21 March 2022 - On the occasion of International Forest Day, Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević on Monday took part in a reforestation drive in the city's Maksimir Park, saying that the city administration wanted to increase the number of trees in the city's parks by 20%.

"This year we have stepped our efforts compared to last year and I believe that we will achieve that goal by the end of our term," the mayor said at the event, held to plant saplings on the first day of the spring.

The drive was organised by the public institution "Maksimir" in cooperation with the Faculty of Forestry.

Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac and Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Tomislav Ćorić also attended the event.

21 March 2022 - Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Tomislav Ćorić said on Monday that he expected fuel prices to go down on Tuesday, with the price of diesel being slightly above HRK 12 and the price of petrol slightly below HRK 12, while the price of blue-dyed diesel would be around HRK 8 per litre.

Ćorić, who was taking part in a reforestation drive in Zagreb's Maksimir Park, told reporters that the state could not guarantee that this would be the start of a process of price decline, adding that that would depend on prices on reference markets and further developments in the east of Europe.

The government last week adopted a directive to buffer the fuel price hike by doing away with the obligation for distributors to mix biofuel with diesel and petrol until the end of the year.

The directive is expected to enable distributors to reduce prices by about HRK 0.50.

(€1 = HRK 7.573601)

21 March 2022 - International Forest Day, 21 March, this year focuses on the theme "Forests and sustainable production and consumption", to warn that forest renewal and sustainable management helps fight climate change and crises that occur due to the loss of biodiversity. 

Forests are threatened by climate change, wildfires, water disruptions, bacteria, fungi, and air, soil and water pollution.

Globally, the loss of forests will continue due to climate change despite efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is why sustainably managed forests fulfil all generally useful functions and produce goods and services for the integral sustainable development of communities.

The Hrvatske Šume state-owned forest management company notes that there is no fear of forest loss in Croatia because the country manages its forests and forest land in a sustainable way, in line with 10-year plans.

Wood resources are used to the extent that does not threaten the survival of forests, which is why in Croatia fewer trees are felled annually than are planted, Hrvatske Šume notes.

Forests and forest land in Croatia account for 49.3% of the country's land area. Of that, 76% is owned by the state and 24% by private forest owners.

Forests in Croatia 95% natural

The main trait of Croatian forests is that they are 95% natural, unlike many European forests that have been turned into plantations and monocultures.

"That is why Croatia's natural forests are admired by Europeans and that is why they are home to numerous rare plant species and the three largest European predators -  the brown bear, the wolf, and the lynx," Hrvatske Šume says.

A report on the state of nature in Croatia for the period from 2013 to 2017 shows that 98.88% of forests are excellently or well preserved.

Private forest owners, however, warn that the EU is 'punishing' Croatia for the good state of its forests and that its strategies, which are based on the EU Green Deal, will negatively affect forest management sustainability because they give priority to the environmental aspect over the economic and social aspects, which, they say, will cause a drop in production and loss of jobs in the sector.

21 March 2022 - There will be no gas shortages in Croatia, gas production is growing and will continue to grow in the next few years, Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Tomislav Ćorić said on Sunday.

The minister made the statement in an interview with the HTV public broadcaster in which he commented on countries' turning to their own gas production in the context of the war in Ukraine.

Croatia will increase its gas production with six new wells. With the additional annual output of 285 million cubic metres this year, total domestic production will exceed one billion cubic metres, which meets 40% of domestic demand.

Asked if in the case of a complete suspension of gas supply from Russia the increase in own production could help fully meet domestic gas demand, Ćorić said that domestic gas production was growing and would continue growing in the next few years.

"The government's goal is to affirm domestic production and increase self-sufficiency, both as regards gas and as regards electricity. Croatia will not suffer any gas shortages," he said.

Construction of LNG terminal has secured sufficient gas supplies for households, business sector

"The coming years should bring an increase in gas production not only in INA's fields but also in the fields operated by some other companies, in relation to the current production, which meets around 30% of domestic demand. I believe we can ensure up to 40% coverage of domestic demand. The alternative supply route, the LNG terminal on the island of Krk, is the absolute guarantee that our business sector and households will not be left without gas regardless of the developments in the east of Europe," he said.

