CROATIAN FM DOWNPLAYS SECRETARY'S MESSAGE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000781 SIPDIS THE HAGUE FOR JOHNSON AND KAYE BERLIN FOR GERLISZY DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/RPM (SHINAGLE) AND EUR/SCE (KABUMOTO) E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2014 TAGS: PREL KAWC KPAO HR NATO SUBJECT: CROATIAN FM DOWNPLAYS SECRETARY'S MESSAGE ON GOTOVINA FOR THE PRESS REF: SECRETARY 006 CLASSIFIED BY: ADCM NICHOLAS M. HILL FOR REASONS 1.5 (B,D) ¶1. (U) THE SECRETARY'S BRIEF MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER ZUZUL ON THE MARGINS OF THE BERLIN CONFERENCE ON ANTI-SEMITISM RECEIVED VERY LITTLE COVERAGE IN THE CROATIAN PRESS. ACCORDING TO VECERNJI LIST, CROATIA'S TOP-CIRCULATION MASS-MARKET DAILY, SECRETARY POWELL TOLD THE FOREIGN MINISTER THAT "CROATIA CAN CONTINUE TO COUNT ON THE SUPPORT OF THE U.S., ADDING THAT CROATIA MUST CONTINUE TO CARRY OUT ITS OBLIGATIONS REGARDING COOPERATION WITH THE HAGUE COURT." ¶2. (C) IN HIS CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MEETING WITH THE SECRETARY, ZUZUL DID NOT CONVEY THE SECRETARY'S POINT THAT, SIPDIS FOR US, GOTOVINA WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN OBSTACLE TO CROATIA'S FORWARD PROGRESS TOWARD NATO MEMBERSHIP. THIS MESSAGE WILL LIKELY BECOME PUBLIC AFTER CROATIA'S APRIL 30 "26 PLUS ONE" MEMBERSHIP ACTION PLAN PROGRESS REVIEW IN BRUSSELS. FRANK NNNN