March 19, 2023 - Looking for a job in Croatia? A new weekly feature on TCN, in partnership with leading job site agency, Posao.hr, who present a selection of weekly job listings.

How hard is it to find a job in Croatia, and what is on offer?

We spoke to Ines Bokan, director of leading jobs site Posao.hr, who kindly took the time for this excellent interview overview.  

This week's top 10 jobs from Posao.hr:

posao.hr is hiring a person in the position sales consultant (m/f). Place of work Zagreb. We offer the possibility of earning a salary bonus. Send complete applications via link by March 27^th.

Scalable Global Solutions d.d. is hiring a person in the position of Senior Account Manager (f/m/d). Place of work Zagreb. Flexible working hours. Send complete applications via link by March 26^th.

Mamut Fortis d.o.o. / Arena is hiring a person in the position of IT System Administrator (m/f). Place of work Zagreb. We offer incentive income. Send complete applications the link by April 14^th.

TŽV Gredelj d.o.o. Zagreb, a member of the Tatravagonka group, is hiring a person for the position of Professional employment associate (female/male). Place of work Zagreb. We offer the possibility of development and professional training. Send complete applications via link by March 30^th.

Teleperformance Greece is hiring a person in the position of Croatian Customer Service (m/f). Place of work Athens, Greece. Competitive monthly salary + 2 extra salaries per year. Send complete applications via link by March 27^th.

KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA is hiring a person for the position (Junior) SAP Business Process Manager (m/f/d) - Corn & Sunflower. Place of work Germany.As SAP Business Process Manager (m/f/d), no day will be like the other for you. You and your passion for IT will drive our projects forward. Send complete applications via link by March 23th.

Cuspis d.o.o. is hiring a person in the position Employee in the IT industry (m/f). Place of work Zagreb. We offer work on large national and international IT projects. Send complete applications via link by March 23th.

Le Méridien Lav, Split is hiring a person for the position of Coordinator in the human resources department (m/f). Place of work Split. We offer work in an international environment where your ideas are not only valued but also implemented. Send complete applications via link by April 10^th.

Salzburg AG is hiring a person in the position of SOC Security Analyst / Specialist (m/f). Place of work Salzburg, Austria. Our attractive salary offers are based on current market salaries and are therefore, depending on qualifications and professional experience, above the minimum salary stipulated in the collective agreement. (We are legally obliged to point out that the minimum monthly salary for this position according to the collective agreement is €4,108.55 gross.). Send complete applications via link by March 31th.

Silverhand Croatia is hiring a German-speaking recruitment assistant (m/f). Place of work Zadar. We offer the possibility of professional development in an international company with an attractive salary. Send complete applications via link by April 15^th.

For more career options and job listings, visit posao.hr.

These weekly job listings will appear in the weekly TCN newsletter - you can subscribe here.

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What is it like to live in Croatia? An expat for 20 years, you can follow my series, 20 Ways Croatia Changed Me in 20 Years, starting at the beginning - Business and Dalmatia.

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Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners is now available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

March 19, 2023 - With the sounding of the danger sirens in the morning, ten minutes after six, the complex operation of the Rijeka bomb removal and neutralisation began.

As Index writes, the residual anti-ship mine from the Second World War from the port of Rijeka began. As announced by the Civil Protection Headquarters of the City of Rijeka, the mine will be transported by ship to the intended location at sea in the Gulf of Rijeka and neutralized. Before the operation, a complete evacuation was carried out for the safety and protection of human lives.

On Saturday, around 500 residents were evacuated from buildings in the zone of immediate potential danger in case of mine activation. It all went without problems, most people organized their temporary accommodation themselves, and a smaller part was accommodated in the Youth Hall in Trsat, where beds and refreshments were arranged.

Division into zones

The work of all economic, entrepreneurial, hospitality and other activities has been suspended. On Saturday, parked vehicles were moved from the parking lot in the danger zone, all ships and boats were temporarily moved from the passenger quay in the port of Rijeka, and the Gulf of Rijeka was closed for sailing. The flight zone ban over the port of Rijeka is also in force, especially for drones.

For safety reasons, the area next to the port of Rijeka is divided into a red zone of immediate potential danger, from which residents have been evacuated, and a yellow zone. In the red zone are the streets around Putnička obala, from Žabica Square and Krešimirova Street in the west, through Adamićeva Street and Riva to Riva Boduli and the city market in the east.

