Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|
03ZAGREB432 | 2003-02-26 16:01:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Zagreb |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. |
UNCLAS ZAGREB 000432 |
1. SUMMARY: PRIME MINISTER RACAN SUBMITTED CROATIA'S OFFICIAL APPLICATION FOR EU MEMBERSHIP ON FEBRUARY 21 IN ATHENS. CROATIA'S STATUS AS A CANDIDATE COULD BE CONFIRMED WITHIN A YEAR'S TIME, THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION MINISTER SAID. REFUGEE RETURNS, COOPERATION WITH THE WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL (ICTY), AND REFORM OF THE JUDICIAL SECTOR ARE MAJOR CHALLENGES ON THE EU PATH. THE GOC BELIEVES THAT CROATIA COULD BE READY FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE EU BY THE END OF 2006. THE PROCESS LEADING UP TO THE APPLICATION, UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00432 271601Z INCLUDING AN EXTENSIVE GOC LOBBYING TOUR AND BROAD NON- PARTISAN SUPPORT IN THE PARLIAMENT, SHOWS THE GREAT IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUE FOR CROATIANS. END SUMMARY. 2. PRIME MINISTER IVICA RACAN OFFICIALLY SUBMITTED CROATIA'S APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE EUROPEAN UNION TO THE GREEK PM AND CURRENT EU CHAIR, COSTAS SIMITIS, ON FEBRARY 21 IN ATHENS. THIS ONE-PAGE DOCUMENT -- WHICH COMES IN PACKAGE WITH A PROMOTIONAL CD TITLED "REMEMBER CROATIA" -- WAS CO-SIGNED BY RACAN AND PRESIDENT STJEPAN MESIC. AT THE OFFICIAL PRESENTATION IN ATHENS, RACAN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT CROATIA WAS COMMITTED TO BUILDING A TRULY DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, THE RULE OF LAW AND AN EFFICIENT ECONOMY -- ADDING, HOWEVER, THAT THE SERBIAN "AGGRESSION" AND ITS CONSEQUENCES HAD SLOWED CROATIA ON THAT PATH. RACAN ALSO RECALLED THAT CROATIA'S AMBITION TO JOIN THE EU HAD WON ACROSS-THE-BOARD SUPPORT FROM EU MEMBERS DURING HIS GOVERNMENT'S LOBBYING TOUR PRECEEDING THE APPLICATION. OPTIMISTIC? -------------------------- 3. GENERALLY, THE GOVERNMENT HAS TRIED TO CONVEY OPTIMISM ABOUT ITS EU ASPIRATIONS, ALTHOUGH THE IRAQ CRISIS HAS CAST A CLOUD OVER ITS EFFORTS. PM RACAN PRIVATELY TOLD THE AMBASSADOR FEBRUARY 24 THAT THE EU APPLICANT STATUS OF CROATIA MADE ITS POSITION VIS-A-VIS IRAQ "TWICE AS DELICATE AS THAT OF BULGARIA AND ROMANIA WHICH IN TURN WERE IN A SITUATION TWICE AS DELICATE AS THOSE OF OTHER CANDIDATES." MORE BROADLY, AUTHORITIES HAVE TOLD US THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS HAVE BEEN SUSTAINED AND PROGRESS IS UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00432 271601Z STEADY. MIRJANA MLADINEO, THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION, REMINDED US OF HER PREDICTION OF OVER A YEAR AGO. SHE WAS VERY SATISFIED THAT CROATIA'S APPLICATION PROCESS HAD PROCEEDED ACCORDING TO PLAN. HER MINISTRY HAD ADDED TALENTED STAFF AND WAS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE LINE MINISTRIES. EUROPEAN INTEGRATION MINISTRY OFFICIALS ENJOYED GOOD COOPERATION WITH COUNTERPARTS IN COUNTRIES AHEAD OF CROATIA IN THE ACCESSION PROCESS, INCLUDING HUNGARY AND SLOVENIA, AND BEHIND THEM, INCLUDING SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO. 4. TALKING TO THE PRESS ON FEBRUARY 25 IN ZAGREB, EUROPEAN INTEGRATION MINISTER NEVEN MIMICA SAID CROATIA COULD BE READY TO BECOME AN EU MEMBER BY THE END OF 2006 -- A GOAL MOST OBSERVERS CONSIDER HIGHLY OPTIMISTIC IF NOT DOWN RIGHT IMPLAUSIBLE. HE EXPECTED CROATIA TO SECURE CANDIDATE STATUS WITHIN A YEAR, AFTER THE EC HAS STATED ITS OPINION ON THE APPLICATION. IN THE MEANTIME, MIMICA EXPECTS THAT CROATIA WILL COMPLETE ALL THE TERMS OF THE STABILIZATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT WITH THE EU (SAA) NEXT YEAR. WHILE PREDICTING THAT THE IRAQ CRISIS WOULD NOT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE PACE OF CROATIAN ACCESSION, MIMICA IDENTIFIED THE RETURN OF REFUGEES, COOPERATION WITH THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL (ICTY) AND THE REFORM OF THE JUDICIARY AS THE THREE MAIN CHALLENGES ON CROATIA'S PATH TO THE EU AND NATO. MOST OBSERVERS AGREE THAT EU MEMBERSHIP ENJOYS WIDE SUPPORT IN CROATIA, WITH ONLY FRINGE FIGURES ON THE RIGHT OPPOSING IT. COMMENT -------------------------- UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ZAGREB 00432 271601Z 5. THE POLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF GETTING ON THE ROAD TO EU MEMBERSHIP COULD BE UNDERSCORED BY THE UNPRECEDENTED LOBBYING EFFORT THAT THE PRESIDENT, PRIME MINISTER, FOREIGN MINISTER AND OTHERS PERSONALLY ENGAGED IN DURING THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THE APPLICATION. FEW DOUBT THAT THE GOC HAS SO FAR BEEN NAVIGATING THE EASY WATERS. THE COMING PERIOD WILL BE DIFFERENT; SUBSTANCE MUST REPLACE PROCESS. THE GOVERNMENT MUST WORK ON AN ASSORTMENT OF REQUIREMENTS TO HARMONIZE DOMESTIC LAWS WITH EU LAWS, TO MOVE TO COMPLY WITH INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL AND THE RETURN OF REFUGEES. THE LIST OF RESPONSIBILITIES IS LONG -- AND GOC EFFORTS TO DATE HAVE BEEN MIXED AT BEST AND NON-EXISTENT AT WORST. WHILE THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION MINISTRY HAS MANY TALENTED PEOPLE, IT IS IN THE LINE MINISTRIES -- JUSTICE IN PARTICULAR -- WHERE THE HEAVY LIFTING WILL HAVE TO BE DONE BEFORE CROATIA ENTERS THE UNION. WE DOUBT MANY DIFFICULT REFORMS WILL BE ON THE GOVERNMENT'S AGENDA BEFORE CROATIAN ELECTIONS, WHICH MUST BE HELD BY SPRING NEXT YEAR. ROSSIN UNCLASSIFIED > |