TFIZ01: DEMARCHES ON UNGA AND CHR SESSIONS: GOC REPLY IS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000621 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2008 TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ HR UNSC SUBJECT: TFIZ01: DEMARCHES ON UNGA AND CHR SESSIONS: GOC REPLY IS "CAUTIOUS" REF: A. STATE 70678 ¶B. STATE 70649 ¶C. ZAGREB 615 CLASSIFIED BY: CLASSIFIED BY NICHOLAS HILL, POL/ECON COUNSELOR, FOR REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) DCM DELIVERED MARCH 18 REFTEL DEMARCHES TO MARIO NOBILO, ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER FOR MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS. DCM EXPLAINED THE U.S. DECISION NOT TO SEEK ANOTHER UNSC RESOLUTION AND URGED THAT THE GOC NOT SUPPORT HOLDING AN UNGA EMERGENCY SESSION ON IRAQ NOR USE THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS FOR DISCUSSING THE CURRENT SITUATION CONCERNING IRAQ. NOBILO SAID HE UNDERSTOOD OUR POSITION, AND SAID THE GOC WOULD BE "CAUTIOUS" ABOUT USING THESE VENUES, ALTHOUGH HE AGREED THAT THE UNCHR WOULD NOT BE AN APPROPRIATE FORUM. CROATIA DID NOT WANT TO SEE FURTHER HARM TO THE UN. ¶2. (C) IN DISCUSSING REFTELS, NOBILO STATED THE GOC'S DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THE U.S. HAD DECIDED TO WORK "OUTSIDE" THE SECURITY COUNCIL CONTEXT. HE SAID HE HOPED A WAR WOULD BE SHORT AND THAT LOSS OF LIFE WOULD BE MINIMIZED. HE SAID THE GOC WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT A CONFLICT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO A SPREAD OF TERRORISM. THE ASSISTANT MINISTER ADDED THAT HE HOPED CROATIA WOULD BE A "PARTNER" IN POST CONFLICT INSTITUTION BUILDING. ¶3. (C) THE DCM UNDERSCORED DISAPPOINTMENT WITH PRESS REPORTS EARLIER ON MARCH 18 INDICATING THAT, IN ANNOUNCING THAT HIS MARCH 18-19 TRIP TO LONDON HAD BEEN CANCELLED, PRIME MINISTER RACAN HAD SAID TO THE PRESS THAT CROATIA AND THE UK OBVIOUSLY WERE "NOT ON THE SAME SIDE" (REF C). FURTHERMORE, THE PM HOPED THE U.S. WOULD "UNDERSTAND" THE GOC'S POSITION. THE DCM SAID THAT, IN FACT, THE U.S. DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE GOC POSITION; WE WERE VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT CROATIA HAD FAILED TO JOIN THE COALITION TO DISARM IRAQ. MOREOVER, WE HOPED THAT PM RACAN DID NOT MEAN TO SUGGEST THAT CROATIA AND THE UK WERE NOT ON THE SAME SIDE VIS-A-VIS THE IRAQ REGIME. ¶4. (C) NOBILO RESPONDED THAT HE HAD NOT SEEN TRANSCRIPTS OF EXACTLY WHAT THE PRIME MINISTER SAID. THE KEY PROBLEM FOR RACAN WAS THAT ALL THE FOCUS OF A LONDON VISIT WOULD HAVE BEEN ON IRAQ, AND CLEARLY CROATIA HAD A DIFFERENT VIEW. INDEED, IF RACAN HAD TRAVELLED TO LONDON, NOBILO FEARED, THE "ENTIRE DISCUSSION" WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER IRAQ. (WE LEARNED SEPARATELY FROM UK SOURCES THAT THE IRAQ SITUATION MEANT THE BRITISH COULD NOT GUARANTEE RACAN A MEETING WITH PM BLAIR.) ROSSIN NNNN