The Croatian Journalists' Association (HND) warned on Monday that the possible cessation of publication of the Pula-based Glas Istre daily newspaper would be a blow to the identity of the local community in Istria.

The HND  sent an open letter to the management of Glas Istre and Rijeka-based Novi List raising its voice against the merger of the two newspapers, which was announced by the Glas Istre editor-in-chief Robert Frank in an article released on Sunday evening.

The association believes that the merger of Glas Istre and Novi List would do damage to the identity of Istria and the Istrians to the same extent as the possible liquidation of the Pula-based shipyard Uljanik.

The HND also fears possible dismissals of journalists from the Istrian daily newspaper.

It recalls that three newspapers — Glas Istre, Novi List and Zadarski List — are owned by the Slovak fund J&T, and wonders if the next step would be to shut down Novi List and Zadarski List after such fate befalls Glas Istre.

The publication of Glas Istre started in 1943 and the daily published, among other things, historic decisions on the reunification of Istria with Croatia that year.