News

Bucharest - Croatia and Romania believe that Southeast European countries must accelerate the process of joining the European Union and are prepared to help them on that path, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said in Bucharest on Monday.

Vareš - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said during his visit to the central Bosnian town of Vareš on Wednesday that Croatia would continue providing support not just to Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state, but also to local communities to encourage and sustain the return of Croats to their pre-war homes.

Sarajevo - At the end of the first day of his official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko met in Sarajevo with members of the Interreligious Council, which brings together representatives of the largest monotheistic religious communities in the country, and held separate talks with the Archbishop of Sarajevo, Cardinal Vinko Puljić.

Sarajevo - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said in Sarajevo on Tuesday that good relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina were exceptionally important for Croatia but that some issues such as the construction of the Pelješac bridge connecting Croatia's southern most region with the rest of the country should be resolved in line with Croatia's interest and that this was an interior matter.

Otočac - The ceremonies were held on Saturday in the town of Otočac, 120 kilometres southwest of Zagreb to mark the 70th anniversary of the first convention of the te Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Croatia (ZAVNOH) and on that occasion Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said that the conventions of the anti-Fascist fighters of Croatia in Otočac in 1943 were "legal and constitutional foundations" for the present-day Republic of Croatia.

Zagreb - Law School lecturer Anamarija Musa has been appointed Croatia's first Information Commissioner, the Croatian parliament decided on Friday. In a secret ballot involving 93 of the 151 MPs, Musa received 83 votes.

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament on Friday passed a law on strategic investment projects which is expected to create prerequisites for launching investments and expediting the issue of documents required for public and private projects of strategic interest.

Zagreb - International Necktie Day is celebrated on 18th October since the spectacular installation “A Tie Around the Arena” was performed in Pula on 18th October 2003. Croatian Parliament showed a special honour in 2008 declaring the Cravat Day following the proposal by the Academia Cravatica.

Zagreb - Croatia and Iran are interested in deepening their cooperation in the economic sector, trade, culture, science, sport, agriculture and energy, and also intend to enhance their parliamentary cooperation, the parliament speakers of the two countries, Josip Leko and Ali Larijani, said in Zagreb on Thursday.

Budapest - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said in Budapest on Tuesday that by entering the European Union, Croatia helped "break the ice" for other Southeast European countries and that it felt special responsibility for further integration of the countries in the region with the EU.

Budapest - The dispute between Croatia and Hungary about the Ina-MOL issue is not a conflict between the two countries' institutions but a business dispute which should be resolved in a way that all bodies do their part of the job, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said in Budapest on Tuesday after a bilateral meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Laszlo Koever.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Josip Leko during a special session of the Sabor on Saturday marking the 22nd anniversary of Croatia's independence said that the events of 22 years ago should serve as a sign post for the future of the country which we wish to build in freedom, democracy and peace.

Zagreb - Listen to the people, take the side of the weak, strengthen economy, decrease unemployment, stop moving abroad – these are just some of the “tasks” Croatian scholars would tackle if they were MPs.

Zagreb - The parliamentary Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System decided on Wednesday that the Constitution should be amended to ensure that all first-degree murders were no longer subject to the statute of limitations.

Dubrovnik - The Croatian Parliament will host the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's 59th Annual Session in Croatia from Friday 11 to Monday 14 October 2013. The Session will bring together some 340 parliamentarians from the 28 NATO member countries from North America and Europe as well as delegates from partner countries and observers to discuss and adopt Assembly reports and recommendations on current transatlantic security matters. An opening Ceremony and first Plenary sitting will take place on Friday 11 October.

Zagreb - Parliament has a special responsibility to solve problems that encroach on the question of fundamental security of the individual and society, Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said on Thursday at a round table on parliamentarism and security.

Zagreb - Croatia wants to attract Chinese investors and after joining the European Union on July 1, it has become China's reliable partner in Europe, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko and Chinese Ambassador Shen Zhifei said in Zagreb on Tuesday at a celebration of China's national holiday.

