CHR-60: CROATIA ON CUBA AND CHINA RESOLUTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000516 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2014 TAGS: PHUM PREL CH CU HR UNCHR SUBJECT: CHR-60: CROATIA ON CUBA AND CHINA RESOLUTIONS REF: A. STATE 64048 ¶B. STATE 63245 ¶C. STATE 62815 ¶D. ZAGREB 409 ¶E. STATE 65652 CLASSIFIED BY: MITCH BENEDICT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) ON MARCH 23, THE AMBASSADOR DELIVERED TALKING POINTS WITH BACKGROUND ON THE CHINA AND CUBA RESOLUTIONS (REFS A,C) AT THE CHR TO MFA STATE SECRETARY (DEPUTY MINISTER EQUIVALENT) BISCEVIC. AMBASSADOR STRESSED THE GREAT IMPORTANCE THE U.S. PLACES IN BOTH RESOLUTIONS AND SOUGHT CROATIAN SUPPORT IN GENEVA. ¶2. (C) ALSO ON MARCH 23, DCM DELIVERED THE SAME POINTS TO MFA ASSISTANT MINISTER VIDOSEVIC AND CHIEF OF THE MFA HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE SIMONOVIC. SIMONOVIC REITERATED THE STANDING GOC POSITION THAT IT DOES NOT SUPPORT NO-ACTION MOTIONS AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE AND WOULD NOT DO SO IN THIS CASE. WHILE CROATIA DOES NOT, AS A MATTER OF PRACTICE, CO-SPONSOR COUNTRY SPECIFIC RESOLUTIONS IN THE CHR, SIMONOVIC SAID THAT CROATIA WOULD VOTE IN FAVOR OF A CUBA RESOLUTION SUPPORTED BY THE U.S. ¶3. (U) ON MARCH 25, WE PROVIDED REF E FOLLOW UP POINTS TO SIMONOVIC AND ANDREA BEKIC, MFA HEAD OF NORTH AMERICA DEPARTMENT. FRANK NNNN