CROATIA SEEKS BILATERAL MEETING WITH SECRETARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 001709 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE AND IO/UNP E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2008 TAGS: PREL HR UNGA SUBJECT: CROATIA SEEKS BILATERAL MEETING WITH SECRETARY POWELL DURING UNGA CLASSIFIED BY: DCM PATRICK S. MOON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (SBU) ON JULY 29, DCM MET WITH VICE SKRACIC, HEAD OF THE MFA'S UN DEPARTMENT. SKRACIC PRESENTED THE GOC'S FORMAL REQUEST FOR A BILATERAL MEETING WITH SECRETARY POWELL FOR CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TONINO PICULA DURING THIS YEAR'S UNGA. SKRACIC SAID THAT THE GOC UNDERSTANDS HOW BUSY THE SECRETARY WILL BE AND THAT IF A MEETING ON THE MARGINS OF SIPDIS UNGA IS NOT POSSIBLE, PICULA IS READY TO TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON EITHER IMMEDIATELY BEFORE OR AFTER THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. PICULA NOW PLANS TO BE IN NEW YORK FROM SEPTEMBER 22 - 26, BUT WOULD BE READY TO TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON EITHER ON SEPTEMBER 18 - 19 OR SEPTEMBER 29 - 30 FOR A MEETING WITH THE SECRETARY. SKRACIC UNDERSTOOD THAT SCHEDULES WILL TAKE TIME SIPDIS TO FORMULATE, BUT ASKED FOR AN EARLY RESPONSE SO CROATIA'S EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON CAN BEGIN WORK ON A PROGRAM OF OTHER SUBSTANTIVE MEETINGS FOR THE MINISTER. ¶2. (SBU) SKRACIC SAID THAT THE MAIN SUBJECTS OF DISCUSSION WOULD BE CROATIA'S CONTRIBUTION OF TROOPS TO IRAQ, A POSSIBLE COMPROMISE FORMULA ON ARTICLE 98/ICC AND COUNTERTERRORISM. THE DCM TOLD SKRACIC THAT WE WOULD FORWARD THE GOC REQUEST. HE NOTED THAT DURING A BUSY TIME LIKE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SENIOR U.S. OFFICIALS OFTEN HELD THEMATIC MEETINGS WITH GROUPINGS OF REGIONAL LEADERS. IN THIS REGARD, HE ASKED WHETHER CROATIA'S PARLIAMENT WOU.LD APPROVE BEFORE PICULA'S TRIP A PLANNED DEPLOYMENT OF TROOPS TO IRAQ. SKRACIC SAID HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE PARLIAMENT WOULD APPROVE THE DEPLOYMENT IN ADVANCE OF THE MINISTER'S TRIP. ¶3. (SBU) SKRACIC ASKED THAT WE EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY FOR CROATIAN PRESIDENT MESIC WITH PRESIDENT BUSH. MESIC NOW PLANS TO ARRIVE IN NEW YORK ON SEPTEMBER 21 AND INTENDS TO DEPART BY THE END OF THE WEEK. POST RECOMMENDATION -------------- ¶4. (C) WE DO NOT SEE JUSTIFICATION FOR A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY FOR PRESIDENT MESIC, EXCEPT PERHAPS AS PART OF A GROUP PHOTOGRAPH (PERHAPS OF ADRIATIC CHARTER COUNTRIES OR OF COUNTRIES WHICH ARE PROVIDING TROOPS TO IRAQ). LIKEWISE WE DO SEE ENOUGH JUSTIFICATION FOR A PRIVATE BILATERAL MEETING WITH FM PICULA, ALTHOUGH WE WOULD SUPPORT HIS PARTICIPATION IN A MEETING OF REGIONAL LEADERS WITH SENIOR USG OFFICIALS. FRANK NNNN