Zagreb - The Sabor on Friday adopted the annual report on the government's activities and supported measures presented by Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic in his report.

Split - Parliament Speaker Josip Leko, speaking at the start of the 7th Croatian-French Administrative-Law Days in Split on Monday, pointed out the importance of the European legal acquis for Croatia after it has joined the European Union and advocated for the rule of law in Croatia in an effort to avoid inadequate valuing of the legal profession.

Zagreb - The Croatian pension system and employment policy, particularly for the young, are the topics that most interested a delegation of the European Parliamentary Employment and Social Affairs Committee which visited the Croatian Sabor on Thursday.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament was in session for 39 days or 266 hours from April to mid-July, discussing 197 items and enacting 145 laws, statistics presented to the press show. MPs spent 1.3 hours on average discussing each item on the agenda, and of the 145 laws adopted, as many as 81 were adopted unanimously.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament's European Affairs Committee, which was inaugurated last week, held its first session on Wednesday at which the head of the office of the Lithuanian Embassy in Zagreb, Deividas Stankevicius, presented the priorities of Lithuania's EU presidency.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko and the chairman of the Croatian Bishops' Conference (HBK), the Archbishop of Zadar, Zelimir Puljic, on Monday held talks on the relations between the Catholic Church and the government and Croatia's European Union membership.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament appointed a Committee on European Affairs on Friday. The Committee chairman is Daniel Mondekar of the ruling Social Democratic Party (SDP) and his deputies are Gordan Jandrokovic of the opposition Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and Jozo Rados of the Croatian People's Party, a junior partner in the ruling coalition.

Zagreb - The Croatian Sabor on Thursday commemorated the victims of the Srebrenica massacre committed in 1995, at a ceremony with the message - Never again and a minute's silence.

Zagreb - Croatia is an incomparably better, more democratic and prosperous country today than it was in 2000 and especially than it was in 1990, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said on Wednesday at a working breakfast with European Union ambassadors.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Tuesday received the Papal Nuncio to Croatia, Alessandro D'Errico, for talks on Croatia's European Union membership, relations with the Catholic Church, and the position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Tuesday received the Vienna-based Tunisian Ambassador to Croatia, Mohamed Samir Koubaa, for talks on the democratic transition in Tunisia, the assistance Croatia can extend in that regard, and the development of economic and cultural relations.

Zagreb - Croatia recognises Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and will continue with this policy also as a member of the European Union, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said on Friday in Baku, as carried by Azerbaijani media.

Zagreb - Lithuania became the first of the three Baltic states to take over the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on Monday, July 1.

Zagreb - European Parliament President Martin Schulz praised Croatia as "a pioneer with a true European spirit" which "demonstrated that through determination and hard work EU membership can be achieved" during his speech in Zagreb's main square on Sunday night as Croatia was celebrating its entry into the European Union.

Strasbourg - The flag of Croatia, the 28th member of the European Union, and the EU flag were ceremoniously raised in front of the European Parliament building in Strasbourg on Monday before a plenary session of the European Parliament. Before the raising of the flags, the ceremony was briefly addressed by Croatian Parliament President Josip Leko and European Parliament President Martin Schulz.

Zagreb - Croatia will become a member of the European Union on July 1 but its job does not end there; it will be faced with new challenges which it can overcome by being responsible and credible in building a shared European future, Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said on Saturday at a special parliamentary sitting held on the occasion of Croatia's EU entry.

Briševo - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said on Sunday Croatia would continue to strongly support the right of all refugees to return to prewar homes, notably Bosnian Croat refugees, of whom too little had returned to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Berlin - The upper house of the German parliament, the Bundesrat, on Friday unanimously ratified Croatia's Treaty of Accession with the European Union which marked the completion of the parliamentary procedure of the treaty's ratification in Germany, the last EU member state to confirm Croatia's membership of the bloc as of 1 July.

