US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB996

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000996 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR OFFICES OF HUMANITARIAN DEMINING AND PARTNERSHIP 
PROGRAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BK, HR, PREF 
SUBJECT: USG-AMWAY CORPORATION JOIN TO CLEAR MINEFIELD NEAR 
SPLIT 
 
 
1. TO HIGHLIGHT A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE USG AND AMWAY 
CORPORATION IN CROATIA TO CLEAR A MINEFIELD NEAR A PRIMARY 
SCHOOL IN THE TOWN OF ZRNOVNICA NEAR SPLIT, THE AMBASSADOR 
ATTENDED A CEREMONY AT THE SCHOOL ON MAY 5.  SENIOR AMWAY 
REPRESENTATIVES, THE MAYOR OF SPLIT, AND CROATIAN MINE ACTION 
    CENTER (CROMAC) AND INTERNATIONAL TRUST FUND (ITF) OFFICIALS 
WERE IN ATTENDANCE AT THE EVENT, WHICH RECEIVED WIDESPREAD 
MEDIA PUBLICITY.  AMWAY CORPORATION IN CROATIA INITIALLY 
RAISED USD 15,000 FROM ITS DISTRIBUTORS IN CROATIA AND ASKED 
IF THE USG WOULD MATCH THAT AMOUNT THROUGH ITS MATCHING FUNDS 
PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY THE ITF IN SLOVENIA, AND ALSO ASSIST 
WITH FINDING A PROSPECTIVE DEMINING PROJECT. 
 
2. AFTER DISCOVERING THAT THE SELECTED PROJECT WOULD COST 
MORE THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED BECAUSE OF AN INCREASE IN ITS 
OVERALL SIZE, THE AMBASSADOR, WITH THE SUPPORT OF PM,S 
OFFICE OF HUMANITARIAN DEMINING, AGREED TO COVER THE 
DIFFERENCE.  THE AMBASSADOR AND AMWAY OFFICIALS PRESENTED A 
CHECK TO GOC DEMINING OFFICIALS IN THE AMOUNT OF USD 120,000 
TO COVER THE COST OF THE PROJECT.  DEMINING OPERATIONS WILL 
BEGIN WHEN THE SCHOOL YEAR ENDS NEXT MONTH AND WILL BE 
COMPLETED BY AUGUST. 
 
3. THE AMBASSADOR, AMWAY OFFICIALS, AND THE MAYOR WERE 
WELCOMED TO THE SCHOOL BY THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE FROM ITS 400 
STUDENTS AS A SHOW OF THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THEIR 
WILLINGNESS TO FINANCE CLEARING A MINEFIELD LITERALLY TEN 
YARDS FROM THEIR SCHOOL.  THE CHILDREN PERFORMED SONGS AND 
DANCES AND EXPRESSED THEIR APPRECIATION TO THE USG AND AMWAY 
CORPORATION.  DURING HIS SPEECH, THE AMBASSADOR COMMENTED 
THAT THE OBJECTIVE OF THE JOINT PROJECT WITH AMWAY IS TO 
CONTINUE TO PROMOTE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN THE FIELD 
OF DEMINING.  HE URGED OTHER COMPANIES IN CROATIA TO FOLLOW 
AMWAY,S LEAD BY DONATING OR RAISING FUNDS.  THE AMBASSADOR 
ALSO PRESENTED OVER 200 ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CHILDREN,S BOOKS 
THAT HAD BEEN REQUESTED BY THE PRINCIPAL FOR THE SCHOOL,S 
    LIBRARY.  THE DONATION OF THE BOOKS, AND EVENTUALLY A 
COMPUTER, WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY PM,S OFFICE OF HUMANITARIAN 
DEMINING. 
 
4. THE AMBASSADOR THANKED ALL OF THOSE WHO HAD MADE THE EVENT 
POSSIBLE, NOTING THAT THE DEMINED AREA WILL BENEFIT THE 
ENTIRE COMMUNITY BY REMOVING CONCERNS OVER THE SAFETY OF THE 
CHILDREN ATTENDING THE SCHOOL.  DESPITE THE USG,S 
SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION, THE AMBASSADOR MADE IT 
CLEAR DURING PRESS INTERVIEWS THAT THIS WAS AMWAY,S EVENT 
AND ITS OPPORTUNITY TO &BASK IN THE SUN8 FOR ITS EFFORTS. 
AMWAY IN TURN INFORMED US IT IS ALREADY BUDGETING FOR FURTHER 
MINE ACTION NEXT YEAR. 
 
ROSSIN 
 
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