RBA: Croatian Clients' Money And Assets Safe
ZAGREB, 3 March 2022 - Raiffeisenbank Austria (RBA) on Thursday underscored that the bank is not directly exposed nor is its business directed at the Russian or Ukraine markets, adding that its clients' money and assets in Croatia are safe.
Regarding Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) and its exposure to the Russian and Ukraine markets and its connection with the local RBA bank in Croatia, "all RBA bank services, products, all domestic and foreign payments, with the exception of those covered by sanctions, are accessible to clients."
RBA Croatia is one of 13 banks within the Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International Group (RBI) operating in central and eastern Europe, RBI said and added that based on experience over the past years, it has developed a proven approach to protect its clients.
The approach consists of conservative management of business activities, preventing the exposure of clients to any significant risk on the Croatian market. It includes a high level of liquidity and capital, which is significantly above that required by European regulators, and a very strict strategy resulting in self-sustainability.
RBA management board president Liana Keserić said that while it is witnessing the destructive consequences of the current conflict for Ukraine's residents, the bank is doing everything to offer its clients what responsible bankers are required to provide - a secure bank and secure access to money, products, and services.
For more, check out our business section.
Grlić Radman: Putin Should Be Convinced By Pressure Of Senselessness Of Invasion
ZAGREB, 3 March 2022 - Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman said on Thursday that pressure should be put on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his aides to convince them of the senselessness of the invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking in an interview with Media Service, Grlić Radman was asked if fear of a nuclear war was founded, to which he said that "we should act cautiously, but resolutely" towards Russia.
"We should use all the instruments of pressure through political diplomacy to convince Putin and his oligarchy, his closest aides of the senselessness of this political adventure," the Croatian foreign minister said. "We should also raise awareness of the Russian people. We can see a lot of protests in many cities, with people taking to the streets to oppose the Russian aggression," he added.
Grlić Radman said that the purpose of the sanctions was for "the Putin regime to feel the reaction on their own skin, rather than the Russian people, ordinary citizens."
As for the possibility of the Ukraine crisis spilling over to southeastern Europe, Grlić Radman said that "Serbia barely condemned the Russian invasion" and Belgrade signed the UN declaration on the Russian aggression under pressure.
"There could be a spillover of the conflict because of the fact that Kosovo is not recognized by Serbia, Russia, and some other countries, and because there are frozen conflicts in Russia's vicinity, notably in Moldova and Georgia. Therefore, a spillover can happen and we want to avoid it," the Croatian minister said.
He reiterated that Croatia supported the European membership prospects for Ukraine, as well as for the Western Balkan countries.
There are 23 Croatian nationals left in Ukraine, of whom ten are married to Ukrainians and do not want to leave the country. Croatian Ambassador Anica Djamić has left Kyiv and will continue her duties in the western city of Lviv, Grlić Radman said.
Croatia has taken in more than 600 Ukrainian refugees, and Grlić Radman said that Croatia would not have trouble accepting even hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Over 800,000 Ukrainians have so far fled the armed conflict in their country, most of them seeking refuge in Poland. Between 4 and 5 million people are expected to leave their homes.
Grlić Radman also said that the government was satisfied with the cooperation with President Zoran Milanović on this issue.
For more, check out our politics section.
Croatia Sending €240,000 In Aid To Moldova To Help Refugees
ZAGREB, 3 March 2022 - Croatia's government on Thursday decided to send a convoy with HRK 1.8 million worth of goods and equipment to Moldova after the country took in a considerable number of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.
Moldova has asked international organizations for help in accommodating the Ukrainian refugees.
Earlier in the day, the head of the Civil Protection Directorate, Damir Trut, announced in an interview with Croatian Radio that Croatia would send a humanitarian aid convoy to Moldova to help it cope with the influx of Ukrainian refugees.
The aid will include tents, beds, and other items for the accommodation of refugees, he said.
For more, check out our politics section.
Rijeka Railway Station Unveiled After Two Years of Renovation
March 3rd, 2022 - Special attention was paid to the restoration of original decorative elements on the facade
After a two-year renovation, the main railway station in Rijeka has been restored to its original splendour.
