CROATIAN GRUMBLING ABOUT TIRANA VENUE FOR ADRIATIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000972 SIPDIS STATE OPS - PLEASE PASS TO SECRETARY'S PARTY E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2008 TAGS: PREL HR NATO NATO SUBJECT: CROATIAN GRUMBLING ABOUT TIRANA VENUE FOR ADRIATIC CHARTER SIGNING CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR LAWRENCE ROSSIN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B,D) ¶1. (C) THE DECISION TO SIGN THE ADRIATIC CHARTER IN TIRANA, AND NOT IN WASHINGTON, LED TO GRUMBLING IN THE CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY AND SPECULATION IN THE PRESS HERE THAT CROATIA WAS BEING PUNISHED FOR ITS REFUSAL TO SUPPORT OUR APPROACH ON IRAQ. THE FOREIGN MINISTRY SOUGHT -- WITH NO SUCCESS -- TO CONVINCE OTHER A3 COUNTRIES TO PUSH FOR A CHANGE IN VENUE BACK TO WASHINGTON, EVEN IF IT WOULD HAVE MEANT A DELAY. PICULA WOULD HAVE PREFERRED A HIGH-PROFILE SIGNING IN WASHINGTON, WITH BILATERAL MEETINGS BEFORE AND AFTER, TO VALIDATE THE GOC'S PROGRESS TOWARD MEMBERSHIP IN NATO AS THE COALITION ENTERS AN ELECTION SEASON. THE CHOICE OF TIRANA AS A VENUE WILL ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE THINGS ALBANIA IS DOING AND CROATIA IS NOT, LIKE SIGNING AN ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT AND MAKING SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO EFFORTS IN IRAQ. ¶2. (C) THE CROATIAN PRESS, SPURRED ON BY MALICIOUS LEAKS FROM THE DEFENSE MINISTRY, IS SPECULATING THAT THE U.S. CHOSE TIRANA FOR THE SIGNING IN ORDER TO PUNISH THE RACAN GOVERNMENT. POLITICAL COMMENTATORS CLAIM THAT THE U.S. DECISION WAS PREDICATED BY CROATIA'S REFUSAL TO BE NAMED AS A MEMBER OF THE COALITION OF THE WILLING, BY CROATIA'S REFUSAL TO GRANT OVERFLIGHT CLEARANCE FOR MILITARY AIRCRAFT BOUND FOR IRAQ, AND ALSO IN RESPONSE TO DEROGATORY REMARKS ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES (INCLUDING THE U.S. AMBASSADOR) MADE RECENTLY BY DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER GORAN GRANIC. ¶3. (C) THE GOC IS DOING ITS BEST TO TURN OFF SPECULATION THAT THE TIRANA VENUE WAS CHOSEN AS "PUNISHMENT" FOR CROATIA. CROATIA'S MAP COORDINATOR EXPLAINED TO THE PRESS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SECRETARY POWELL'S PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO THE CHARTER AND POINTED OUT HOW DIFFICULT IT HAS BEEN FOR THE SECRETARY TO FIND A TIME -- IN THE MIDDLE OF A KEY TRIP TO SIPDIS THE MIDEAST -- TO SIGN THE DOCUMENT. ANALYSTS BOTH IN AND OUT OF GOVERNMENT WILL PROBABLY NOT BE CONVINCED. FOR MANY OF THEM, CROATIA IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERY WORLD EVENT WHICH AFFECTS CROATIA MUST HAVE SOMEHOW BEEN BROUGHT ABOUT BY CROATIA'S OWN ACTION. ROSSIN NOTE: NOT PASSED TO ABOVE ADDRESSEE(S) NNNN