CROATIA DEFERS DECISION TO REFIT LIBYAN NAVAL VESSEL "AL MUNYED"

S E C R E T ZAGREB 002646 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/PRA (CORDOVA) AND EUR/SCE (KABUMOTO) E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2013 TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC PINR LY HR PASS SUBJECT: CROATIA DEFERS DECISION TO REFIT LIBYAN NAVAL VESSEL "AL MUNYED" REF: A. ZAGREB 2504 ¶B. STATE 331261 (NOTAL) CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF A.F.GODFREY FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (S) ON DECEMBER 4, WE DELIVERED REF B POINTS TO SENIOR OFFICIALS AT CROATIA'S DEFENSE AND FOREIGN MINISTRIES AND TO ADVISERS IN PRESIDENT MESIC'S OFFICE, UNDERSCORING THAT REFITTING THE DIVER SUPPORT VESSEL WOULD ADD TO LIBYA'S MILITARY CAPABILITIES AND COULD INCREASE LIBYA'S ABILITY TO SUPPORT TERRORIST ACTIVITIES. ON DECEMBER 16 -- AFTER SEVERAL FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSIONS WITH APPROPRIATE SENIOR GOC OFFICIALS -- WE LEARNED THAT OUTGOING DEFENSE MINISTER ZELJKA ANTUNOVIC WOULD INSTEAD STICK TO HER DECISION LAST YEAR NOT TO PERMIT THE "AL MUNYED" ENTRY INTO CROATIAN WATERS. ¶2. (S) ON DECEMBER 17, DCM FOLLOWED UP AGAIN WITH IVICA MASTRUKO, MESIC'S SENIOR FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER. MASTRUKO CONFIRMED THAT HE HAD REPORTED OUR CONCERNS TO THE PRESIDENT AND WARNED THAT A DECISION TO MOVE AHEAD WITH THE REFIT OF THE "AL MUNYED" COULD HAVE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR CROATIA'S BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S. ALTHOUGH NON-COMMITAL ON MESIC'S POSITION, MASTRUKO SAID THAT THE PRESIDENT WOULD SEEK A MEETING EARLY IN THE NEW YEAR WITH THE NEW HDZ GOVERNMENT (ONCE IT TAKES OFFICE) TO DISCUSS A NUMBER OF CRITICAL FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES, INCLUDING RELATIONS WITH LIBYA. FRANK NNNN