TFIZO1: UNCHR/CROATIA WILL OPPOSE SPECIAL IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000686

SIPDIS


GENEVA FOR JDELAURENTIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE MNARDI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2013
TAGS: PHUM PREL HR UNCHR
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: UNCHR/CROATIA WILL OPPOSE SPECIAL IRAQ
SITTING

REF: A. GENEVA 979


B. ROSSIN/NARDI TELCON 3/26

C. ZAGREB 679

D. ROSSIN/DELAURENTIS EMAIL 3/27

CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF MITCH BENEDICT FOR REASONS 1.5 B AND D


1. (C) ON RECEIPT OF REF A, AMBASSADOR SPOKE EARLY MORNING
MARCH 27 WITH MIROSLAV KOVACIC, MFA NORTH AMERICA DIRECTOR,
WHO WAS IN THE MEETING WITH DEPUTY FM SIMONOVIC THAT WE
REPORTED IN REF C. THE AMBASSADOR RECALLED THE (HELPFUL BUT
EU-CAVEATED) POSITION THE GOC HAD DECIDED UPON AND THAT HAD
BEEN CONVEYED TO THE AMBASSADOR BY SIMONOVIC, AND SAID OUR
REPORTS FROM GENEVA WERE THAT THEIR DELEGATION WAS STILL
INTENDING TO ABSTAIN. THE AMBASSADOR ALSO NOTED INDICATIONS
REPORTED BY GENEVA THAT THE EU WOULD OPPOSE. KOVACIC
RECONFIRMED THE GOC STANCE WAS "NO, BUT WE WILL FOLLOW THE EU
LINE IF THERE IS ONE," AS REPORTED IN REF C, AND HE SAID HE
WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH HIS DELEGATION IN GENEVA.


2. (C) KOVACIC CALLED THE CROATIAN DELEGATION IN GENEVA AND
THEN CALLED US BACK TO CONFIRM -- THEIR CURRENT INSTRUCTION
IS TO OPPOSE, TO VOTE "NO" -- NOT "ABSTAIN." WERE THE EU TO
TAKE A COMMON POSITION, CROATIA WOULD LINE UP WITH THAT
POSITION, WHATEVER IT WAS. THE DELEGATION CONFIRMED IT KNOWS
WHAT ITS INSTRUCTIONS ARE.


3. (C) IF, AS GENEVA REPORTS, THE EU IS GOING TO VOTE "NO,"
THEN IT WOULD APPEAR THE GOC IS A LOCK AGAINST THE SPECIAL
IRAQ SESSION.
ROSSIN

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