CROATIA: CHANGES TO LAW ALLOW MOD APPROVAL OF

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000349 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SCE (NARDI) DOD FOR JCS/J5 (EPPERSON); DIA (STEVENS AND LINDER); OSD/ISP (SHOEMAKER) UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00349 141034Z E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM MOPS MARR PREL HR NATO SUBJECT: CROATIA: CHANGES TO LAW ALLOW MOD APPROVAL OF FORCE PROTECTION MEASURES FOR USN SHIP VISITS REF: ZAGREB 284 ¶1. ON FEBRUARY 6, THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT PASSED A DECISION TO MODIFY THE MARITIME LAW WHICH WILL GIVE THE MOD THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO APPROVE FORCE-PROTECTION MEASURES FOR WARSHIPS ENTERING CROATIA'S INTERNAL WATERS. THIS ISSUE WAS RAISED DURING U.S. - CROATIA BILATERAL DEFENSE CONSULTATIONS ON FEBRUARY 5 AND BY DASD MIRA RICARDEL PERSONALLY IN HER MEETING WITH DEFMIN ANTUNOVIC (REF). ¶2. THE NEW CHANGE TO THE MARITIME REGULATION STATES THAT "THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE MAY, AT THE REQUEST OF THE COMMANDER OF A FOREIGN WARSHIP, WITH THE ASSENT OF THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, THE MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND THE MINISTER OF MARITIME AFFAIRS, APPROVE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ADDITIONAL MEASURES WHICH HAVE AS THEIR GOAL THE SECURITY OF THE FOREIGN WARSHIP." ¶3. THIS DECISION WILL GO INTO EFFECT ON FEBRUARY 15, AND WHILE IT WILL LIKELY PROVE CUMBERSOME TO IMPLEMENT, IT WILL OVERTURN PROHIBITIONS ON POST-USS COLE FORCE PROTECTION MEASURES WHICH HAD EFFECTIVELY HALTED USN SHIP VISITS TO CROATIAN PORTS. ROSSIN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00349 141034Z UNCLASSIFIED >