NATO SYG IN ZAGREB: TURNING DOWN THE PRESSURE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000716

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE (NARDI) AND EUR/RPM (BAME)
USNATO FOR DEHART AND MOELLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2013
TAGS: PARM PREL PREF HR NATO NATO
SUBJECT: NATO SYG IN ZAGREB: TURNING DOWN THE PRESSURE ON
REFORMS?

REF: ZAGREB 617

CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF A.F.GODFREY FOR REASONS 1.5 (B,D)


1. (C) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL ROBERTSON VISITED CROATIA FOR
A BRIEF STOPOVER ON MARCH 31. IN MEETINGS WITH PRESIDENT
MESIC, PM RACAN AND KEY CABINET MEMBERS AND WITH PARLIAMENT
LEADERS, ROBERTSON DELIVERED A GENTLE MESSAGE, ENCOURAGING
CROATIA TO STAY ON TRACK WITH REFORMS IDENTIFIED UNDER THE
MAP PROGRAM. RACAN WAS ACCOMPANIED BY DEFMIN ANTUNOVIC, CHOD
LUSIC AS WELL AS DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER SIMONOVIC. STJEPAN
BARTULICA, HEAD OF THE MFA'S NATO OFFICE, MET WITH US ON
APRIL 1 TO DESCRIBE THE MEETING WITH RACAN.


2. (C) IN A LENGTHY OPENING, RACAN EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT
THE LACK OF UNITY ON IRAQ AT NATO. BARTULICA SAID THAT
ROBERTSON WOULD NOT BE DRAWN INTO A DISCUSSION ON THE
SUBSTANCE OF IRAQ, BUT SHARED RACAN'S CONCERN AND HOPED
THINGS WOULD BE SET RIGHT AT THE NAC QUICKLY. BARTULICA TOLD
US RACAN WAS ADVISED IN THE PRE-BRIEF TO PREEMPT DISCUSSION
OF FUGITIVE ICTY INDICTEE GOTOVINA BY DECLARING THAT IN THE
WAKE OF THE DJINDJIC ASSASSINATION, CROATIA BELIEVES THE TIME
IS RIGHT TO MOVE AGAINST PIFWCS IN THE FRY AND RS. BARTULICA
SAID ROBERTSON'S ONLY MESSAGE ON COOPERATION WITH THE HAGUE
WAS AN EXPRESSION OF "UNDERSTANDING" FOR THE DIFFICULTY OF
THE ISSUE; GOTOVINA WAS NOT RAISED.


3. (C) SYG ROBERTSON TOLD RACAN THAT CROATIA IS MAKING GOOD,
STEADY PROGRESS IN MAP, AND IS A "BEACON" IN A DARK REGION OF
EUROPE. CROATIA SHOULD USE THE MAP REVIEW PROCESS AS A
ROADMAP FOR REFORMS. HE HAILED THE UPCOMING SIGNING OF THE
ADRIATIC CHARTER, AND HOPED THAT IT WOULD SPEED PROGRESS
TOWARD MEMBERSHIP. HE PRESSED THE CROATIANS TO DO BETTER ON
BUILDING AND MAINTAINING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THEIR BID FOR
MEMBERSHIP. HE RAISED REFUGEE RETURNS, BUT GENTLY: NATO
ISN'T PRESSING THE GOC TO ENSURE ALL ACTUALLY RETURN, IT MUST
MERELY CREATE THE CONDITIONS WHEREBY REFUGEES CAN RETURN IF
THEY WISH TO.


4. (C) BARTULICA SAID THAT THEY EXPECTED A MUCH TOUGHER
MESSAGE FROM SYG ROBERTSON. THE TEXT OF A DECEMBER 2002
LETTER FROM THE SYG (LEAKED TO THE LOCAL PRESS) TO PM RACAN
LAMBASTED THE GOC ON FAILING TO MAKE PROGRESS ON DEFENSE
REFORM AND DOWNSIZING. BARTULICA SPECULATED THAT THE
DJINDJIC ASSASSINATION HAS PROMPTED INTERNATIONAL PRINCIPALS
TO BACK OFF OF THEIR TOUGH LINE ON CROATIA.

COMMENT
--------------


5. (C) WE ARE DISAPPOINTED THAT SYG ROBERTSON MAY HAVE LEFT
SOME IN THE GOC WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT ASSASSINATION OF PM
DJINDJIC MAY BE ENCOURAGING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO
EASE UP THE PRESSURE ON REFORMS. WHEN EC COMMISSIONER PATTEN
WAS IN ZAGREB FOR A TRUNCATED VISIT (SO HE COULD VISIT
BELGRADE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DJINDJIC ASSASSINATION),HE
TOLD THE LOCAL EC HOM THAT INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ON SERBIA
MAY HAVE BEEN TOO HARSH AND COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO
DJINDJIC'S ASSASSINATION (REFTEL).


6. (C) WE DISAGREE STRONGLY WITH THE PREMISE THAT STRONG IC
PRESSURE ADDS TO INSTABILITY. THE DJINDJIC ASSASSINATION DID
NOT CHANGE THE ISSUES HERE OR THE REASONS WE ARE PUSHING THE
RACAN GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS THEM. REAL PROGRESS ON
OUTSTANDING WAR LEGACY ISSUES LIKE ICTY COOPERATION AND
REFUGEE RETURNS WOULD BE PROGRESS TOWARD BUILDING LONG-TERM
STABILITY IN THE REGION.
ROSSIN

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