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Nenad
PORGES
born : Zagreb, 1946
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Mr.
Nenad Porges is the new Minister Counselor (DCM).
Prior to joining the Embassy in Washington, Mr.
Porges served as Adviser to the Prime Minister
for two years.
He received his degrees from the University of
Zagreb (a bachelors degree in economics and a
masters degree in marketing).
He was a lecturer in marketing and management
in postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Economics
of the University of Zagreb.
Prior to his post as Adviser to the Prime Minister,
Mr. Porges served as Deputy Minister of Economy.
He has also worked on a number of marketing research
projects and published numerous papers.
Source : U.S. embassy news 8/22/95
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Nenad Porges (born 27 December 1946 in Zagreb, Croatia) is a Croatian politician,
businessman, entrepreneur and former Minister of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship.
Porges was born in Zagreb to a Jewish family who came to Zagreb from Vienna and Bratislava.
His paternal grandparents were killed during the Holocaust by the SS Prinz Eugen Division, while his father's life was spared due to a fact that he was an essential worker for the Third Reich.
Porges received his degrees from the University of Zagreb (a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in marketing) and was a lecturer in marketing and management in postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Zagreb.
He was the president of the Jewish community of Zagreb until 1993, when he retired from the position.
Porges remains a member, though inactive, of the Jewish community in Zagreb.
As a president of the Jewish community Zagreb, Porges was a strong advocate of Croatian independence.
He directed a letter to the World Jewish Congress and all affiliated Jewish organizations and institutions with the title ; "Appeal to our Jewish brothers and sisters".
In the letter he appealed for the recognition of Croatia and support in the Croatian War for Independence which was fought "against a brutal military force led by the Yugoslav Army".
He served as adviser to the Prime Minister for two years.
Prior to his post as adviser to the Prime Minister, Porges served as Deputy Minister of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship.
In 1997 he became the Minister of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship in the Croatian Government.
He has also worked on a number of marketing research projects and published numerous papers.
In 2005 Porges was named among the one thousand most influential Croatians.
After Croatian independence Porges helped to revive Freemasonry in the country. |
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Appeal
to our Jewish brothers and sisters
Zagreb,
7th October 1991
To the World Jewish Congress,
European Jewish Congress,
National and International Jewish Organizations,
Members of the World Jewish
Congress and all Affiliated Organizations
and Institutions
We,
Members
of the Council of the Jewish Community in Zagreb,
Representatives of this two hundred years old
Jewish Community,
and in the name of another eight Jewish Communities
in Croatia - Osijek, Rijeka, Split, Dubrovnik,
Virovitica, Cakovece, Slavonski Brod and Daruvar
that have existed here for centuries
Note with sadness, dismay and indignation :
- that the Republic
of Croatia, whose citizens we are, is being
attacked by a brutal military force led
by the Yugoslav Army;
- that the innocent
civilian population is being indiscriminately
killed by armed forces on the ground, from
the air and from the sea and that by 7th
October 1991 at least 700 civilians had
been killed and at least 2,000 wounded ;
- that over two hundred
thousand refugees had left their homes and
everything they had achieved in their lives
;
- that severe physical,
psychological and economic suffering has
been imposed on all the citizens of the
Republic of Croatia, regardless of their
nationality, race, color, creed or political
belief ;
- that, contrary to
international humanitarian laws, these military
forces are indiscriminantly destroying hospitals,
kindergartens, old people's homes, schools
and other institution of social care ;
- that hundreds of
cultural and historical monuments of the
highest category, including churches, monasteries,
libraries, cemeteries and Jewish monuments
of culture are being severely damaged or
completely destroyed, regardless of local
or international laws and protection - the
latest example is the city of Dubrovnik
where the second oldest European synagogue
stands ;
- that the Jews in
Croatia and their institutions, their communal
and private property are similarly suffering
from the same threats and that the destruction
of Croatia, its cities and villages may
bring to an end the history of this Jewish
community which has lived on this soil from
ancient times.
Furthermore,
we record :
- that the Jewish Community
in Zagreb, after the antisemitic terrorist
attack by a still unknown person or group
on its Community Center and cemetery on
19th August 1991, received wide public support
and expressions of compassion and outrage,
as well as all necessary practical support
and protection, from our fellow-citizens,
other religious communities, numerous political
parties, public institutions, the Town Hall
of Zagreb and the Government of Croatia
;
- that although the
present Government of Croatia has arbitrarily
been depicted as antisemitic or neo-Fascist,
the Jewish Community in Croatia enjoys all
the rights of a religious or national minority
without hindrance or discrimination ;
- that the Government
of Croatia has publicly denounced and condemned
all neo-Fascist and extremist ideologies
and organizations that threaten the democratic
system in Croatia and its citizens and resolved
to undertake all necessary legal steps to
prevent the spread of such dangers.