In the red zone, all traffic is forbidden, so road traffic takes place in the so-called northern corridor through the center of the city. Tenants in the yellow zone were advised not to stay outdoors or near glass surfaces, and hospitality facilities not to plan work during the action.

Neutralisation of the mine is expected in the afternoon

The neutralisation of the mine is expected in the afternoon, and the end of the operation will be marked by the sirens for the end of danger. In the port of Rijeka, during infrastructure works, an anti-ship mine from the Second World War was discovered at the end of June, which had not been noticed until now because it was partially buried in the muddy seabed.

Due to the characteristics and the location where it was found, it was not possible to destroy the mine at the place of discovery, so a relocation and neutralisation plan is being carried out, in which the Civil Protection Headquarters of the City of Rijeka, the Police Department of Primorje-Gorski Kotar, the Regional Anti-Explosion Unit Rijeka, the City of Rijeka, utilities and other services are taking part.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

March 19, 2023 - The state, now it is pretty clear, will not be able to use the EU grants from the Solidarity Fund in time to restore its two most important buildings - the Banski Dvori (government) and the Croatian Parliament building on St. Mark's Square in Zagreb.

As Index / Jutarnji write, after several failed tenders, three years after the Zagreb earthquake, the money from the EU Solidarity Fund for the structural renovation of the two most important buildings of the Croatian legislative and executive authorities will remain unspent, and only the creation of a complete renovation design will be financed.

The term expires at the end of June

HRK 87.6 million, or EUR 11.6 million, was supposed to finance the structural renovation and design documentation for the parliament building, while HRK 61.5 million o,r EUR 8.2 million, would have gone towards documentation, and the first phase of the government building renovation.

The deadline for spending that money from the Solidarity Fund expires at the end of June this year. Croatia was the only country in the European Union that received a one-year extension of that deadline. However, despite this precedent, the state could not even restore its own buildings.

In order to spend at least a small part of the money from the Fund, the government and parliament decided to call for tenders for the preparation of design documentation only. Thus, the IGH Institute won the parliamentary competition for the preparation of documentation, which undertook to deliver the project by the end of June.

The state will spend five percent of the grant

The council estimated that the work was worth HRK 9 million without VAT, or EUR 1.2 million, but IGH won the tender with a price of less than half of that estimate, i.e., slightly less than HRK 4 million or EUR 533,800. The government estimated the creation of design documentation at HRK 6.3 million, or EUR 836,100. A consortium of companies Interkonzalting and Planaxis won the tender with a price of HRK 3.5 million without VAT, or EUR 464,500.

This means that, of the projected 19.8 million euros intended for structural renovation and documentation of the parliament and government buildings, the state will spend just under a million euros for the project, i.e. only five percent of the total allocated grant from the Solidarity Fund.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

March 19, 2023 - Today is Saint Joseph's Day, which is when, like in most other Catholic countries, Father's Day is celebrated in Croatia. Happy Father's day to all fathers in Croatia and beyond, and we wish you many happy days on paternity leave.

24Sata had a look at how the measure has been doing in Croatia. Since August 1, 2022, when it was introduced, paternity leave has been used by 12,650 fathers, of which 2,301 fathers in January of this year, stated the Central State Office for Demography and Youth on the occasion of Father's Day, on the 19^th of March.

On this special occasion, the Office highlights the importance of equal parenting and the equally important roles of father and mother in a child's life.

We want to emphasize the invaluable role of fathers from the child's earliest age; the Office emphasizes and reminds that the state has formally enabled fathers to do so by introducing paternity leave of 10 or 15 days in case of the birth of twins or more children, which can be used in the first six months of the child's life.

The state fully bears compensation for the cost of the parents' salary.

The office also reminds that with the new Act on Maternity and Parental l Allowances, the state has increased the maximum amount of compensation paid during the use of parental leave to HRK 7,500. Last year, 157 fathers used the maternity leave measure, and 1,988 fathers used parental leave.

Proactive support from employers is also important for more active engagement of fathers, which was confirmed through the DADFORCE standard, which was awarded to INA for the second time in a row on Father's Day, the company announced on Saturday.

Compared to the national data of four percent, INA can boast of as many as 28 percent of fathers using parental leave; they state at INA and add that they are one of the few companies where both women and men get equal rights to sick leave for their children.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

March 18, 2023 - The Croatian Football Federation and national team coach Zlatko Dalić have agreed to extend their cooperation until 2026.   