Asked if Croatia could be certain that the gas from the LNG terminal on Krk would stay in the country considering that its lessees are foreign companies, Ćorić recalled that lessees are both domestic and foreign companies but that even in the event of gas shortages on the global market, the alternative supply route and own production would help meet domestic demand to the largest extent.

Asked about the price of gas, Ćorić said that the government could influence supplies but that it did not have a more significant influence on prices as they were determined by the market.

March the 21st, 2022 - Wartime Vukovar hospital director Vesna Bosanac has passed away following a long and difficult illness. She is widely considered to be one of the heroines of the Homeland War.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the exceptional Dr. Vesna Bosanac was the war and post-war director of the Vukovar hospital, a facility that became synonymous with the sheer tragedy that befell Vukovar at the hands of horrendous Serbian aggression.

Bosanac was appointed head of the Vukovar Medical Centre and the Vukovar War Hospital on July the 24th, 1991. The unspeakable events which happened in that Eastern Croatian town that autumn could barely have been expected by anyone, and Vesna Bosanac stepped up to the job, showing nothing but bravery and dealing with the responsibility of her position exceptionally well. During those terrible months, thousands of wounded people were treated and operated on in the shelled Vukovar hospital without food or available medicine.

Wartime Vukovar hospital director Vesna Bosanac and many other brave and selfless medical staff and other employees didn't leave the hospital until the fall of the Vukovar, and then ended up being captured by the Serb aggressors. She spent three weeks in the Sremska Mitrovica prison, two more days in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, before being exchanged and before arriving in Zagreb in December 1991.

She was awarded the Order of the Croatian Danica with the figure of Katarina Zrinski, she received the "Charter of the Republic of Croatia" on behalf of the Vukovar General County Hospital from Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, and the Association of Veterans of Podravka in cooperation with other associations from the Homeland War awarded her the Great Gold Plaque for all she did for the benefit of Croatia and the Croatian struggle for independence.

For more, make sure to check our news section.

March 21, 2022 - Among the growing number of foreigners relocating to Croatia, international students are increasingly visible. So who are these foreign students choosing Croatia, and why? In the first of a new series, we get the perspectives of life and study in Croatia through the eyes of its foreign students, starting with Luis Vasquez from Venezuela. 

Among the many foreign tongues heard around the Croatian capital these days is the growing number of students choosing to do their graduate programmes in Croatia. A safe, affordable EU country, with a rapidly expanding programme of high-quality graduate courses in English, with excellent employment opportunities upon graduation, are just some of the reasons for choosing Croatia. And the quality of that education was highlighted recently, as Algebra University College signed an academic partnership agreement with Goldsmiths, University of London (as reported previously on TCN), thereby allowing Algebra students to study under the approved programmes of one of the 500 best universities in the world according to the World University Ranking.

Despite the growing excellence of English-language graduate and post-graduate education in Croatia, the opportunities are not so well known, and so TCN - in partnership with Algebra University College - has compiled an authoritative guide to what you need to know about studying in this beautiful country. Check out the Total Croatia Study in Croatia guide.

Nothing paints the real picture of studying in a foreign country better than the real experiences of students living the day to day reality. In a new series on TCN, we meet some of the international students who have fallen in love with Croatia, many of whom plan to stay and work here if they can find employment. We look at the realities of life, why they chose Croatia, and what advice they have for others contemplating studying in Croatia. 

We begin with Luis Vasquez from Venezuela who is doing a graduate course in Applied Computer Engineering at Algebra University College, with a sub-specialization in Software Engineering.

1. You chose to study in Croatia. Tell us what were the main factors in that decision.

Oh, there were definitely three main factors in my decision. First off, I found a graduate program that matched my goals in terms of skills I wanted to develop as I advanced in my career. Secondly, I have loved Zagreb ever since I came here as a tourist in August 2019 and staying in Croatia for a longer period seemed great to me. Last but not least, my family lives in Ljubljana, so being 2,5 hour by train from them was a no-brainer.

2. How is the experience so far? Give us some pros and cons.

From my perspective, my experience in Croatia has been very positive. Although I was already familiar with Zagreb before I enrolled in my master's studies, the transition was smooth for me, even as a newcomer. There are quite a few things that make Croatia a very special place to quickly adapt to it.

