Politics

ZAGREB, 16 June 2022 - Tourism and Sports Minister Nikolina Brnjac has participated in a UN Security Council meeting on the topic of women, peace and security and held several meetings, the Ministry said in a press release on Thursday. Brnjac met with the leaders of the Economic and Social Council and the UN Office for Intergovernmental Support and Cooperation for Sustainable Development. "At the meetings, I presented all the Ministry's activities that contribute to the realisation of UN policies and the Sustainable Development Program until 2030. Our new strategy, which is in its final phase, addresses all challenges recognised at the global…

ZAGREB, 16 June 2022 - Ship's officer Toni Jurišić has gone missing in the Atlantic Ocean, somewhere between the Gibraltar and Trinidad and Tobago, the Nestali website of the national register of missing persons said on Thursday. Jurišić (35), of Split, disappeared from a ship owned by a Greek company on 10 June. He is a member of the crew, and his disappearance is registered with the Split-Dalmatia County Police Department. The secretary-general of the Croatian Seafarers Union (SPH), Neven Melvan, confirmed to Hina that Jurišić is an officer, that the SPH was notified on Monday and that they are in contact…

ZAGREB, 16 June 2022 - Croatia's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Gordan Grlić Radman, said in the North Macedonia lakeside town of Ohrid on Thursday that "things are moving towards" opening European Union membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania. Grlić Radman was participating in the Prespa Forum together with Western Balkans leaders and senior EU officials. He said that talks are under way and "things are moving towards finally launching accession negotiations" with North Macedonia and Albania. He said he believes there is still enough time to reach an agreement before the EU-Western Balkans summit next week. European Council…

ZAGREB, 16 June 2022 - The Green Action NGO has joined a global action of some 400 associations calling for a shift to reusable packaging, saying reusable packaging is the only viable alternative to disposable plastic and plastic packaging. On the occasion of World Refill Day, marked on 16 June, Green Action on Thursday called on the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development "to recognise reusable packaging as the only truly sustainable alternative to disposable plastic and plastic packaging." The NGO expects the ministry's new rules on disposable plastics, packaging and packaging waste, and fishing tools will encourage the development of reusable systems and reduce the generation…

ZAGREB, 16 June 2022 - Croatia has registered 422 new coronavirus cases and no COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national COVID response team reported on Thursday. Currently, 2,332 people in the country are infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Among them are 152 who are being treated in hospital, including six who are placed on ventilators, while 1,108 persons are self-isolating. To date, 5,256,249 vaccine doses have been administered and 59.54 per cent of the total population, i.e. 70.81 per cent of adults, have been vaccinated. A total of 2,315,142 persons have received at least one dose and 2,244,688 of them…

ZAGREB, 15 June 2022 - Croatian President Zoran Milanović wondered on Wednesday why the international High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, did not use his powers to change the election law and make it possible for the Croats to choose their own representatives at elections. "Why doesn't he use his Bonn powers, which are undemocratic and despotic, but are nevertheless used? Why doesn't he take a decision that will ensure automatic implementation of the Constitutional Court ruling so that we don't depend on the Assembly that refuses to comply with the Constitutional Court order?" Milanović said during a visit…

ZAGREB, 15 June 2022 - President Zoran Milanović said on Wednesday that everyone was somewhat responsible for the record inflation rate in Croatia, which reached 10.8% in May compared to the same month last year, but that he could not blame the government for that. "Who is responsible? Everyone in a way. I think the Croatian government isn't. I can't blame it for that," Milanović said during a visit to Sisak. "Money has never been cheaper, yet there are no goods. Supply chains are disrupted, which was almost expected. If that was the price to rein in and beat COVID, then that’s fine. However, we will always…

ZAGREB, 15 June 2022 - Finance Minister Zdravko Marić said on Wednesday that it was not easy to predict inflation trends for the rest of the year, and that new measures to mitigate its effects would be adopted depending on "developments and possibilities." "The situation is complex and it is really difficult to predict any trends," Marić said after a cabinet meeting, commenting on the latest data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) on the increased inflation rate in May of 10.8% on the year, which is the highest inflation rate since the DZS has been collecting data. Marić noted that the European…

ZAGREB, 15 June 2022 - Croatia hopes that the accession talks between the Eurpean Unon and North Macedonia will be opened soon, Croatia's Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said in Skopje on Wednesday. Minister Grlić Radman began a two-day visit to North Macedonia on Wednesday. At the start of his tour, he held talks with his North Macedonian counterpart Bujar Osmani. He will also be received by Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European Affairs, Bojan Maričić, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski, Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi and President Stevo Pendarovski. After the talks, FM Osmani told a news conference that Croatia…

ZAGREB, 15 June 2022 - Croatia's prices of goods and services for personal consumption, measured by the consumer price index, this May accelerated to 10.8% compared to May 2021, according to the data released by the national statistical office (DZS) on Wednesday. In April, the inflation rate reached 9.4% year on year. This was a record high since July 2008 when its rate was 8.4%. "Observing the main divisions of the ECOICOP classification, at the annual level, the highest increase on average in consumer prices was recorded in the following divisions: Transport, of 19.0%, Food and non-alcoholic beverages, of 15.2%,…