The Croatian Football Federation President Marijan Kustić and Croatia's most successful coach Zlatko Dalić agreed on all the details to continue the extremely successful cooperation. They signed a contract at the headquarters of the Croatian Football Federation, according to which Dalić will remain coach until the end of the cycle that includes the FIFA World Cup in 2026, which will be held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

"Zlatko Dalić fulfilled absolutely all the goals that were set before him in these five and a half years, and at the same time, he had two magnificent achievements at the World Cups in Russia and Qatar and led Croatia to silver and bronze medals, thus becoming our most successful coach in history. Therefore, I am extremely pleased that we have agreed to continue our cooperation which has been brilliant so far. Zlatko not only achieved outstanding results but also created a fantastic atmosphere of togetherness within and around the team, and he also showed that he knows how to refresh the team and, at the same time, maintain the continuity of results. As before, Zlatko and the national team will have maximum support from the Federation in their work, and I deeply believe that with him at the helm, we will continue to make Croatia fans worldwide happy," said HNS president Marijan Kustić.

Dalić took over the Vatreni at a difficult time in October 2017. Since then, he has achieved impressive results. The second and third places at the World Cups in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022 stand out, but Dalić also advanced to the Nations League final tournament, which will be held in the Netherlands this year, and the round of 16 of Euro 2020. Three times he qualified for the final tournaments, and in two complete qualifying cycles under his leadership, Croatia advanced as the first-placed team in the group.

"I thank President Kustić and the entire HNS for the great trust and the support I have in my work with the national team. I have often pointed out that this job is the greatest honor and pleasure I can have as a coach, and I am truly looking forward to the future with the Croatia national team. Regardless of the wonderful successes we have already achieved, I have great passion and ambition to continue working with Croatia, and I believe that there are still many great challenges ahead. In June, we will try to win the Nations League, and next summer, we want to be part of the spectacular Euro in Germany - the fulfillment of a dream to play in a big competition in front of tens of thousands of our fans. I enjoy working with our players and my great staff, and I can't imagine a more beautiful and honorable job than leading the Croatia national team," coach Zlatko Dalić said.

Source: HNS

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March the 18th, 2023 - The Algebra LAB gathered together some of the most well renowned representatives of the entrepreneurial and scientific community in the jury that evaluates the best student digital projects in the financial and insurance industries.

A sustainable fourth pension pillar through the use of the first Croatian green currency, payment by fingerprint, Tinder for investors, a biometric bracelet as insurance against deepfake – and other disruptive ideas could be heard by visitors of the Money Motion Student Hackathon, a unique event held at the Spark Event Spaces premises , at the Algebra campus in Zagreb, organized by the Algebra LAB.

The student hacking competition was held as part of Money Motion, the largest fintech conference in Croatia, which gathered as many as 700 participants. The decision on the best project was made by an expert jury consisting of entrepreneurs, members of the scientific community and professionals from the financial and insurance industries, whose members are: Hrvoje Josip Balen, member of the Algebra Board; Gordan Kožulj, director of the business consulting department, Deloitte Croatia; Ivana Vukov, special adviser to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia; Zvonimir Oreč, CFO and member of the Management Board, Amodo; Robert Penezić, General Manager, Monri; Prof. Ph.D.Sc. Mislav Ante Omazić, EFZG; Renata Brkić, Managing Partner, Feelsgood Capital; Goran Kralj, member of the Management Board of PBZCroatia Osiguranje; Marijana Bačić, member of the Management Board and chief operating officer for business customers, Hrvatski Telekom; Ivan Šimić, Senior Manager, PwC SEE Consulting; Relja Marković, Managing Director, Digital Transformation, Addiko Bank and Ph.D. Mirko Talajić, Director of Analytical Systems Support Directorate and CDO, Hrvatska poštanska banka.

"With competitions like this one, we try to strengthen the relationship between education and the labor market and show our students how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset already during their studies. In today's time of rapid changes, it is young people who are the source of information and new knowledge about digital technologies, and at the same time their biggest consumers. In this way we encourage them to use this knowledge in an applicable way. It was an honor to be part of the jury and participate in deciding on all the inspiring ideas that we had the opportunity to hear today, and I am sure that many of them will very quickly develop into successful entrepreneurial stories," – said Hrvoje Josip Balen, a member of the Algebra Management Board.

