CROATIA LIKELY TO ABSTAIN ON ISRAELI SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 001299 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE - KABUMOTO E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2014 TAGS: PREL IS HR UNGA ICJ SUBJECT: CROATIA LIKELY TO ABSTAIN ON ISRAELI SECURITY BARRIER RESOLUTION REF: STATE 152014 Classified By: PolOff Justin Friedman, reasons 1.5 (b) & (d) ¶1. (C) Embassy delivered reftel demarche on July 13 to Ranko Vilovic, Head of the United Nations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vilovic responded that there has been no change in the GoC position on the barrier since it abstained from the resolution referring the issue to the ICJ. Vilovic said that Croatia shared U.S. concerns about whether this issue should have been sent to the ICJ as well as on the legal merits of the ICJ opinion. That said, the GoC also shares our view that ICJ opinion is not binding. ¶2. (C) Vilovic stressed that the GoC would continue to support the Road Map and a balanced approach to Middle East issues. Vilovic had just returned from New York, where he said that he sensed that the language on the Israeli Security Barrier resolution was still in flux. As an EU candidate, Croatia would look to the EU and consider changing its position if a different EU consensus emerges. FRANK NNNN