The 19th century edifice had been neglected for ages until it was finally decided to renovate the historical building, starting with a facade restoration. The project is worth HRK 25 million in total, and works should be completed by the summer of 2023, according to RiPortal.
Conservators and restorers have been working on the building since March 2020, and are now putting the finishing touches on the facade. Scaffolding was taken down earlier this week to the delight of Rijeka locals, who are happy to see one of the main landmarks in the city finally getting the long-awaited makeover.
The railway station is the work of Ferenc Pfaff, a Hungarian architect who also designed the central railway stations in Zagreb and Osijek. The project was financed by the Hungarian State Railways with construction completed in 1891.
Special attention was paid to the restoration of original decorative elements on the facade, painstakingly carried out by a team of 20 experts from the company Terracotta from Zagreb. Weathered elements that were too heavily damaged had to be removed entirely and replaced with identical replicas: molds made from the originals were used to cast new terracotta elements.
The facade was also repainted and the exterior woodwork replaced. Interior works were also supposed to be nearing completion, but were delayed after the restorers uncovered original architectural sculpture in the vestibule. Conservators now need to draw up an interior design plan before works are allowed to continue. Once this is done, the next stage of the project can begin, namely renovation of the waiting rooms, staff offices and restrooms.
And while some are poetically calling the renovated building a rhapsody in white, others have pointed out that it wouldn’t take too long for vandals to tarnish the fresh facade with graffiti. Sadly, it wouldn’t even be the first time: as Novi list reported a while ago, several graffiti had been found on a renovated part of the facade back in December 2021.
They’ve been painted over in the meantime, and the facade was reportedly covered in special anti-graffiti coating that will prevent spray paint from permeating the wall surface and make cleanup easier.
Three Sea Turtles Rescued on Lošinj Island, Washed Ashore by Bura Wind
March 3rd, 2022 - The turtles are being looked after at the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre on Lošinj
The mighty bura wind is known to sow chaos on the Croatian coast, but not often do we hear about it leaving several confused visitors washed ashore.
In the last few days, strong north-eastern wind blew with a strength of over 30 knots on Lošinj island. Locals spotted a large loggerhead turtle stranded in the port of Veli Lošinj town, and informed the Blue World Institute of the sighting.
Two younger and smaller turtles were also spotted floating in the port as the first one was being rescued by the institute employees. All three were admitted to the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre on Lošinj and were provided with the necessary care, announced the Blue World Institute.
Adverse weather conditions interrupted their hibernation process, and as they were stunned by the cold, the turtles were not able to dive and ended up disoriented in the port of Veli Lošinj.
The three turtles have been named Bura, Veli and Saturn, and are now being looked after at the rescue centre. Once the sea temperature has risen sufficiently, they'll be released back into the sea.
Photos: Blue World Institute / Sara Širola
Prime Minister Says Croatia Will Consistently Implement Sanctions Against Russia
ZAGREB, 3 March 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Thursday said that his cabinet would make sure that the sanctions against Russia are carried out consistently by Croatia.
Also, the war in Ukraine is going to disrupt supply chains in agriculture because Ukraine is one of the major exporters of cereals and oilseeds to the European Union.
"The government is analyzing all the consequences of this situation, and will take all necessary measures accordingly so as to protect Croatian citizens and businesses and reduce the repercussions for everyday life," said the PM.
Next week, Plenković will attend an informal meeting of the European Council, which will focus on the aggression against Ukraine and on reinforcing various aspects of European sovereignty.
He recalled that Croatian Postal Bank (HPB) took over Sberbank Croatia and the government managed to ensure this transaction in a record short time.
"We have helped that sound bank to survive now as part of HPB and also to reassure its deposit holders and clients by this rapid response."
Furthermore, this transaction has increased HPB's share in the Croatian banking market to nearly 8%, and Plenković added that none of Sberbank subsidiaries in Europe had been liquidated.
For more, check out our politics section.
Staničić: Booking Is Slow, But Without Major Disruptions To Travel Market
ZAGREB, 3 March 2022 - The booking for tourist accommodation in Croatia is currently somewhat slow, but without any major disruptions to the travel market, Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) director Kristjan Staničić said on Thursday.