Zagreb - At the end of his visit to Berlin on the occasion of the ratification of Croatia's European Union accession treaty in the Bundesrat, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko met with the president of the German upper house, Winfried Kretschmann, with whom he spoke about cooperation between the two countries once Croatia joins the EU, the Sabor reported on Friday.

Zagreb - The creation of the present-day, independent, modern and democratic Croatian state began in the Croatian parliament on 30 May 1990, Speaker Josip Leko said on Wednesday at a celebration of Croatian Parliament Day.

Zagreb - Lithuania supports Croatia's forthcoming admission to the European Union and regards Croatia as an important example for other countries in the region and considers its entry into the European family as an encouragement to other countries, the Speaker of Lithuania's Seimas (parliament), Vydas Gedvilas, said in Zagreb on Tuesday after meeting his Croatian counterpart Josip Leko.

Zagreb - The Bundestag on Thursday ratified Croatia's European Union accession treaty, bringing this process only a step away from formal completion. The treaty was ratified with 583 votes in favour and six abstentions. It now needs to be technically approved by the Bundesrat at a plenary session which begins on June 7.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko met with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski in Zagreb on Tuesday for talks on the role of national parliaments in decision making processes in the European Union, Croatia's accession to the EU in time of a crisis, and continuation of the EU enlargement process.

Kopenhagen - Denmark on Thursday ratified Croatia's European Union accession treaty as the second last member country to do so. The Danish parliament unanimously ratified the treaty, with all 113 deputies in attendance, with the assessment that Croatia is fully ready to join the Union, having carried out the necessary reforms and meeting all membership requirements.

Split - In the first months after Croatia's accession to the European Union, its preparations for entry into the passport-free Schengen zone and participation in the European Semester will be crucial, the head of the Croatian Parliament Delegation to the Croatia-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee Andrej Plenković said.

Split - The European Union-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) held its 17th meeting in Split's Le Meridien Lav hotel on Tuesday and adopted a proposed joint recommendation consisting of ten points which, among other things, welcomes Croatia's accession to the EU and the positive final European Commission's comprehensive monitoring report released in March.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko received the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Disability, Shuaib Chalklen, in Zagreb on Monday. Leko said that the treatment of persons with disabilities and the need for their inclusion into society was one of the most important social issues in Croatia.

Split - A delegation of the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee visited the Brodosplit shipyard on Monday and discussed with the management the situation in the dock recently purchased by the DIV company. The delegation was led by the Committee co-chairs, Croatian MP Andrej Plenkovic and Swedish member of the European Parliament Gunnar Hökmark. They were accompanied by the head of the European Union Delegation to Croatia, Paul Vandoren.

Zagreb - Members of the European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education on Monday visited the Croatian Sabor where they held talks with Croatian lawmakers and government members on the implementation of the Bologna Process, life-long learning and communication between education and economy and also about Croatia's participation in the EP's fight against match-fixing.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko met with US Ambassador Kenneth Herbert Merten in Zagreb on Thursday to discuss an annual meeting of NATO's Parliamentary Assembly which is due to take place in Dubrovnik in October.

Nicosia - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko had bilateral meetings with several counterparts on the sidelines of a conference of EU parliament speakers in Nicosia on Monday. Leko met with European Parliament Vice-President Miguel Angel Martinez, German Parliament Speaker Norbert Lammert, Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Vydas Gedvilas and Montenegrin Parliament Speaker Ranko Krivokapic.

Strasbourg - The European Parliament, meeting in a plenary session in Strasbourg on Thursday, adopted by a large majority of votes the last resolution on Croatia before it joins the European Union on July 1, saying that the country is completely ready for membership and calling for further reforms so that citizens of Croatia could profit from EU membership.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Thursday received the Deputy Speaker of the Slovak Parliament Jana Lassakova and expressed satisfaction that he could confirm the friendly-like and partner-like relations between the two countries.