CROATIA APPROVES USE OF AIRSPACE, AIRFIELDS FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000428

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2013
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS HR IZ MARR MOPS HR IZ FR FRPREL
SUBJECT: CROATIA APPROVES USE OF AIRSPACE, AIRFIELDS FOR
CIVAIR TRANSIT OF TROOPS TO MIDEAST
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00428 01 OF 02 261352Z

REF: ZAGREB 409

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR LAWRENCE ROSSIN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B.D)


1. (C) ON FEBRUARY 26, THE CROATIAN CABINET PASSED A FORMAL
DECISION (TEXT AT PARA 5 BELOW) TO AGREE TO A USG REQUEST FOR
THE USE OF CROATIAN AIRSPACE AND AIRFIELDS BY COMMERCIAL
AIRCRAFT FOR REFUELING AND STOPOVER IN SUPPORT OF MILITARY
OPERATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AGAINST IRAQ. THE DECISION
CREATES AN INTER-AGENCY WORKING GROUP, TO BE CHAIRED BY AN
ASSISTANT MINISTER OF DEFENSE, WHICH WILL IMPLEMENT AND
MONITOR ACTIVITIES UNDER THE DECISION. ALTHOUGH THE DECISION
GOES INTO EFFECT ON FEBRUARY 26, IT MAY TAKE AS LONG AS TWO
WEEKS FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO BE FORMALLY ESTABLISHED;
CROATIA WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO SPECIFIC REQUESTS FOR
FLIGHTS UNTIL THAT TAKES PLACE.


2. (C) THIS DECISION WAS PRESENTED TO THE PARLIAMENT
PRECISELY AS PM RACAN TOLD THE AMBASSADOR ON FEBRUARY 24 IT
WOULD BE (REFTEL). AT THE SABOR'S VERSION OF "QUESTION TIME"
ON FEBRUARY 26, RACAN TOLD MP'S THAT THE DECISION WAS TAKEN
"WITH THE UNDERSTANDING" OF EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS WHICH ARE
DECIDING ON CROATIA'S EU MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION. RACAN ALSO
SAID THAT CROATIA'S OFFER OF LOGISTICS SUPPORT WAS A
MINIMALIST POSITION. "SOME COUNTRIES WHICH ARE AGAINST THE
APPROACH OF THE UNITED STATES ARE PROVIDING MORE LOGISTICS
SUPPORT THAN WE ARE OFFERING," RACAN EXPLAINED. RACAN
INSISTED THAT THE DECISION TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT IS WITHIN
THE COMPETENCE OF THE CABINET, BUT ANY REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL
SUPPORT WOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE PARLIAMENT, AS REQUIRED BY
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00428 01 OF 02 261352Z
CROATIAN LAW.


3. (C) IN A FEBRUARY 25 MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR,
PRESIDENT MESIC WAS MORE SUPPORTIVE OF U.S. POLICIES/REQUESTS
ON IRAQ THAN WE EXPECTED, CONSIDERING SOME OF HIS RECENT
STATEMENTS TO THE LOCAL PRESS. MESIC SAID THAT HE SUPPORTS
THE GOC DECISION TO AGREE TO THE USG REQUEST FOR LANDING
RIGHTS IN CROATIA. HE SAID THAT HE RAISED THE ISSUE DURING
HIS JANUARY 24 MEETING IN PARIS WITH PRESIDENT CHIRAC, WHO
CHARACTERIZED CROATIA'S DECISION TO PROVIDE FLOW-THROUGH
ACCESS AS APPROPRIATE.


