News

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Božo Petrov said on Thursday that exporters were the drivers of the Croatian economy and that right and brave policies must be adopted to stimulate export-oriented economic development. Exports have helped Croatia's GDP growth the most, Petrov said at a meeting with representatives of the Lider Club of Exporters, congratulating them on that success.

Zagreb - Most participants in Monday's session of three parliamentary committees on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the European Union and Canada said they expected and wanted the Croatian parliament to be among the first to ratify it, but representatives of unions and Green Action said the public was insufficiently informed about CETA and that a public discussion should be held about it.

Zagreb - There are good prospects for development of economic cooperation between Croatia and the Czech Republic in the fields of energy, tourism, infrastructure, the food industry and retail, Croatian Parliament Speaker Bozo Petrov said on Tuesday opening a Czech-Croatian Economic Forum on investment opportunities in Croatia.

Zagreb - The Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Božo Petrov, met with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and the Speaker of the Senate, Milan Stech, at the start of his official visit to Prague on Monday.

Zagreb - Croatia's Parliament Speaker Božo Petrov and the visiting Albanian Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati on Thursday held talks in Zagreb and underscored that Croatia and Albania were strengthening their cooperation in many spheres, notably in regional infrastructure projects, according to a press release issued by the Office of the Sabor Speaker.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Božo Petrov announced in Sarajevo on Tuesday the continuation of Croatia's full support for Bosnia and Herzegovina's efforts to preserve its stability and territorial integrity as well as its aspirations to joint Euro-Atlantic associations.

Zagreb - European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis, who was on a working visit to Croatia, on Thursday met with representatives of the parliamentary committees on health and social welfare, on agriculture, and on European affairs, to notify them about European Commission activities in the field of public healthcare, disease prevention and food safety.

Zagreb – Croatia's Parliament Speaker Bozo Petrov and delegation of MP´s on Friday laid wreaths at the Jewish section of the Mirogoj cemetery in Zagreb to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Zagreb - Lawmakers on Wednesday held a debate on a domestic violence protection bill with the intention of warning the public that domestic violence was on the rise and that society was not doing enough to prevent it, to protect the victims and in particular, to protect women.

Zagreb - Prime Minister-designate Tihomir Orešković presented his programme in parliament on Friday, saying that the main goal of his government would be to improve the economic and social situation in Croatia and increase living standards.

Zagreb - The 25th anniversary of the international recognition of the Republic of Croatia was celebrated on Monday at the Croatian parliament solemn session which was attended by the highest Croatian state officials, numerous dignitaries of political, religious and academic life and by the European Council President Donald Tusk.

Zagreb - Croatia's parliament (Sabor) is scheduled to convene for a regular sitting next week and this year the 9th 151-seat legislature is expected to transpose European Union acquis communautaire into new 71 laws, including the law restricting the use of tobacco products. All of this is in line with the 2017 Plan on Aligning Croatia's Legislation with the EU Acquis Communautaire, drafted by the government, which sent it to parliament for adoption.

Zagreb - First meeting of the Standing Committee of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Parliamentary Assembly, within the framework of Croatian Chairmanship-in-Office, was held in the Croatian Parliament on Saturday, 3rd December.

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament on Friday adopted the tax reform package with a majority vote and the new bills should enter into force on January 1, however, unsatisfied because their amendments were rejected, the Opposition led by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) walked out during the vote.

Belgrade - 48th plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) was held in Belgrade from 29 November to 1 December within the framework of the Serbian Chairmanship-in-office. Parliamentary Assembly of the South-East European Cooperation Process was represented, with an observer status, by a member of the Croatian Parliamentary Delegation to SEECP PA, Vedran Babić, MP.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Božo Petrov on Thursday received US Ambassador Julieta Valls Noyes, their first meeting since he stepped into office in mid-October. The focus of the meeting was on cooperation within NATO and on strengthening bilateral cooperation, notably in the energy sector.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Božo Petrov on Tuesday received the ambassadors of Ukraine, Hungary and China with whom he discussed bilateral relations, and the strengthening of both political and economic cooperation.

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament ratified Montenegro's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on Friday. The law ratifying the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of Montenegro was carried by 96 votes in favour, three against and two abstentions. Present during the vote was the Speaker of the Montenegrin parliament, Ivan Brajović.

Zagreb - Most political groups in the Croatian parliament on Wednesday endorsed ratification of Montenegro's NATO accession treaty saying that the alliance's further expansion was of great importance to long-term stability in Southeast Europe and that it would also strengthen the security of Croatia.

Vukovar - The eastern Croatian town of Vukovar as well as the whole of Croatia on Friday observed Vukovar Remembrance Day in memory of 18 November 1991 when Vukovar fell into the hands of more numerous forces of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and Serb paramilitaries, after which around 22,000 Croats and members of other non-Serbs were expelled and several thousand Croatian soldiers and civilians interned in Serb-run prison camps.

Zagreb - After a three-day debate on a set of tax bills, the 9th Croatian parliament on Thursday forwarded into second reading all 15 tax bills, thus ending its first session, with Speaker Božo Petrov calling the second session for November 23.

Zagreb - The parliamentary Finance Committee on Monday adopted a set of tax reform bills, with an abstained vote by the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Finance Minister Zdravko Marić presented the main aspects of the reform during which he did not reject the possibility of lowering the overall Value Added Tax (VAT) rate, even though this has not been envisaged for the time being.

Zagreb - Parliament on Friday amended its agenda with 19 items, including a tax reform legislative package and a protocol on Montenegro's NATO accession.