Pros:

- Croatia is very safe. In Zagreb, which is the city I live in, you can walk at any time of the day and not face any threat or feel unsafe at all.

- The transportation system is excellent and inexpensive. The city is interconnected with trams and there are also buses that take you to more remote areas.

- Many cafes, bars, museums and a large natural park (Maksimir) where you can run, walk or simply reconnect with nature.

- Enjoy beautiful views of most of the architecture and buildings in the city.

- Plenty of people speak English, so communicating with locals should not be a problem. Some of them speak German, Italian or Spanish, among other languages.

- Relatively speaking, the cost of living is low, although rents in Zagreb can be much higher than in other cities in Croatia.

Cons:

- Red tape is the rule in many places, especially in public institutions, so be prepared for a lot of paperwork if you are not an EU citizen.

- In some cases, the information you receive in public or private institutions is scarce or unclear, and instead of that, the real information comes from word of mouth. This often leads to inconveniences such as administrative problems, missed deadlines, additional paperwork, extra payments, fines, etc. It's usually not your fault, but you still pay the price for missing information or even receiving incorrect information from an official source.

- Croatian language can be very tricky to master if you're not familiar with any Slavic language. It is quite an interesting language, but it takes a lot of effort to catch up with it. However, this is not mandatory at all if you're only enrolling in an English language program. I have only an A2.1 level and in very few situations I needed to communicate with someone in Croatian.

- Croatia may seem less open than other countries if you're coming from a multicultural environment

- Many police officers don’t speak English, or at least, they prefer to speak in Croatian. However, if the communication for your residence permit application is by email, an online translation tool will save you.

3. How was your perception of studying in Croatia different from the reality? Give us some things that have surprised you about the experience?

I was very happy when I realized the high quality of education in the study program that I chose. Most of the teachers in my program are very knowledgeable and I personally believe that some of them are rock stars in their fields. They are also very approachable and some of them go the extra mile and are so readily available to you that I will honestly ask them for advice on time management skills. That is probably the most remarkable feature that I can highlight from my experience as a student, but I was also surprised by the large number of areas covered in my program. It also motivates me a lot to know that my classmates are very committed to their studies, although it makes sense to find a higher level of commitment in graduate studies.

4. How easy was it to do the paperwork to enroll in the study programme? Any suggestions to improve things?

Regarding the procedures to enroll in my university, Algebra University College, the process was clear and simple from the very beginning. It also helped that I had all my academic documents and the requirements at hand. My enrollment process was possible thanks to the valuable support I received from the International Office at my University, as they sped up the review of my application so that I would receive an acceptance letter on time and I could submit my documents to the police to apply for a residence permit.

The story with my residence permit application was quite different. Honestly, in 3 out of 4 residency permit applications, I was fortunate to have police officers who were very polite and even friendly, but in this case, I needed to hire an immigration lawyer to help me with this matter, as things did not progress well with the police officer reviewing my application. In the end, my lawyer managed to forward my application to the Ministry, after which I received the approval.

I think it would be great to make the official information regarding immigration in Croatia more available in English. Perhaps supported by some FAQ section by type of visa. Fortunately, there are many resources online that I have collected during my stay in the country, but still, it is a bit risky when you receive information from an official source and you cannot validate it with some official written sources, as the information might be scattered or not available in English.

5. Tell us a little about the accommodation and the cost of living.

My spending patterns have changed over time. When I came to Zagreb as a tourist, I found a private room with a shared bathroom in Dubrava and started paying 1,700 Kn (~ $ 270) per month. At that time, I estimate an average spending of $ 650 per month, ordering food about 40% of the time. After I decided to stay here longer, I started spending more, so now I pay around 3,000 Kn per month (rent + utilities) for a 2 bed + 1 bath apartment, an additional payment of ~ 590 kN (or $ 89) for health insurance (mandatory for third country citizens), and my average cost of living is around Kn 6,500 per month (~ $ 1,000), but I have to say that I order food a lot. In addition, I pay an annual tuition of around 42,000 Kn for my master's studies, which is approximately € 5,500.

