again," Wenger said of Taylor. "What is he doing on the football pitch?

"I feel that goes around with the idea for a long time that, to stop Arsenal, you have to kick Arsenal. I knew that was coming for a long time now.

"The season is over for (Eduardo) and the injury is very, very bad. More than the season is over."

The Brazilian-born striker lay on the field at St. Andrews for almost eight minutes receiving medical attention to his leg. Eduardo was eventually carried off and taken straight to hospital.

Eduardo has four goals in 16 games for the Gunners this season. He has scored 13 in 22 matches for Croatia, which has qualified for Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland in June.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish defended Taylor.

"Martin's distraught about the lad's injury," McLeish said. "It's certainly not in Martin Taylor's makeup at all to commit a malicious tackle."

Who is Hashim “Snake” Thaci?

2008-02-21T01:18:00.003-07:00

What is missing from the global media reports dedicated to Kosovo’s independence is the Albanian terrorism.

Photo: Wikipedia/Reuters/freerepublic.com

If we are to judge by individual reactions of countries that responded to Kosovo’s declaration of independence, everybody has their own interests – but what is missing from global media reports dedicated to the precedents and separatism is terrorism, which was a constituent factor in creating the world’s newest nation.

Great Serbia and Great Albania – two sides of the same coin

The fate of the independent Kosovo is closely tied to the person and work by Hashim Thaci, who joined the Albanian political migration in Switzerland in the early nineties, where he founded the “National Movement for Kosovo”, the Marxist-Leninist political party whose only aim was to unite all of the regions where Albanians lived into one country, which in reality is nothing else besides copying the politics of Milosevic’s efforts to create the entity “Greater Serbia” on the regions of the former Yugoslavia.

In 1993, Thaci became a member of the KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army), who according to BBC soon resorted to “the most successful guerrilla movement in modern times” and/or a terrorist organization that reveals to the world the “direct connection between Al Qaeda and Albanians”. Parallel with the foundation of the “rebel guerrillas”, Thaci (war name “Snake”) founded and organized the Drenica Group that soon rose as the dominant and best known criminal organization of the west-Balkans. It concerned itself with (and still does) weapons smuggling, heroin, cocaine and cigarettes, automobile theft, prostitution and other profitable jobs that are common for mafia groups. “Drenica” soon made connections with key organizations in Albania, the Czech Republic, and Macedonia, creating a large-scale criminal organization, which according to Can Karpat’s report, was sealed with a marriage between Thaci’s sister and Sejdij Bajrush, one of the most infamous leaders of the Albanian mafia.

One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter

The first terrorist act that was directly blamed on the current premier of independent Kosovo happened on May 25, 1993. This is when Thaci, together with Rafet Rama, Jakup Nuri, Sami Ljustku and Ilijaz Kadriju, attacked the Serbian police at the railway crossing “Glogovac”, about which the respected Jane’s Information Group reports. During the attack, two police officers were killed, and another five were injured.

In July 1997, the court in Pristina sentenced Thaci (in absence) to ten years in prison, because of which he, a members of the Drenica group hid in the forests. The legal prosecution of him was stopped in 1999 when Hashim was recognized as the political leader of the KLA.

Judging by newspaper reports, Thaci was not only unforgiving towards Kosovo Serbs, but towards mainstream Albanians as well. In June 1999, the New York Times published an article that accuses Hashim and two of his supporters for the murder of somebody that opposed Albanian nationalism. The author of the article Chris Hedges, at the time, interviewed Rifat Haxhijaj who lived with Thaci in Switzerland, who stated: “When the war started (against the Serbian authorities), everybody wanted to be the boss. To get an idea of the kind of battle we are talking about, we only have to mention the murder of the Albanian reporter Alij Uka, a man that showed patriotism when Albanian nationalism/separatism is concerned. However, at the same time, he was a very harsh criticiser of people that were at the head of separatist currents. Uka was killed in his apartment in Tirana, and according to the words of former KLA members, that act was committed by his roommate at the time – Hashim Thaci, in cooperation with the secret police that Albania happily placed “at the disposal of the rebel leaders”. The allegations were rejected by Thaci’s representative in Switzerland, Jasha Salih who said:

- These reports are incorrect. Neither Mr Thaci, nor anyone else in the KLA were not involved in these activities. Our only aim is independent Kosovo.