4. (C) IN A FEBRUARY 25 MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR, DEFMIN
ANTUNOVIC SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT DECISION WOULD APPROVE OUR
REQUEST WITH VERY NARROW PARAMETERS; ANY REQUEST BEYOND
AIRSPACE, LANDING AND REFUELING WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN TO THE
PARLIAMENT. CROATIA'S DEFENSE LAW REQUIRES SABOR APPROVAL
BEFORE THE ENTRY OF ANY FOREIGN TROOPS INTO CROATIA. THE GOC
INTERPRETATION IS THAT THE SABOR WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE IN
ADVANCE -- WITH A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY -- IF A U.S. SOLDIER IS
TO SET FOOT ON CROATIAN SOIL. UNDER THE CURRENT DECISION,
TROOPS WILL HAVE TO REMAIN ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT DURING
REFUELING. IN THE CASE OF AN AIRCRAFT BREAKDOWN, THE GOC
COULD OFFER OVERNIGHT STAYS WITHOUT OVERSTEPPING ITS LEGAL
BOUNDARIES. SUCH A CASE WOULD BE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY STOP
UNDER ICAO RULES AND THE GOC WOULD BE LEGALLY COVERED.


5. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF FEBRUARY 26 CROATIAN CABINET DECISION
(NOTE INTERNAL NUMBERING):

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04 ZAGREB 00428 01 OF 02 261352Z

BASED ON THE ARTICLE 30 SECTION 2 OF THE LAW ON THE REPUBLIC
OF CROATIA (OFFICIAL GAZETTE, NO 101/98, 15/200 AND
117/2001),GOVERNMENT OF CROATIA AT ITS SESSION ON 26
FEBRUARY 2003, REACHED THE FOLLOWING

DECISION ON THE USE OF AIRSPACE AND AIRPORTS OF THE REPUBLIC
OF CROATIA FOR THE NEEDS OF COALITION FORCES LED BY THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA


I. BASED ON REPUBLIC OF CROATIA'S DETERMINATION TO COMBAT
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND PREVENT PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS
OF MASS DESTRUCTION, REPEATEDLY DECLARED BY CROATIA'S
GOVERNMENT, PARLIAMENT AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC,
CROATIA'S GOVERNMENT WILL WITHIN ITS ABILITY, MEET THE
REQUEST TO EXTEND ITS SERVICES TO COALITION FORCES LED BY THE
UNITED STATES IN CONDUCTING OPERATIONS AIMED AT DISARMING
IRAQ, AS IT IS DETERMINED IN UN SECURITY RESOLUTION 1441.

II. IN EVENT THAT THERE IS A REQUEST AS STATED IN THE ITEM I
OF THIS DECISION, CROATIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES THE USE OF
CROATIA'S AIRSPACE FOR OVER-FLIGHTS, LANDING AND REFUELING
CIVIL TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AT CROATIAN AIRPORTS.

III. TO IMPLEMENT AND MONITOR ACTIVITIES FROM THIS DECISION,

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL PTQ9561

PAGE 01 ZAGREB 00428 02 OF 02 261353Z
ACTION EUR-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00
DS-00 EB-00 E-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 TEDE-00
INR-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00
NSCE-00 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00
SCT-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00
EPAE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-01 G-00 NFAT-00
SAS-00 SWCI-00 /004W
-------------- 3BAF2C 261353Z /38
O 261348Z FEB 03
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9547
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE
COMUSEUCOM INTEL VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE
COMUSEUCOM ALT SHAPE BE IMMEDIATE
HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
COMSIXTHFLT IMMEDIATE
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 000428

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2013
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS HR IZ MARR MOPS HR IZ FR FRPREL
SUBJECT: CROATIA APPROVES USE OF AIRSPACE, AIRFIELDS FOR
CIVAIR TRANSIT OF TROOPS TO MIDEAST

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00428 02 OF 02 261353Z
CROATIAN GOVERNMENT WILL ESTABLISH INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP
CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING:

- MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, CHAIR
- MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, TRAFFIC AND COMMUNICATIONS, MEMBER
- MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MEMBER
- MINISTRY OF INTERIOR, MEMBER
- CROATIAN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, MEMBER

IV. CROATIAN GOVERNMENT WILL INFORM CROATIAN PARLIAMENT ON
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS DECISION.


V. THIS DECISION BECOMES EFFECTIVE AS OF THE PROCLAMATION
DATE AND IT WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE.

ZAGREB, 26 FEBRUARY 2003
PRIME MINISTER
IVICA RACAN
END TEXT
ROSSIN

CONFIDENTIAL

>