The teams were mentored by Algebra's experts: "I am extremely pleased to see the enthusiasm of the students who approached the demanding challenges in front of them with utmost courage and professionalism. We tried to support them on this path and guide them towards the development of the idea in the direction of innovation, but also market sustainability, as a component that should not be ignored in business processes. Algebra LAB was conceived precisely as a bridge between science and entrepreneurship, a collaborative ecosystem where many successful business ideas and start-ups have matured, and with competitions like today's hackathon, we maintain the dynamism of cooperation between students and entrepreneurs", said Ph.D. Maja Brkljačić, manager of Algebra LAB.

The winner was the Cookie Monsters team, whose members Martin Majerić, Dino Pećarina and Margareta Zeko designed biometric technology applicable to devices worn on the wrist such as watches or smart bracelets, which serve as an identification factor when entering mobile banking applications and other financial digital channels which require additional user authentication, and which can serve as the first line of defense against deepfake technology.

The members of the winning team won a prize of 3,000 euros: "We decided to join the competition because it seemed like a great opportunity to learn something new and develop a good idea that might be implemented one day. We decided to take on this particular challenge because it is the area where we can bring the most innovation to the table, and we think we made the right choice. People are still not aware of the extent of the deepfake problem, every year the demand and consumption of deepfakes in the world grows by 400%, and this technology is growing especially fast in the financial industry" – emphasized Cookie Monsters team member Margareta Zeko.

The winners of today's competition can be considered all those who entered, because almost all teams achieved a certain number of points, which means that the experts liked them very much, concluded Ph.D. Mislav Ante Omazić from EFZG, who as the initiator of the hackathon and reflected on the importance of student competitions in innovation: "Communication between different professions is extremely important, and another thing is teamwork. The problems of the modern world are extremely complex and cannot be solved by the individual, especially from the perspective of competences. So it's good when they are different. Many young people will already work in teams at the beginning of their careers, however, group and team are not synonymous and it is necessary to learn a lot and work on developing collaborative skills. This type of competition pushes people out of their comfort zone, in which learning and progress is limited, from which it is important to get out and go through the zone of fear, and events like our competition make this possible."

"There is nothing more useful than encouraging young people to think in the context of entrepreneurial ideas, perhaps they are not exposed to this in schools and that is why universities that encourage this, like Algebra, are actually the right way to direct them to their further professional development. I personally got involved as a member of the jury in this project because I want to be part of successful entrepreneurial stories in Croatia, and Algebra certainly is," – said Gordan Kožulj, director of the business consulting department at Deloitte.

"Today we heard a lot of interesting ideas, and as a member of the jury, I tried to see that the idea was not only relevant, but also ambitious, because you should always reward looking outside the usual angle of things. The students are great and I believe they will achieve success in the labor market as well. Young people should be told that they should always believe in themselves and should not be afraid of innovation, everything can be improved, and success is guaranteed for those who are persistent" – said Ivana Vukov, special adviser to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia.

"The students showed enviable knowledge, they showed good preparation, the amount of topics and innovations was great and I want to congratulate everyone once again for their courage in participating. Amodo as a company is present in the field of fintech and it is an integral part of our DNA" – said Zvonimir Oreč, CFO and member of the Management Board, Amodo.

"It was an honor to participate in this kind of competition, I'm glad to see young people with creative ideas, and I hope that we will organize more similar events in the future" – concluded Robert Perezić, General Manager, Monri.

The competition was intended for all students interested in learning how digital technologies are revolutionizing the financial industry and who are ready to demonstrate their knowledge in the field of application of new information technologies, fintech, artificial intelligence, IoT, blockchain and other innovations in existing financial systems.

For more, check out our news section.

March the 18th, 2023 - Algebra LAB, one of the oldest startup incubators in Croatia, provides young innovators with a symbiotic ecosystem in which business ideas are continuously maturing for the 11th year in a row.

Despite investors' caution towards risky investments, as much as 958.3 million dollars were invested in domestic start-ups in the first three quarters of last year alone – it was concluded at the Algebra startup meetup, which was held at Algebra's Zagreb campus, in the Algebra Spark Event Space.