6. Finding work is a key priority for students, both to help finance the study, but also upon graduation. How hard have you found it to find work, and what are the main obstacles?

My situation is a bit different as I work as a software developer for a foreign client. However, I have received a few messages from local recruiters, which gives me a sense that the local job market in my area is in high demand. This is my perspective as a software developer, but my intuition is that businesses in Croatia are growing and the startup scene is getting hotter, so I bet there is currently a need or there will be in the mid-term, for many more professionals in different areas. Just to mention one example, in my last class before Christmas season, an instructor mentioned an open position for an entry-level data scientist / software engineer related to a large project that was recently awarded to one company. He asked us if any of us were interested in considering this role, so even as a student, some opportunities might knock on your door.

7. Tell us about the Croatian lifestyle and making friends. How has it been for you?

The first time Croatia struck me in a fun way was when I learned about the coffee culture here. You can go for coffee and easily spend hours talking to someone. I learned of this fact from my first landlady here, Marija, who kindly opened the doors of her house to me when I was looking for a place to rent. A special shout out to her mom, who cooks the best desserts I have tried in Croatia. Since then, I have experienced something of the "go for a coffee" lifestyle.

My first group of friends was made up of classmates from a Croatian language course. We were of very different origins: Algeria, Ethiopia, India, Italy, Russia, South Korea, United States and Venezuela (myself). I was lucky enough to befriend all my classmates, among whom I remain in touch with Chichi (a dear friend from Ethiopia), Kristina (the best Croatian teacher) and Ritika (a smart MD student from India). Still, the pandemic made things a bit tricky when classes moved online, but every now and then it's fun to go out for coffee with a friend. I also made a couple of friends from Spain this semester of my studies, and since we are enrolled in the same courses, we managed to find time for study sessions. With them, there are definitely a lot of cultural affinities, but sometimes, it's great to reconnect with your mother tongue, although I'm not sure we understand 100% of the time due to the different jargon, but 99% of the time we catch up with our different accents, words and speech styles.

I have lived in three other countries and I think Croatia is more open on average, but I find very rewarding when I interact with people from different cultures.

8. Do you plan to (try and) stay in Croatia when your studies finish? Why/not?

Absolutely. My goal is to stay here after finishing my studies. My current job is 100% remote so I could stick with it while being here after I graduate, but it will also depend on the type of visa available at the time. Apart from all the pros I mentioned earlier, there is also a specific one for me, as I'm involved in a startup-like project that is part of my master's studies. I am part of a team that is developing a game-based learning app for children. We really have a great product in the works and we are all looking forward to taking it to the next level. I can't say 100% sure that I will stay in Croatia if my career path requires me to relocate, but either way, Croatia has had a lasting impact on me, so let's see what the future holds.

9. Three things you have enjoyed most about your experience studying in Croatia?

- The quality of education and instructors

- Cost of living

- Personal safety

10. What advice do you have for people who are considering studying in Croatia?

I highly recommend trying Croatia if you are looking for a quality education at a reasonable cost of living.

If you are a third-country citizen, you may find the paperwork cumbersome, but in my personal experience it is well worth the effort. Hopefully, things will improve in the future and problems with clarity or availability of information will eventually be minimized. 

In any case, there is plenty of information online on sites like Total Croatia News or Expat in Croatia, about most of the procedures for applying for a study-based residence permit, finding accommodation, etc. I also recommend checking out njuskalo.hr and index.hr/oglasi/ for accommodation. Both sites are only available in Croatian, but you can use an integrated online translation service to navigate them so you can get the content translated in real time.

Are you an international student on a graduate or post-graduate course in Croatia, who would like to be featured in this series? Contact us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Study. 

To learn more about the options for studying in Croatia, check out the Total Croatia Study in Croatia guide.

For more information on courses offered by Algebra University College, visit the official website.  

March 21, 2022 - IT company Newfire Global Partners has transferred some of its employees in Ukraine to Croatia, specifically Zagreb and Osijek.

The American company, founded in 2016, operates on four continents and in eight countries, has four offices in Ukraine, three in Lviv, and one in Ivano-Frankivsk. Newfire Global Partners also has offices in Zagreb and plans to open them in Split, reports Index.hr.