We express
our fullest support for the efforts and declared
policy of the Government of the Republic of
Croatia in building a new and democratic society
in which the human, political, civil, national
and religious rights of every citizen and group
will be protected.
We note
with great sorrow that, due to the ongoing war,
all our practical connections with our Jewish
brothers and sisters in other Republics of Yugoslavia*
have been broken and we express our deepest
concern for their security and survival; we
express our full solidarity with them as well.
We urge
every person and institution in Yugoslavia*
that cherishes human life, dignity and freedom
to act against the aggression on the population
of the Republic of Croatia and in any other
parts of Yugoslavia*.
We specially
call upon all our fraternal Jewish organizations
and individuals around the world and the general
public abroad to impress upon their governments
and international organizations the need for
an immediate peace in Croatia based on the protection
of human life.
We will
never forget how our Jewish people was exterminated
in the Second World War before the eyes of the
whole world, which watched our tragedy in silence
and indifference. We do not want this tragic
lesson of history to be repeated.
For
the Council of the Jewish Community in Zagreb
Nenad
Porges, M.A.
President
*former
Yugoslavia (D.Z.)
Source :
http://mirror.veus.hr/darko/etf/jew.html
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PORGES MEETS HEADS OF B'NAI
B'RITH AND HOLOCAUST MUSEUM
ZAGREB,
May 26, 1998(Hina)
Croatia's
Economy Minister Nenad Porges, who is
on a working visit to Washington, on Tuesday
met the President of the Jewish world organisation
B'Nai B'Rith, Tommy Baer, Director of the organisation's
Department for International Relations, George
Spectre, and the Foreign Affairs Director of
the US Holocaust Museum, Ralf Grunewald, a statement
from the Croatian Economy Ministry said.
The meeting
focused on the upcoming trial of Dinko Sakic,
who is accused of being responsible for the
death of numerous Jews during World War II in
the Jasenovac concentration camp, where he was
commander.
Sakic,
who is living in Argentina, is soon to be extradited
to Croatia.
The high
officials also discussed the procedure of declaring
the late Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac "Righteous
Among Nations" - a person who, risking his own
life, saved many Jews during World War II, the
statement said.
Croatia
has been successfully cooperating with B'Nai
B'Rith and the Holocaust Museum since the establishment
of its independence.
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CROATIA'S
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
by Nenad
Porges
Minister of the Economy of the Republic of Croatia
Croatian
Government clearly outlined the development
strategy
A 5-percent growth of production in 1997
What is important is whether firms are successful
and profitable, not are they small or big
In CEFTA and WTO by the end of 1998
Croatia is open for co-operation to all countries,
but on clear economic principles.
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Does Croatia have a development strategy?
- There is a series
of papers, such as the Letter on Development
Policy with its clearly emphasized Croatia's
future performances - from macro-economic
ones to priorities in specific sectors,
priorities in restructuring and development.
If we speak of sustainable growth within
the BDP rates of over seven percent, if
we speak of budget deficit within the range
imposed by Maastricht, if we speak of directions
of privatization of as yet not privatized
sectors such as postal service or INA, if
we outline regional development - what is
all that if not guidelines of this government
for the directions of development? "(...)
The speed and stage of restructuring influence
the production growth; some firms made a
halt, some are too big, in others the state
still has a dominant role (...)"
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You announced focusing on production, exports,
development, how will all this be accomplished?
Is this in accordance with the existing strategy?
- Positive shifts in
production are already happening. I think
that awakening of production is evident,
after all it amounted to 3.1% in 1996 and
to more than five percent this year, these
being significant shifts compared to the
falls in wartime years. True, there are
great differences between sectors, basic
chemical industry is still stagnating, there
are sectors with negative trends. However,
shipbuilding industry (five major shipyards)
has in its order books contracts for 45
ships to be delivered until 2001, worth
USD 1.2bn. Production of machinery and equipment
also shows some signs of revival, although
it is hard to measure on the sector level
since there are great differences between
individual firms within the sector. The
speed and stage of restructuring influence
the production growth; some firms made a
halt, some are too big, in others the state
still has a dominant role, for example through
the Privatization Fund or Pension Fund,
being thus partially responsible for the
pace of their restructuring. In food-processing
industry there are also positive shifts.