Algebra LAB, as one of the oldest startup incubators in Croatia, has had an uninterrupted series of incubator generations since 2012, thanks to the systematic support available to them in the innovation ecosystem that combines higher education with entrepreneurship: 

“At Algebra LAB, we try to ensure that both sides profit symbiotically in development - our students from the fact that their incubator is located in the building where they study and listen to lectures every day, and that they can find themselves in the world of entrepreneurship in a short period of time, and our start-ups from the fact that some of their mentors and lecturers work in the higher education system, which means that they are constantly at the source of new knowledge and information. In such a collaborative system that combines cutting-edge innovation and science with entrepreneurship, we see the key to getting out of every crisis, of which there has been no shortage in the last ten years. Algebra LAB has spawned many successful entrepreneurial stories today – Farseer, Velebit AI, Sport React. We invite all those who are thinking about starting their own business and need support on the way to the realization of an innovative idea to join the new incubator generation for which the enrollment cycle starts at the end of the year," said Maja Brkljačić, head of Algebra LAB.

Startup Report magazine was also presented at the event. "The appearance of unicorns, Infobip and Rimac, as well as big exits such as Nanobit and Gamepires, and now Photomath, encourage the growth of investors' interest in Croatian startups, so last year a record number of startups received investments. However, due to the war in Ukraine and the hectic exit from the pandemic, investments are less than before, although the situation in Croatia is still very good. It was the second best year so far," said Bernard Ivezić, editor of the magazine.

Four new venture capital funds are coming to the Croatian market. In the next five years, the amount of money that will be available for start-ups will be 10 times higher than it was in the past period – about 300 million euros. A lot of money also means big problems for funds that have to start competing for start-ups, which makes the entire ecosystem quite dynamic and competitive, especially in an environment of crisis and economic uncertainty.

The impact of the economic crisis and the crisis caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine on the investment climate is not negligible, which was discussed at the panel discussion, along with Maja Brkljačić, by Matija Nakić, the founder of the Croatian fintech Farseer, which flourished in Algebra LAB, Miryana Joksović, co-founder of Arcion Labs and member of the ACAP Board, and veteran of the Croatian startup investment community Vedran Blagus, principal of the oldest Croatian VC fund, South Central Ventures. Representatives of the start-up scene had the opportunity to hear first-hand useful tips for surviving a turbulent social and economic environment, as well as the importance of leadership from experienced start-up founders:

„In a crisis, it is important to always lead by example, and this is what the leaders of every start-up should focus on. Investors expect this period to last 24 to 36 months. It is the most difficult for seed stage startups that are not in the portfolio, because for them the risks are the greatest, as well as the dependence on investors. This is precisely why good networking with potential investors is most important – my advice is not only to look at them, but also at their portfolio companies and the companies they are connected to, because building that network of acquaintances is the key to future success," said Miryana Joksović from Arcion Labs and referred to the recent layoffs in the tech community: "Most of those who were previously employed in large companies can hardly adapt to the start-up culture, so the question is how to connect these talents to the start-up ecosystem because they are used to different work standards atypical for the dynamics of small entrepreneurs who are just starting to build their companies.

 The fact that every crisis, including this one, can be an opportunity was seen by Matija Nakić, the founder of Farseer, on her own example: "Our process of getting the investment was not dramatic and we managed quickly. Investments have slowed down if we look at the environment, while in the last two years there has been a lot of capital and there has been a significant jump in employment and funding in IT companies. I love crises and I think they are a good opportunity to rethink yourself and your business model. People who left large IT companies like Google will surely find a job quickly because they have excellent knowledge and will return to the ecosystem and bring this new knowledge to young companies. I believe that we have an interesting couple of years ahead of us, especially with the growing influence of AI."

"In 2021 and 2022, capital was cheap not only for start-ups but also for funds. In the last quarter of 2022, there was a significant drop in investment. There is money, the investments have been shaken, but they have not stopped" – emphasized Vedran Blagus from South Central Ventures.

Despite the data on the reduced investment wave as a result of global economic events, the panelists agreed that the challenging period facing the domestic and global start-up scene is only a prelude to the continuation of the prosperous period. Namely, start-ups now face new challenges in the form of investments in research and development, as the basis of new innovations that can help overcome the crisis:

"As far as the activities and interests of start-ups are concerned – there has been no reduction, in fact there are more of them than ever before. There is a large number of applicants and those interested in our Lab, and the so-called scene or material fatigue does not exist, according to what we see – and that is the reaction to the events and the applications themselves, you can see the liveliness of the scene. In Croatia, there are more and more investment funds that heal the wound of the lack of early capital, such as Fil Rouge Capital and South Central Ventures, which enable start-ups not to think about money, but about their product or service they are developing. I see no reason for concern for the Croatian start-up scene, except for the caution required when hiring new people – especially when changing culture and moving to scale-up" – said Maja Brkljačić, head of Algebra LAB, adding that the number of 500-600 of startups from the beginning of last year, according to some estimates, rose to as many as 900 as estimated at the end of 2022, thus signaling that the start-up scene is growing despite unfavorable circumstances.

