US embassy cable - 04ZAGREB178

C O N F I D E N T I A L  ZAGREB 000178 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE PASS USAID EE/ECA ANNE CONVERY 
USDOC FOR 3133/FCS/OIO/EUR/ESLETTEN 
USDOC FOR 4230/MAC/EUR/MROGERS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2013 
TAGS: PREL, TBIO, KIPR, EAID, KHIV, HR, Intellectual Property, Defense Reform (Mil & NATO) 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S DISCUSSION WITH NEW DEPUTY PRIME 
MINISTER -- FROM HIV/AIDS TO NATO 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ralph Frank, reasons 1.5 (b and d) 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1.  (SBU) In his introductory meeting with Deputy Prime 
Minister and Minister of Health Andrija Hebrang, the 
Ambassador emphasized USG desire to help Croatia in the area 
of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, our appreciation for 
the support of the new government to ratify the Intellectual 
Property MOU, concern over delays faced by US companies 
registering drugs in Croatia, and the interest of U.S. 
companies in upgrading of Croatia's aging hospital 
infrastructure.  Hebrang expressed his admiration for U.S. 
medicine, highlighted the "new" HDZ, and appealed for our 
support for Croatia's NATO bid.  He promised to look into the 
drug registration issue, and flagged an "open issue" 
regarding the IP MOU.  End Summary. 
 
Affinity for U.S. 
----------------- 
 
2.  (U) On January 27, the Ambassador met with Deputy Prime 
Minister and Minister of Health Andrija Hebrang, accompanied 
by the Senior Commercial Counselor, USAID officer and a 
notetaker.  The Ambassador congratulated Hebrang on being 
named Health Minister and one of only two Deputy Prime 
Ministers.  He thanked Hebrang for his assistance to the U.S. 
Embassy shortly after September 11 (Hebrang, a radiologist, 
helped the Embassy access decontamination equipment after the 
anthrax attacks in the U.S.). 
 
3.  (U) Hebrang noted the importance of the U.S. to Croatia, 
and his own very positive personal experiences with the U.S. 
(Hebrang spent time in the U.S. as a visiting professor in 
1988.)  He believed the best place to learn medicine was in 
the U.S., and he asked that the Embassy facilitate training 
in the U.S. and university-to-university exchanges. 
Regarding the war on terrorism, Croatia was proud to have 
been part of the coalition and would continue to a partner to 
the U.S. 
 
HIV/AIDS -- Need for Political Leadership 
----------------------------------------- 
 
4.  (U) The Ambassador highlighted U.S. cooperation with 
Croatia in the health area.  In addition to work in various 
public health areas with NGOs, the USG was the largest single 
donor to the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. 
Croatia has a two-year, $3.3 million dollar agreement with 
the Fund.  The Ambassador underscored the U.S.'s worldwide 
commitment to combatting AIDS.  Experts believe that the next 
wave of the epidemic could be in Southeast Europe.  While 
Croatia has a low incidence of HIV infection (about 0.02 
percent), as a transit country, international experts were 
concerned that this number could rise.  Political leadership 
was needed to strengthen primary prevention, to curb 
discrimination and stigmatization, and to boost cross-border 
cooperation and information exchange.  The Ambassador urged 
Hebrang to use his position to speak publicly in support of 
HIV/AIDS victims and in favor of prevention programs. 
 
5.  (SBU) Hebrang recognized that, as an open country and a 
tourist destination, Croatia's HIV infection rate could 
increase.  He was dedicated to education and prevention. 
 
Pharmaceutical Issues 
--------------------- 
 
6.  (SBU) The Ambassador expressed his appreciation for the 
Sanader government's commitment to ratify soon the 1998 MOU 
on Intellectual Property Rights.  In response, Hebrang raised 
an "open issue" with respect to the MOU.  He understood there 
was some question among Croatian drug producers about the 
period they could produce affected drugs after ratification 
of the MOU.  The Ambassador said that we would be happy to 
clarify any technical questions once they were clearly 
identified. 
 
7.  (SBU) The Ambassador also called to Hebrang's attention 
the unacceptably long registration periods U.S. 
pharmaceutical firms faced when trying to market their 
products in Croatia -- far in excess of the time limits 
established under Croatian law.  The USG was hosting a 
regional conference on Pharmaceutical Regulation in Skopje in 
March, as part of our effort to help build capacity in the 
Croatian Drug Agency.  Hebrang expressed his surprise about 
the registration delays and pledged to talk to the Drug 
Agency head about the issue. 
 
 
8.  (SBU) The Ambassador highlighted two health care projects 
about which U.S. companies had expressed interest -- a new 
hospital information system and outsourcing of services at a 
Zagreb hospital.  The U.S. Trade and Development Agency had 
been approached by IBM to explore supporting a pilot project 
for the Hospital Information System.  With the change in 
government, IBM had the impression that the project might be 
on hold or withdrawn. 
 
9.  (U) Hebrang explained that upgrading Croatia's hospitals 
-- most of which were over 40 years old -- and hospital 
systems were a high priority.  Both projects that the 
Ambassador mentioned were going forward.  Hebrang said U.S. 
companies would be welcomed in the health sector's 
rejuvenation. 
 
NATO 
---- 
 
10.  (C) Hebrang bracketed the meeting with appeals for US 
support for Croatia's NATO bid.  With Croatia a member 
neither of the EU nor of NATO, it was in a "Balkan hole." 
The Ambassador stressed that Croatia had to make real changes 
and reforms and appeared to have made a good start.  FM Zuzul 
and Parliament Speaker Seks' trip to the U.S. had been 
positive.  The "house cleaning" performed by the current HDZ 
leadership had been essential to its credibility.  Hebrang 
echoed the importance of creating a "new HDZ." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
11.  (C) Hebrang was personable and open.  As a former 
Minister of Health during the Tudjman era, he has been able 
to jump quickly and authoritatively into health care issues 
-- calling the former government to task for racking up 
arrears and debts to suppliers (contacts in and out of the 
government say his charges are probably well-founded). 
However, he definitely sees his role as much more than a 
Health Minister.  As a senior member of the HDZ, Hebrang was 
rumored to be seeking a security or foreign affairs 
portfolio, but his penchant for rash statements, propensity 
to clash with President Mesic, and his defense of late 
ICTY-indictee General Bobetko put him at odds with many -- 
including the EU -- and with the modern, more moderate image 
of Sanader's HDZ.  In recognition of his strength within the 
party and his ability to deliver votes, he was awarded one of 
the two deputy prime minister slots, in charge of economic 
issues.  We have yet to see how Hebrang plans to manage this 
important porfolio, in which other ministers and advisors 
play major and perhaps overlapping roles. 
FRANK 
 
 
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