However, it is crucial to continue fast
restructuring and privatization and disburdening
of economy, and to maintain a stable macro-economic
environment. "(...) Certain big firms will
have to undertake a "reducing diet" (...)"
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Do small and medium firms represent a key element
in the further development and are they a strategic
Croatian choice?
- This government,
as well as former governments, keeps pointing
out that whether firms are successful and
profitable or not, and only after that are
they small or big. However, the fact is
that small and medium entrepreneurship is
extremely suitable for logical and gradual
development of entrepreneurial spirit. No
small and medium firm can survive without
a support of big mainstream companies. The
small and the medium are naturally sub-contractors
and sub-suppliers for strong bigger firms.
Certain big firms will have to undertake
a "reducing diet", but they are necessary
to maintain the chain in which there are
also small and medium firms. "(...) After
newly established understanding between
the Republic of Croatia and the United States
of America I have no doubts whatsoever that
the United States Trade Negotiators Office
(USTR) will receive adequate signals from
the State Department and the White House.
(...)"
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•
Where does Croatia stand in relation to the
associations such as CEFTA and WTO?
- Far
from and close to them at the same time. A few
days ago we completed the third round of negotiations
with Slovenia, expecting to finish them by the
beginning of 1998. With Poland, we are advancing
pretty well, with Romania we are to start negotiations
next month. As for Hungary, negotiations are
somewhat slower, as in the case of Slovakia
and the Czech Republic. Since Slovakia and the
Czech Republic are in the customs union, this
is a limiting factor preventing our faster negotiations
with one or the other of them. Still, everything
will be completed by mid-1998.
Regarding
the World Trade Organization, the situation
is good, we held talks on the level of work
group. We already answered questions posed in
July. It depends now on the Secretariat in Geneva
when the next multilateral meeting will be held
within the work group. After newly established
understanding between the Republic of Croatia
and the United States of America I have no doubts
whatsoever that the United States Trade Negotiator's
Office (USTR) will receive adequate signals
from the State Department and the White House.
"(...) I would like to emphasize that Croatia
agrees to every project congruent with its interests.
It is also actively supporting everything that
enables better movements of goods, labour, and
capital in the global market (...)"
•
How much is Croatia interested in "southern
integration", the SECI, too?
- Croatia
is interested in them, but there is a certain
set of priorities and sequence of moves. We
are considering also the Danube initiative and
the Black Sea one, we participate in all the
developments in the Mediterranean. Diplomatic
visits on the relation Turkey - Croatia are
to be understood also in their economic and
not only political aspects. Croatia defines
itself as a Central European and a Mediterranean
country. After all, it has no reason to run
away from its Mediterranean character. I would
like to emphasize that Croatia agrees to every
project congruent with its interests. It is
also actively supporting everything that enables
better movements of goods, labor, and capital
in the global market. Croatia is consistent
in its attitude also in relation to the SECI.
Namely, it is an active participant, but cautious
as far as organizational instrumentalization
of the SECI is concerned, not being interested
in formal membership. Indeed, we are interested
in clear projects where stakes and profits are
known.
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 Ministar
gospodarstva (travanj 1997.-)
Obrazovanje:
Diplomirao
vanjsku trgovinu na Sveuãili‰tu
u Zagrebu, magistrirao marketing na Ekonomskom
fakultetu.
Politiãka
karijera:
1993. zamjenik ministra gospodarstva.
1993-95. savjetnik predsjednika Vlade.
1995-97. ministar savjetnik i zamjenik voditelja
misije u Veleposlanstvu RH u SAD. Imenovan ministrom
gosodarstva u travnju 1997.
âlan Hrvatske demokratske zajednice (HDZ).
Profesionalna
karijera:
1974-89. zaposlen u Centru za marketing.
1989-93. direktor Centra za marketing.
1985-93. predavaã na specijalistiãkom
poslijediplomskom studiju marketinga i poslovodstva
na
Ekonomskom
fakultetu u Zagrebu.
1994-95. ãlan Odbora za brodogradnju
VRH, Vijeça za telekomunikacije Sabora
RH, Nadzornog odbora
Ureda za osiguranje izvoza od nekomercijalnih
rizika, radne grupe GATT/WTO.
13/07/99
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