On the other hand there are the statements by Bujar Bukoshi, the former premier in Ibrahim Rogov’s exiled cabinet, who said in Hashim’s rise:

- Cadavers have never been an obstacle to Thaci’s career.

The inconvenient truth about Albanian ethnic cleansing

The massacre in the village Racak was by far the bloodiest incident that served as a prelude to “Kosovo’s war”. An alleged murder is in question, with 45 Albanian civilians whose death was presented to the West as the Serbian revenge for the actions taken by the KLA against Serbian security forces. “Yugoslavia” then dropped all allegations, claiming that its forces were not responsible for the crime. However the same coalition led by the USA that recognized Kosovo have not backed away from their allegations, so the crime will remain on the conscience of the Serbs.

To make the historical line even more interesting, Thaci himself shocked the press, and then radio Voice of Russia – who first published Hashim’s confession in March 2000. Hashim admitted that the KLA purposely demonised Serbia through its operations, provoking the military intervention of the West.

The Voice of Russia then cited Thaci who talked about a public secret, admitting that the KLA killed four police officers in the village Racak, with the intent of provoking action from the Serbian special forces. The Serbs did react, and the media immediately characterized it as a Serbian massacre of Albanian villagers, which was denied by Thaci himself, explaining that the bodies of KLA members were later found, which was later additionally analysed in great detail by the media.

Thaci talked about the idea of “Greater Albania” until 1998, when Albania met with the “pyramid scheme” which led to mass looting, which together with the war, homogenized the population in Kosovo. This caused Hashim to change to rhetoric, and start talking about the idea of independence for the region.

From a wanted terrorist to a loved premier

The KLA was on the list of the 100 most wanted and dangerous terrorist organizations in the world until 1998, when the US administration together with Bill Clinton, changed course and decided to support the “guerrillas”, by inaugurating Thaci as the “spokesperson” for Albanian interests in Kosovo.

This course was followed by George W. Bush, despite the link between the KLA and Al Qaeda that is well known to the intelligence community.

Thaci and his party reject all of these allegations.

Croatia, Macedonia, Albania discuss NATO bids with US officials

2008-02-20T00:46:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON: The defense ministers of Croatia, Macedonia and Albania were seeking help from the United States on Tuesday for their bids to join NATO.

Branko Vukelic of Croatia, Lazar Elenovski of Macedonia and Fatmir Mediu of Albania were detailing their countries' efforts to meet requirements for change ahead of the alliance's April summit in Bucharest. That is where the members will consider the three bids.

The United States has been supportive of membership for the three countries, but has been encouraging them to step up changes in their practices. It is unclear whether all three countries have the necessary unanimous support of the alliance's 26 members.

The ministers' meetings with officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, come at a time of increased misgivings about stability in the Balkans after Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia on Sunday.

On Tuesday in a joint event at the Atlantic Council, a Washington group that promotes close U.S.-European ties, the three ministers argued that membership for all three would promote stability by anchoring the three Balkan countries in an important Western institution. They also said that the necessary changes have been made.

Croatia to Recognise Kosovo with EU Members

2008-02-20T00:44:00.000-07:00

Croatian Premier Ivo Sanader repeated today that Croatia will wait for the EU countries to recognise Kosovo first.

- We will examine the whole situation, but I can not give a precise date when it (the recognition of Kosovo) will happen. We will do it together with the majority of EU members – said the PM in Vukovar.

Sanader was then asked if he fears for Croatian businessmen in case Croatia recognises Kosovo that may damage the business in the Serbian market. He stated that the Croatian economy has interests there.

This and the situation in our neighbourhood is the reason why Croatia has carried out a moderate policy, a policy aimed at preserving Croatia’s national interests, said Sanader, reminding that Croatia had a stabilising role in this part of Europe.

