Agreement on cooperation between the City of Rijeka and Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d.signed

Rijeka, 30 January 2015 – The Agreement on cooperation between the City of Rijeka and Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d. (Erste bank) for sponsorships in 2015 was signed. The Agreement was signed by the mayor of Rijeka Vojko Obersnel and Erste bank's Chairman of the Board Petar Radakovic.

Based upon the initiative of the City of Rijeka, Erste bank will sponsor several events organised by the City of Rijeka and continue sponsoring the Water polo club Primorje Erste banka.

In addition to the already mentioned Water polo club Primorje Erste banka and based on the agreement, the bank will also sponsor the International Rijeka carnival, running festival Homo si tec ("Let's run"), Fiumanka regatta and the International small scene theatre festival, with the total amount of HRK 2,025,000.

Signing the Agreement is the continuation of a fruitful cooperation between the City of Rijeka and Erste bank, within the scope of which Erste bank has sponsored projects of the City of Rijeka with the total amount of some HRK 30m during the past 11 years, based on the initiatives of the City of Rijeka. For example, it sponsors the International carnival parade and the Children's carnival parade for the twelfth year in a row.

Through its donation and sponsorship projects Erste bank supports various segments of social activities. In that manner, it helps the community and the surroundings it operates in, so this donation is a continuation of a series of activities it supports and conducts. The basic motive is, primarily, the responsibility towards the surroundings it operates in, i.e. raising the quality of life of citizens living in the same surroundings.

• Water polo club Primorje Erste banka

The club was founded in 1908 as one of the first water polo clubs in the region. The club has won two national championships – in 1938 and 2014. The team has won Croatian national cup five times – in 1979, 1996, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Regarding international competitions, the Mediterranean water polo cup was won in 1984 and 1997, as well as the leading position in the Adriatic water polo league in 2013 and 2014, while in Len champions league the team ranked second in 2012 and the third in 2004 and 2014. Numerous players from the club participated in the Olympic Games and won medals, with gold medals won by Zoran Roje, Samir Barac, Petar Muslim, Sandro Sukno, Ivan Buljubasic, Frano Vican and Paulo Obradovic, and silver medals won by Kovacic, Kurtini, Roje, Mustur, Glavan and Hinic.

• International Rijeka carnival

Rijeka carnival continues the multi-centennial tradition of carnival customs in Croatian Littoral region. The Carnival encompasses numerous events, the most significant of which is the International carnival parade, attended by thousands of spectators every year in Rijeka's Korzo and representing a mixture of traditional and urban carnival groups.

• Homo si tec (Let's run)

Homo si tec is the most frequented street race in Croatia, held in Rijeka city centre. The festival hosts Rijeka's half-marathon, a run for pre-school children and the Hendi cup, intended for disabled and visually impaired persons.

• Fiumanka regatta

Fiumanka is a recognisable sailing regatta held in the Bay of Rijeka since 2000, one of the biggest regattas held in the Adriatic Sea. Fiumanka has become one of Rijeka's trademarks long ago.

• International small scene theatre festival Rijeka

The Festival has been founded by its organisers, the City of Rijeka and HKD Theatre. This year, the Festival's 22^nd edition will feature the best drama plays in this part of Europe. Until these days, theatre companies from 22 European countries and the US have performed some 250 plays at the International small scene theatre festival. The plays performed represent professional theatre programmes of the highest quality and plays by the leading European theatres.