He said it was very hard to make any forecasts right now considering the Ukraine crisis and its impact on present and future tourism trends. "Unless the situation in Ukraine stabilizes soon, it is realistic to expect that the crisis will start to spill over to countries in its immediate vicinity and then to the rest of Europe," he added.
Staničić said that this year Croatia could hardly count on visitors from remote markets, such as the United States, Canada, and China, who see Europe as a single destination. On the other hand, Croatia could benefit from the fact that it is primarily a car destination, easily accessible by road, which in the present circumstances is a comparative advantage.
Staničić relayed today's statement by the European Travel Commission, of which he is vice-president, in which the representatives of national travel organizations condemned the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and expressed solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
"ETC strongly condemns this violation of international law and calls for all parties to work towards a peaceful resolution," Staničić said, adding that all ETC members and partners were called upon to help by providing transport, shelter, and food to those in need.
ETC believes that the conflict will have a negative impact on the travel and tourism sectors in European countries, which are slowly beginning to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Staničić said.
For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Croatia's Coronavirus Update: 1,625 New Cases, 23 Deaths, 1,800 Recoveries
ZAGREB, 3 March 2022 - In the last 24 hours, there have been 1,625 new cases of the infection with coronavirus in Croatia, and the disease has claimed another 23 lives, bringing the COVID-related death toll to 15,145, the country's COVID-19 crisis management team reported on Thursday.
There are currently 12,041 active cases, including 1,130 hospitalized patients of whom 81 are placed on ventilators.
Since the start of the pandemic in Croatia two years ago, over 1.06 million cases of the infection have been registered, and the healthcare authorities have reported 1,032,892 recoveries, including 1,800 recoveries in the last 24 hours.
Nearly two-thirds of adults (65.53%) have fully been vaccinated so far.
For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language if it isn't English
DZS: Value Of Construction Work Increases By 13.8% In 2021, New Orders Up 21.1%
ZAGREB, 3 March 2022 - The value of construction work done in Croatia in 2021 by companies with more than 20 employees increased by 13.8% from 2020, while the value of new orders was 21.1% higher, the National Bureau of Statistics (DZS) said on Thursday.
The value of construction work was HRK 30.3 billion, of which 21.7 billion accounted for work done by own workers and 8.5 billion for work carried out by subcontractors. The value of new orders was HRK 25.9 billion.
By type of construction performed by own workers, 28.6% of work-related to non-residential buildings, 34.6% to transport infrastructures, such as roads and bridges, 17.8% to pipelines and 16.1% to residential buildings.
In the last quarter of 2021, the value of construction work totaled HRK 8 billion, increasing by 8.2% from the same period of 2020, while the value of new orders rose by 23.9% to HRK 6.6 billion.
For more, check out our business section.
Vučković: EU Needs Emergency Measures Over Ukraine War And Increased Prices
ZAGREB, 3 March 2022 - Croatian Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković attended an extraordinary video meeting of EU agriculture ministers on Wednesday to discuss the potential impact of the conflict in Ukraine on the EU's agriculture and food sector.
Vučković expressed understanding of the situation in which Ukraine found itself, given Croatia's experience with the 1991-1995 Homeland War.
She mentioned the fundamental goals of the common agricultural policy, including ensuring a secure food supply at affordable prices and decent living conditions for rural communities across the EU.
Vučković said that monitoring the situation on the market was not enough anymore and that it was high time to activate emergency measures, considering increases in prices of energy and consequently of fertilizers, transport, livestock feed, and other related production costs.
"We have to be resolute and state clearly that, as European ministers responsible for ensuring sufficient food supplies for our populations, the security of the food systems is an absolute priority," the Croatian minister said.
The EU agriculture ministers called on the Commission to consider the use of all available tools and mechanisms within and outside the common agricultural policy to create conditions for a collective response to the current situation.
Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowsk announced a series of steps and activities, including proposals for the activation of emergency market measures.
The ministers expressed solidarity with Ukraine and readiness to support it within and outside the EU humanitarian aid mechanisms.
For more, check out our politics section.