Commenting on Serbian President Tadic’s statements at the UN that Croatia still does not return the Serbs their houses, Sanader said that Tadic should have not stated that.

- I think that Boris Tadic used the opportunity to strike back to Croatia due to our decision to take the position of the majority of EU countries on the recognition of Kosovo. I think he should not have said that – Sanader said.

Croatia to move on LNG terminal soon

2008-02-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

Croatia should soon define a location for its Adriatic liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and sign an agreement with foreign partners to kick off its building, a top Croatian energy official said on Monday.
"The government should reach a decision on location in a month or so and then an agreement with foreign partners should follow quickly," Assistant Economy Minister in charge of energy policy, Zeljko Tomsic, told Reuters in an interview.
Analysts believe the best location for the terminal is the northern Adriatic island of Krk.
The project was to get under way last year and be completed by 2012, but was delayed due to disagreements over voting rights between Croat and foreign investors and uncertainty about the location.
Tomsic said Croatia could not accept that three foreign parters who will have 61 percent in the Adria LNG consortium -- Germany's E.ON Ruhrgas, Austria's OMV and France's Total -- should have a possibility to outvote other partners.
"We suggested a veto right for the Croatian partners, which was not accepted, or that decisions be taken by a 76-percent majority. But I believe we're now close to a mutually acceptable shareholders' agreement," Tomsic said.
Other foreign partners in the consortium are Germany's RWE and Slovenia's gas company Geoplin.
Croatian companies comprise 25 percent of the consortium and include oil concern INA, in which the state has 44 percent and Hungary's MOL 25 percent, state power board HEP and gas company Plinacro.
The project, estimated at $1 billion and with a capacity of up to 15 billion cubic meters of gas per year, is part of European gas companies' efforts to diversify import resources and reduce dependence on Russian pipeline gas. Croatia will take some 2 billion cubic meters a year.
"I believe the 2012 target date is still reachable, but the (Croatian) state has to intensify its efforts," Tomsic said.
PEOP LAGGING BEHIND
Another important project for Croatia, which seeks to become a regional energy transport hub, is Paneuropean Oil Pipeline (PEOP), to transport Caspian crude from the Romanian port of Contanta to Italy's Trieste, but Tomsic was less optimistic about its speed.
"We have had a delay as Slovenia is reluctant to participate due to environmental concerns, while in northern Italy the pipeline network is fragmented, which makes it more complex to push forward the talks," Tomsic said.
He said the next meeting about the project is scheduled for later this week in Brussels as the European Commission is very keen to see the pipeline come to life.
"If Slovenia remains reluctant, an option is to circumvent it by an undersea connection from Croatia to Italy. I hope we'll have a clearer picture soon," Tomsic said.
The PEOP, also tentatively scheduled to be completed by 2012, should have annual capacity of 60-90 million tonnes (1.2-1.8 million barrels per day) and the investment is worth roughly $3.5 billion.
Tomsic said the PEOP could also revive the doomed Druzhba-Adria oil pipeline which was aimed to connect Russian oilfields to the northern Croatian deep sea port of Omisalj, but never took off because of environmental concerns in Croatia.
"If the PEOP is connected to Genoa or Marseilles, which the European Commission favors, the Russians could become interested to export their crude by tankers to the U.S., which was originally behind the idea of Druzhba-Adria.

Croatia warned in border row

2008-02-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

The European Union urged Croatia yesterday to calm a maritime border dispute with Slovenia that has cast a cloud over Croatia's efforts to join the Union.

EU foreign ministers said Croatia should refrain from enforcing a 57,000 sq km fisheries protection zone in the Adriatic sea that it proclaimed on January 1.

Slovenia, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, views Croatia's action as an attempt to predetermine a settlement of the border dispute.

Croatia 2008: holiday planning guide

2008-02-18T01:58:00.001-07:00

Where Croatia's coastal mountain range tumbles into the sea the drowned foothills have created ribbon islands covered with pine woods, flower-rich maquis and fields of vines and lavender.

