News

Zagreb - Switzerland's decision to introduce immigration quotas for workers from the European Union is contrary to European standards, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said after talks with his Bulgarian counterpart Mihail Mikov in Zagreb on Monday.

Zagreb - Croatian lawmakers stood up during a session of Parliament on Friday in symbolic support of the "One Billion Rising" campaign aimed at ending violence against women in the world and promoting gender equality.

Zagreb - Croatia and Slovenia are economically linked, they have common goals and expect to succeed in drawing European Union funds for joint projects, the chair of the Slovenian parliamentary economy committee, Alenka Pavlič, said in Zagreb on Wednesday after meeting with her Croatian counterpart Igor Rađenović.

Zagreb - From the beginning of legislative alignment until Croatia joined the European Union last July, the Croatian parliament adopted 683 aligned laws, according to Friday's parliamentary discussion on a plan to align national legislation with the EU acquis, under which 42 laws need to be aligned this year.

Zagreb - A member of the Croatian Parliament's delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, Gvozden Flego of the Social Democratic party (SDP), has been elected as one of the PA vice presidents at this year's first meeting in Strasbourg.

Zagreb - Croatia advocates Macedonia's efforts to join the European Union and NATO, and is hopeful that the long-standing Macedonian process of coming closer to the Euro-Atlantic institutions will be son unblocked, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said on Friday after the talks with his visiting Macedonian counterpart Trajko Veljanoski in Zagreb.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Thursday received for talks the incoming Chinese Ambassador Deng Ying, saying he hoped that she would continue developing the very good relations between the two countries, notably in the economy, Leko's office said in a statement.

Zagreb - The equality of the Croat people in Bosnia and Herzegovina is an internal issue of that country which cannot be solved until all the three constituent peoples take over responsibility for themselves and the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia's Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said during his talks with Bosnian Croat leader Dragan Čović in Zagreb on Monday.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Thursday received Japan's Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nobuo Kishi, for talks on cooperation, and on that occasion it was said that Croatia was open to Japanese investors in different areas ranging from energy to tourism.

Zagreb - The Croatian Scouts Alliance this year again organised the arrival of the Bethlehem Light to Croatia, handing it to Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Sunday, who handed it to the rector of the Zagreb Cathedral, Msgr. Josip Kuhtić.

Croatia and Austria have excellent economic relations which need to be broaden, said Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Josip Leko yesterday at the meeting with Austrian Parliament Speaker Barbara Prammer. He reminded that Austria is the largest source of foreign investments in Croatia.

Zagreb - The Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System on Monday took into account some of the objections stated during a public debate on a bill of amendments to the Constitution and unanimously proposed to parliament to discuss a partially amended draft Constitution, with novelties referring mostly to the referendum issue.

Ljubljana - Croatia's and Slovenia's parliament speakers Josip Leko and Janko Veber said in Ljubljana on Thursday that relations between the two countries were stable and their cooperation, particularly economic, was at a high level, underscoring that the parliaments were urging the governments of both countries to resolve remaining outstanding issues, including the question of foreign savings accounts in the now defunct Ljubljanska Banka (LB), where there seems to be a difference of opinion.

Strasburg - The Croatian Christmas Village was officially inaugurated on Saturday within the Christmas Market in Strasbourg by the city mayor Roland Ries and Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko. Croatia, the newcomer in the European Union, is a special guest at this Market, the oldest Christmas market in Europe with its tradition dating back to 1570.

Strasbourg - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko held talks in Strasbourg on Friday with Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland on reforms in the CoE and the situation in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Zagreb - The beginning of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights which celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, was marked in Zagreb on Wednesday by kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah.

Zagreb - Croatia and France are friends and their growing partnership is important for both countries and for their partnership in the European Union, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko and member of the French National Assembly Patrick Bloche said in Zagreb on Tuesday.

Zagreb - Croatia supports Turkey's objectives on its path to the European Union and advocates enlargement and open door policies, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said at a meeting with Turkish parliamentarians.

Strasbourg - An exhibition about the eastern Croatian city of Vukovar was staged in in the European Parliament's building in Strasbourg on Monday on the occasion of Vukovar Remembrance Day observed on 18 November to commemorate the fall of the town in the hands of the occupying forces consisting of local Serb rebels and the then Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) in the late autumn of 1991.

Zagreb - The 2014 European election will be, in these challenging times of economic crisis, a test of public support for European Union institutions, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said on Monday at a presentation of a campaign for the European Parliament election to be held on May 22-25 next year.

Bucharest - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko began a two-day official visit to Romania on Sunday by meeting with representatives of the Croatian community in the country.

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 - 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.

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.

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 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 - 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 - 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.