However, due to the crisis in Ukraine, Newfire Global Partners decided to offer employees in Ukraine the possibility of moving to Croatia, where another office is being opened in Osijek due to the war.

"We decided to help our employees and members of their families in Ukraine to come to Croatia, which proved to be a safe location. Therefore, we organized a private bus from Lviv to Osijek and Zagreb. As a result, we transported our employees and their children and immediate family members," explained the director of Newfire Global Partners, Stephen Hau.

"From the first day, the City of Osijek has supported our employees and plans to open an office. We look forward to working with and empowering the local business community by opening another office in this beautiful city and creating new jobs. Namely, we plan to hire about a hundred new team members by the end of the year, and we invite all those interested to contact us," he said.

Tetyana Tsyupka worked in Lviv as a business analyst but is now in Zagreb. 

"I come from a beautiful ancient city in western Ukraine - Lviv. The city's geographical location was why we decided to leave Ukraine and why we did it quickly. I woke up on February 24, did what has become my routine in recent months - checked the news, and what I saw was terrifying. Russia declared war on Ukraine. I was scared and didn't know what to do," she said.

"My priority is the safety of my children. I have two children, one is 12, and the other is nine. My husband and I were shocked, but we soon heard sirens, woke up the children, and went to a shelter in the basement. It was the worst day of my life because I had to tell the kids to wake up and get dressed quickly because the war started," she says.

"After that, we decided to cross the border with Poland. We didn't know how safe it was, but we succeeded after six hours of waiting at the border. My children, my husband, and I," she said, adding that she and her husband's parents live in Lviv, and the situation in that city remains tense.

She said she was very grateful to all Croats for their emotional support, both from colleagues and ordinary citizens she did not know.

"My daughter had a stomach ache, but the doctor was highly empathetic and professional. Luckily it was nothing serious. Also, my son played rugby in Ukraine; we wanted him to continue training in Zagreb. Rugby club Zagreb offered to go to free training," she said, adding in the end that we should be with Ukraine in this dramatic time.

Newfire Global Partners employees, partners, and friends have raised about $200,000 for various humanitarian associations and organizations in Ukraine, and the second round of donations is underway.

The company "doubles" each donation by paying the same amount and will continue to help in all possible ways. Thus, the Lviv-Osijek bus will continue to transport employees and members of their families. If one of the employees is called up for military service, they will financially support him and members of his family.

For more, check out our lifestyle section. 

March the 21st, 2022 - Russian Fortenova co-ownership will be coming to an end following that country's unjustified invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. The Russian Fortenova co-ownership is otherwise through it's largest commercial bank, Sberbank.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Russia's largest commercial bank, Sberbank, will soon cease to be a co-owner of Croatia's Fortenova Group (former Agrokor). Sberbank's 44 percent Russian Fortenova co-ownership stake will apparently be taken over by the Indotek group, backed by American-Hungarian capital, Vecernji list writes.

The majority owner of the Indotek group is Daniel Jellinek, who, at least according to Forbes magazine, ranks ninth on the list of the richest Hungarians in the world. According to Vecernji list, the in-depth recording process to make room for the business move has begun, and insiders expect the transaction to be concluded within a few weeks.

From the Croatian economic point of view, it is important that Indotek is, in both the business and capital sense, very well connected with the American business conglomerate Bohemian Group, which is owned by the powerful and rich American Stryker family.

Until recently, the Bohemian Group was the second largest single owner of Indotek after Jellinek, with an ownership share of 33 percent, and today it still participates with its capital in various Indotek projects. The Indotek Group is one of the leading investment management companies in all of Central and Eastern Europe.

The main activity of the group is the acquisition of real estate/property and corporate receivables, and their investment portfolio makes it one of the most important players in the region of Central and Eastern Europe.

One of the long-term benefits of this transaction which will end Russian Fortenova co-ownership, if realised, stems from the fact that with the arrival of Jellinek as a potential operational partner of Fortenova in the joint acquisition of international brands and opening new markets in the future, the French retail giant Auchan is mentioned, with which Indotek is negotiating strategic cooperation and ownership alliances.

For more, make sure to check out our business section.