Hvar
Hvar, with its sophisticated bars and clubs, is the most fashionable place on the Dalmatian coast

There are few good sandy beaches, but the sea is crystal-clear and there are often ladders or steps cut into the rock leading to the water.

It's a great place for a seaside holiday.

Some of the monolithic concrete hotels built during the Communist era have scrubbed up well (though others remain eyesores) and Croatia is seeing the rise of the boutique hotel in its lovely Venetian-built ports and cities.

In rural villages deserted buildings are being converted into guesthouses and rental cottages.

Island-hopping using the efficient ferry service is particularly rewarding and, outside July and August, one can always find somewhere to stay on the day.

The Dalmatian coast has four tourist areas: the Istrian peninsula in the north; the Kvarner region, which includes Zadar and the islands of Cres and Rab; Split and the Makarska riviera in central Dalmatia; and, in the south, the historic port of Dubrovnik and its riviera.

Inland, national parks are being developed as multi-activity destinations, especially for trekking, rafting and canoeing.

Here are 10 good reasons to visit Croatia this year:

# It is probably the cheapest country in the Mediterranean for holidaymakers.

A bottle of beer costs £1, a coffee 50p, and a pizza £2.50.

The quality of food and wine has also improved greatly, especially on islands popular with Italians, who won't put up with bad food.

There is now a good choice of local wines on menus for about £4 a bottle.

# The bucolic Istrian countryside is opening up to tourism.

Thanks to government grants, locals have been busy renovating their country properties to rent to tourists and there are some agritourism enterprises, such as the Strakovcic family farm in Gorica, which opened in October.

Most tour operators have a clutch of handsome stone villas with pools on their books, many near the medieval hill towns of Motovun and Groznjan, which provide a focus for arts events and evenings in family-run restaurants.

# The first five-star hotel in Istria, the Kempinski Hotel Adriatic, opens on June 1 on a private beach a few miles north of Umag, which is only a two-hour boat ride from Venice.

It will have a sophisticated spa, gym, golf course, heated outdoor pools and a professionally run children's club with its own villa and pool.

Special opening rates are now available; a deluxe seaview room costs £150 a night in June through www.kempinski.com.

# For eco-warriors over the age of 16, there is a volunteering programme, the Caput Insulae Eco-centre, at Beli on the island of Cres.

Volunteers can stay for a week or three months and work in the mornings repairing dry-stone walls, helping local shepherds, maintaining forest eco-trails and rescuing and caring for the endangered Eurasian griffon vultures.

For more information, see www.supovi.hr. Steve Holland arranges placements at the eco-centre and also runs Essential Croatia (07970 201035, www.essentialcroatia.com), which arranges guided walks and accommodation for others who wish to discover this tranquil island.

# Hoteliers on the island of Krk have spent the winter renovating hotels and apartments and building new places to stay in anticipation of a tourist boom this summer thanks to direct flights from Britain to Rijeka (the airport is actually on Krk) and Zadar.

This is a lovely island, known for its olive oil and wine, and among the new projects are Apartments Baska and Villa Adria, which have kitchenettes but also link into the facilities of a four-star hotel.

# The town of Hvar, on the island of the same name, has become the most fashionable place on the Dalmatian coast to stay and be seen (though there can be too many flashy Italians in August).

Cocktail bars have replaced cheap pizza joints on its Venetian town square and the renovated Riva Hotel is the only place in Croatia to be accepted as a member of the Small Luxury Hotels brand.

# The outlying island of Vis, off-limits to foreigners for nearly 50 years (it was used as a Yugoslav naval base), is Dalmatia away from the day-trippers.

The three-star Paula Hotel has been renovated over the winter and restoration work has finished on cottages in the hamlet or Talez, both ideal bases from which to explore this green hilly island known for its gastronomy and local wines.

There are also boat trips to even more remote islands.

# The newly opened Split-Zagreb and Split-Rijeka motorways are opening up the country's interior. The 235-mile journey from Split to Zagreb, the capital, now takes just three hours.