Zagreb - The planned increase in the VAT rate on hospitality services will negatively affect investment and employment and it threatens the survival of restaurant and bar owners, with differing rates for hotels and for restaurants and bars being contrary to global trends, it was said at a session of the parliamentary Tourism Committee on Thursday.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Božo Petrov on Monday held talks with Bosnian Presidency Croat member Dragan Čović about the recent arrest of former members of Bosnian Croat forces on suspicion of war crimes, saying Croatia would try to help and support the solving of the status of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and that Croats embodied a deviation from both a separatist and a unitarist vision of BiH.

Zagreb - Croatia and Finland are friendly countries with good political relations that have a lot in common but their cooperation should be additionally strengthened on the economic front, Croatian Parliament Speaker Božo Petrov and his guest, Finnish Parliament Speaker Maria Lohela, said on Thursday.

Riga - Delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the South-East European Cooperation Process participated, with observer status, in the 35th plenary session of the Baltic Assembly and 22nd session of the Baltic Council which took place in the capital of Latvia on 27 and 28 October. Parliamentary Assembly of the SEECP was represented by the Senate of the Romanian Parliament, MP Nicolae Vlad Popa and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, MP Hakan Çavuşoglu.

Zagreb - It is critical to have a comprehensive approach towards the migrations policy, starting with true migration causes to dialogue with countries of their origin and transit about the management of migration routes, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in parliament on Wednesday while presenting a report on the European Council meeting held in Brussels on October 20 and 21 which focused on migrations, the trade policy, the relationship with Russia and Brexit.

Zagreb - After a debate that lasted the whole day, the Croatian parliament on Wednesday evening voted confidence in Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and his government. Of 139 MPs attending the session, 91 voted for the new government, 45 voted against and three abstained.

Zagreb - The newly-appointed Parliament Speaker Bozo Petrov said in his first address to the Parliament as Speaker that his priority would be to make the Parliament and its bodies as efficient as possible, announcing the adoption of a code of conduct for members of Parliament.

Zagreb - The sixth Parliament Open Door Day was held on Sunday and among the questions visitors asked outgoing Speaker Željko Reiner was whether the new MPs would attend sessions more regularly and if politics was a good choice for young people.

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament gave a reception on Friday to mark Independence Day, remembering 8 October 1991 when it adopted a historic resolution declaring Croatia's independence from the Yugoslav federation.

Zagreb - The Fr. Mladen Hrkać charity organisation was officially presented with the European Citizen's Prize on Friday during a special ceremony in parliament.

Zagreb - The State Election Commission (DIP) on Monday established the official results of the September 11 early parliamentary election and sent them to the Constitutional Court.

Zagreb - Croatia's 9th parliament will include only 12.5% of women deputies or 19 in all, which is the lowest number of women in the Sabor in the past fifteen years.

Zagreb - The preliminary results which the State Electoral Commission (DIP) made public at 22:00 hrs Sunday showed that the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) was in the lead with 62 seats in the 151-seat legislature, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP)-led coalition came second in the early parliamentary election, gaining 52 seats.

Zagreb - President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović decided on Saturday that early parliamentary elections will be held on Sunday, September 11. Elections in Croatia will be held on Sunday, September 11 and in Croatian diplomatic and consular officers abroad on Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11.

Zagreb - Statehood Day was celebrated on Saturday with a special session of the Croatian Parliament at which President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Parliament Speaker Željko Reiner and Prime Minister Tihomir Oresković said that over the past quarter of a century Croatia had achieved a lot, calling for consensus on fundamental national interests and determination to realise that.

Zagreb - The central ceremony marking Anti-Fascist Struggle Day, which was marked on Sunday in Brezovica Forest, near Sisak, where the first armed antifascist unit - The Sisak Partisan Unit - was formed on 22 June 1941, was attended by numerous state delegations and representatives of the diplomatic corps in Croatia.

Zagreb – The Croatian Parliament passed on Monday, June 20 a decision on its dissolution to take effect on July 15. The decision was supported by 137 MPs voting in favour, 2 votes against, and 1 abstained.

Zagreb – The Croatian Parliament Day was marked on Monday in Croatian Sabor in memory of 30 May 1990 and the constitution of the first democratic multi-party parliament.

Zagreb - Defenders from the 1991-95 Homeland War and members of the Croatian Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior lined up before state officials at a stadium in Zagreb on Saturday, at the beginning of ceremonies commemorating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Armed Forces, Armed Forces Day and Army Day.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Željko Reiner, who is attending the conference of EU parliamentary speakers in Luxembourg, on Tuesday spoke about the role of national parliaments and interparliamentary cooperation in the EU.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Željko Reiner has said on the margins of a forum of Croatian and Polish regions, which took place in Dubrovnik on Thursday, that there is great potential to increase Croatia's exports into Poland.

Zagreb - Croatia supports Albania on its path towards European Union membership and it is ready to share its experience from its own accession negotiations and provide all the necessary political and technical support, Croatian Parliament Speaker Zeljko Reiner said at a meeting with Albanian President Bujar Nishani during his official visit to Zagreb on Tuesday

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Željko Reiner on Tuesday sent a message to media workers and journalists' associations on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, observed on May 3, expressing strong support to freedom and independence of the media, which, he said, has a big impact on society, from which great responsibility for every word expressed or written also stems.

Zagreb - A special session of the Croatian Parliament, marking the 100th anniversary of the institutionalised Islam in Croatia, was held on Wednesday with top state officials attending the event.aism and Islam. (Hina)

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Željko Reiner said after an official commemoration at Jasenovac on Friday that he was glad to see that today's commemorative event had been held in a dignified manner free of any political connotations.

Split - Participants in the 14th conference of parliament speakers of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative in Split on Saturday did not discuss only a European response to the migrant crisis, but also the added value of parliamentary cooperation within the European Union Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), calling for stepping up activities which would improve their visibility and responsibility.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Željko Reiner on Thursday met with Albanian Defence Minister Mimi Kodheli, who was on an official visit to Croatia.