Cablegate: Zagreb Daily Report - February 5, 2010

VZCZCXRO7470
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHVB #0083 0361116
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051116Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9882
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000083

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TAGS: PGOV PREL HR
SUBJECT: Zagreb Daily Report - February 5, 2010

1. (U) Finnish and Spanish FMs Express Optimism over Croatia's EU
Bid:
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said in Brussels on
Thursday that, during its six-month presidency of the European
Union, Spain would dedicate the greatest possible attention to
Croatia so that the country could complete its EU entry talks in the
course of this year. Similarly, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander
Stubb on Thursday praised Croatia's efforts to draw closer to the
European Union, expressing hope that Croatia would become an EU
member as soon as possible. "The present government and prime
minister have done an excellent job on the path to the EU. There is
still some way to go, but I'm confident that accession negotiations
will be finished by the end of this year and that Croatia will
become the 28th member of the EU," Stubb told reporters in Zagreb
after meeting Croatian Foreign Affairs and European Integration
Minister Gordan Jandrokovic.

2. (U) Slovenian Court Considers Possible Redress for Ljubljanska
Banka Depositors in Croatia:
According to press reports, a Slovenian Constitutional Court
decision on February 4 will allow Croatian citizens who had savings
accounts with Ljubljanska Banka at the time of independence the
abilty to pursue their claims against the bank through Slovenian
courts. It is not yet clear if this decision will apply only for
those who have already filed cases with the courts, or permit new
suits as well. Thousands of Croatian depositors were unable to
reclaim their accounts with the bank after Slovenia and Croatia
declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. The fate of these
deposits, a long-term irritant in Croatia-Slovenia relations, led
the Croatian National Bank to restrict Nova Ljubljanska Banka's
access to the Croatian market.

FOLEY

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