The motorway has also made it much easier to reach Croatia's mountains and the Plitvice Lakes national park, where 16 lakes connected by rapids and waterfalls are set in beech and fir woods.

Deer, bears and even wolves are said to roam here. There is also excellent rafting and kayaking near Karlovac, south-west of Zagreb.

# The best way to enjoy Croatia's many offshore islands is by boat.

Dalmatian Destinations (020 7730 8007, www.dalmatiandestinations.com) has added eight luxury gulets and sailing schooners to its portfolio, sleeping between eight and 14 people.

Itineraries are tailor-made and boats are fully crewed with a chef and often an owner-captain. New Venice-to-Split sailing weeks have been introduced this summer.

# Dubrovnik has become one of the most stylish cities on the Mediterranean, with a vibrant café society and arts scene.

Most of the big waterfront resorts and boutique hotels have undergone renovation, including the Hotel Excelsior, which reopens in June.

New hotels include the five-star Hotel More on the Lapad peninsula. The city is a good jumping-off point for the southern Dalmatian islands and forays into neighbouring Montenegro and the beautiful Gulf of Kotor.

The Summer Festival runs from July 10 to August 25 and the programme is posted on www.dubrovnik-festival.hr.

There are 20 stages, most of them open-air, for more than 80 productions of drama, music, film and dance.

Waterfalls in Plitvice Lakes National Park
Naturally beautiful: waterfalls in Plitvice Lakes National Park

Expect to pay

The following are rough guides to prices for a week’s holiday in June:

Three-bedroom villa with pool in Istria: £750 rental only

One-bedroom apartment in Dubrovnik old town: £400 rental only

Four-star resort hotel: £650 half board per person including flights

Coach tour of Istria: £650 half board per person including flights

Dalmatian islands cruise: £700 half board per person including flights

Group walking holiday: £700 half board per person including flights

2008-02-15T18:10:00.005-07:00

Croatia 2008: where to stay

2008-02-15T18:10:00.004-07:00

Our comprehensive guide to the most reliable operators and the best places to stay in Croatia, from small family-run affairs to city hotels and villas.

Hotel holidays

The main tour operators tend to concentrate on the Istrian peninsula and the Dubrovnik riviera.

Croatia has few sandy beaches, so most hotels have created beaches on concrete jetties, using imported sand, and built swimming platforms out over the rocky foreshore.

A good guide to inspected smaller hotels and b&bs is Alastair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay: Croatia (www.sawdays.co.uk).

Our selection

Bond Tours (01372 745300, www.bondtours.com) Tailor-made holidays all over Croatia, including the national parks. Good choice of upmarket and characterful accommodation on the rivieras and 10 islands.

Holiday Options (0844 477 0452, www.holidayoptions.co.uk) The biggest operator to Croatia with a wide selection of hotels countrywide, from small family-run affairs to five-star resort hotels.

Has the best range of flights from regional airports and can arrange two-centre holidays. Also features island-hopping itineraries, apartment rentals in Dubrovnik, Cavtat and Hvar, and coach tours.

Other options

Balkan Holidays (0845 130 1114, www.balkanholidays.co.uk) Keenly priced packages to three- five-star hotels on the coast and islands of Korcula, Bol and Hvar. Good-value Dalmatian cruise on 300-passenger ship from Venice, coach tours and tailor-made short breaks.

Cosmos (0871 423 8560, www.cosmos.co.uk) Features hotels in the Dubrovnik riviera and Istria with flights from Gatwick and Manchester. There are flexi-stays (minimum three nights) for short breaks or a multi-centre holiday. The company’s online accommodation booking service, www.somewhere2stay.com, has further options.

Croatia Choice (02380 254287, www.croatiachoice.com) Small boutique hotels in all coastal areas plus villas and apartments.

Croatia for Travellers (020 7226 4460, www.croatiafortravellers.co.uk) Island-hopping fly-drives a speciality.