At the event, two start-ups from Algebra's LAB (EcoWashers and TablePop) presented their innovative ideas to the public through five-minute pitches. EcoWashers allows the user to order a vehicle wash on a smartphone in a few steps, and through the dry ecological washing system, it uses a unique nano-technology that is safe for the environment and a minimum amount of water. TablePop is a platform that allows guests to order and pay contactless in restaurants by simply scanning a QR code. In addition to them, the start-up IoTaaP presented its innovations and experienced member of the start-up and technology community Ivo Spigel presented his new fintech project Pontyx to the attendees.

Algebra Spark Event Space and Algebra Spark Coworking, an innovative and unique space in the western part of the city, was introduced to the audience by Hrvoje Josip Balen, a member of the Board: "Unlike other similar co-working spaces, Algebra's rooms are specially designed and focused on business development and the creation of an entrepreneurial microclimate suitable for serious companies that focus on business growth. Algebra's innovative space enables companies to organize larger or smaller business events, lectures, workshops, as well as a number of other private or commercial events with all the necessary infrastructure. Interested companies and individuals can also rent additional space of over 12,000 m2 within Algebra Rent Space, which includes top equipment and technology with the aim of achieving the maximum level of functionality - through the synergy of office spaces with Algebra LAB, as a scientific research center intended for small and start-up companies."

Algebra's Spark Coworking Space is also used by Matija Matija, a young start-up who designed the Lanke website, which shows all available new real estate projects in one place. Matija reflected on his stay in Algebra's offices: "I was most impressed by the location, which suits me because I myself am in the western part of the city, and on the other hand, the quality and equipment of the office, which contains everything I need in one place. Last, but not least – I appreciate the peace that the office space offers, which I need to focus on work, which I'm not sure I would find in other similar coworking spaces in Zagreb."

Due to their focus on innovation in business, start-ups are one of the segments of the economy that will significantly influence the future development of the entire society, and their role is not only in their own progress, but also have the potential to significantly accelerate the growth of other economic branches. Today, start-ups are not limited only to the IT sector, but also appear in agriculture, hospitality industry, and banking, where they help accelerate the growth of entire ecosystems, and their incidence in Croatia is growing year by year, which, in addition to private investors, is mostly contributed by incubators such as Algebra LAB -a, who provide them with support in the early stages and beginnings of business ideas.

For more, check out our news section.

March 18, 2023 - On Friday, the Zagreb police, in cooperation with the city's tourist board, presented an English language manual, as part of a project aimed at improving foreign languages and knowledge of the city of police officers who encounter tourists in their work.

As 24Sata writes, the project aims to improve foreign language competency related to police work, but also to the city of Zagreb and its historical, cultural sights, gastronomic offer, traffic and general information, so that the police officers can communicate with foreign tourists and help them feel good in Croatia's capital.

The project has been carried out continuously since 2018 as a form of partnership between the Police Administration and the Tourist Board of the City of Zagreb, with previous successful partnerships for the "Advent" and "Safe Tourist Destination" projects, in which Croatian police officers conducted joint police patrols with foreign colleagues.

The final product of the project is a manual that was presented on Friday, called "Excuse me, officer, how do I get to St. Mark's square?", signed by Dora Fila Petković and Patrick Burton.

"This project is a true model of successful and fruitful cooperation for the benefit of the citizens and visitors of Zagreb, but at the same time an example of good practice and partnership between the police and the tourism sector for other cities that can apply this proven model in their area as well", said the State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior affairs, Irena Petrijevčanin.

The State Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Josip Pavić, congratulating all participants and attendees of the course, emphasized that it is a commendable project that will increase the sense of security for tourists in Croatia and provide added value to tourism in the country.

"We see on the ground that the relationship, communication and coordination with tourists by the officers of the Zagreb Police Department is at an enviable level and we hope that this project will be recognized by other counties as well2, said the director of the Tourist Board of the City of Zagreb, Martina Bienenfeld.

Cooperation between the Zagreb police and the tourist board will continue in the coming period with the implementation of new courses in English, with a German course and the creation of a manual for that language following.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.