Croatian Affair (020 7385 7111, www.croatianaffair.com) A new programme of boutique hotels, both coast and country, with flexible stays to create a touring itinerary.

Hidden Croatia (0800 021 7771, www.hiddencroatia.com) Three- to five-star resort hotels in Istria, the Makarska and Dubrovnik rivieras plus the main islands.

Indus Tours (020 8901 7320, www.industours.co.uk) Mid-market hotels in Istria and around Dubrovnik.

Med Hotels (0871 472 5256, www.medhotels.com) Large resort hotels in Istria.

Thomas Cook (08450 772288, www.thomascook.com) Focuses on Istria and the Makarska riviera including Bol on the island of Brac, which has a lovely beach of small white pebbles.

Croatia Survives Norway and Enters Semi-Finals

2008-01-27T04:23:00.001-07:00

The Croatian national handball team might have played their hardest match at the European Handball Championship, drawing 23-23 with Norway, which was enough for Croatia to get to the semi-finals.

A very hard match was expected, and this is exactly what they got. Norway has proven to be the hardest rival at the championship. However, the Croatian team got their act together, forgot all of their problems with injuries, and played a great match, which has brought them to the much anticipated semi-finals, where they will play against France.

The start of the match brought us two minutes without points, then finally Hagen scored to give Norway a 1-0 lead. Ivano Balic was specially patched up for this match, and despite various problems with injuries, he scores Croatia’s first goal for 1-1. Hagen immediately returns with another goal, but one of the best players in that match against Montenegro, Ivan Cupic, makes it 2-2. Thanks to two goals from Ivano Balic, Croatia gets its first lead in the 9th minute. Hagen and Strand return the minimal advantage to Norway. However, it is important to mention that the whole first half passed with equal game-play, without any large series of scoring, and what is most important, without any very harsh fouls that the Croatian team feared.

The referees did their job very correctly, so we can dedicate ourselves to clean game-play, which to be honest, was not good. Little goals were given, which can be attributed to the defence of both teams that did not allow shots from good positions. After Croatia’s lead from the 9th minute, Norway started playing better, and did not give their lead up to the end of the half. The largest danger for Croatia was in the last two minutes of the first half, when they were left without two players on the court. Norway did not exploit their opportunity, whilst Lackovic was great as well. Lackovic scored the last three goals for Croatia in the first half, and instead of being three points behind Norway, the half time score showed a minimal lead to Norway, 11-10.

Hagen was the most dangerous player for Norway, who scored five goals, who was joined by Strand with four. Croatia’s highest scorers were Ivano Balic, who led Croatia in the first half of the match, and Blazenko Lackovic, who took responsibility at the end of the match.

Lackovic opens the second half of the match with his fourth goal in a row. Norway score two goals quickly, but Ivano Balic copied Lackovic, and scored his fourth goal for the match. Niksa Kaleb scored in the 35th minute for 13-13. Norway take the lead in the next attack, but also lose a player after Lund fouls Vori. Unfortunately, Duvnjak missed the penalty shot.

After blocking the penalty, Ege also stops a good attempt by Lackovic. This is immediately used by Norway in the offence, where they manage to score with one player less, and bring their lead back up to two goals. Kaleb’s goal broke the short shortage of goals, that occurred because of a few mistakes in the offence of both sides. A great mistake in the 39th minute led to an easy goal for Norway. Pero Metlicic finally found a weak point in Ege’s defence, and lessened Norway’s lead to 16-15.

Metlicic leaves the game because of a cut on his eye, and the most interesting thing here is the referee’s decision, which was against Croatia, even though one referee first called a penalty for Jenssen’s foul on Metlicic. It was one of the rare disputed referee decisions, but that was to be expected, Norway are the hosts after all. Croatia finally manage to equalize through Balic in the 42nd minute. This was a hard match in which nobody spared themselves. The stakes were high, the semi-finals of the European Handball Championship.

Croatia gets new problems in the 44th minute. Again, Croatia is left with only four players on the court. The was immediately used by Skjarvold, and bring Norway the lead. A minute later, the same player gets sent off, which was punished by Ivano Balic with his sixth goal for the match. Niksa Kaleb scores in the 47th minute for Croatia’s first lead after the one they had in the 9th minute, 4-3. Ivano Balic did wonders. He goes to the line and scores for Croatia’s two point lead. But Croatia gets another player sent off, and gives Norway a chance to get back in the match. Strand scores the penalty and brings the score to 19-18, and in the next attack, Skjarvold equalizes the score for Norway.

The game intensified in defence again, and only Ivano Balic managed to find his way to the goal. He scored his eighth goal in the 52nd minute, and brings Croatia to the lead. Alilovic defends an attempt by Norway, and Lackovic scores on the other side for a two goal advantage, eight minutes before the end of the match. Mirko Alilovic’s tenth save came at the right time.

Norway was playing a bit faster at the time, and in some moments, slightly panicked.

The long range, and before all, lucky goal by Solberg lessens Croatia’s lead to 21-20. However, Metlicic returns the favour, and brings Croatia to a hard earned two point lead, only four minutes before the end of the match.

Lino cheered on his players in all possible and impossible ways, which the players deserved with the brave play. Croatia had a great opportunity to gain a three point advantage, but a mistake between Balic – Lackovic gave a new chance to Norway. This was punished by Skjarvold, and the match returned to unpredictability, where it was most of the time. Mirko Alilovic had a great save only a minute and fifteen seconds before the end of the match, denying Norway a chance to equalize. Croatia did not score in their attack, and Norway then equalize for 22-22.

Ivano Balic scores just before the end, but Solberg did the same, and the match ended 23-23. This means that Croatia will go to the semi-finals of the European Handball Championship, where they will play against France.

Norway lost to Croatia

2008-01-27T04:21:00.000-07:00

Norway lost to Croatia
Norway's men lost its bid for a place in the Handball Euro 208 semifinals, when it only managed a 23-23 draw against ruling Olympic champions Croatia in Stavanger Thursday evening.

Croatia captured the fourth and final semi final place after a thriller of a match against host nation Norway.

Norway were in the lead for most of the match but in the second half Croatia took advantage of the Norwegians' poor shooting and took the initiative in the match.

However, Glenn Solberg equalized for Norway with only two seconds left.

Norway will now meet Sweden to fight for the fifth place in the tournament. But Norway has already qualified for the Olympic games.

2008-01-27T04:09:00.000-07:00

Bulgaria backs Albanian EU-NATO bid

2007-12-03T05:05:00.001-07:00

In October, NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly approved a resolution that endorses the possible issuing, at next year’s Bucharest summit, of invitations to Albania, Croatia and Macedonia to join the Alliance.

The Speaker of Bulgaria’s Parliament, Georgi Pirinski, declared his support for Albania’s NATO bid during a meeting with Albanian Premier Sali Berisha on Sunday.

“The Bulgarian National Assembly is engaged in supporting Albania’s integration into NATO and the EU,” said Pirinski during the meeting.

In October, NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly approved a resolution that endorses the possible issuing, at next year’s Bucharest summit, of invitations to Albania, Croatia and Macedonia to join the Alliance.

The resolution calls on these three candidates, known as the Adriatic Charter countries, to push through the necessary reforms, while urging NATO members to initiate discussions on the candidate countries’ accession.

The two leaders also discussed the situation in Kosovo, following the failure of Serbian and Kosovar Albanian leaders to reach a compromise on the UN-administered entity’s future at their final round of talks, chaired by a “Troika” of international mediators, last week.

Berisha restated his call to the Kosovo Albanian political class, preparing to declare independence, not to take any unilateral actions.

“Though Belgrade has an unrealistic stance, the Kosovar political class should coordinate every action with the United States and the European Union,” he said.

Pirinski appreciated Albania’s stand on the issue of Kosovo, noting it was a factor of peace in the region.

“The moderate stance of Albania on the Kosovo issue makes it possible to avoid the danger of a new conflict in the Balkans,” said the Bulgaria parliamentary speaker.