CROATIA HESITANT, BUT WILLING TO EXPAND ATTENDANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000842

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2009
TAGS: MARR PREL HR NATO
SUBJECT: CROATIA HESITANT, BUT WILLING TO EXPAND ATTENDANCE
AT ADRIATIC CHARTER PARTNERSHIP COMMISSION MEETING

REF: STATE 101524

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


1. (SBU) CROATIA REMAINS HESITANT TO INCLUDE SERBIA AND
MONTENEGRO AND BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA AS FULL PARTICIPANTS IN
THE MAY 19 - 20 ADRIATIC CHARTER PARTNERSHIP COMMISSION
MEETING. WE DELIVERED REFTEL TALKING POINTS TO PJER
SIMUNOVIC, CROATIA'S POLITICAL DIRECTOR FOR NATO ISSUES.
SIMUNOVIC SAID THAT CROATIA'S HESITANCE STEMS FROM THE GOC
DRIVE TO MAKE THE ADRIATIC CHARTER PARTNERSHIP A FUNCTIONAL
BODY WHICH WILL FOCUS ON ISSUES RELATING TO WORK THE PARTNERS
ARE DOING IN NATO'S MAP TO QUALIFY FOR FOR FULL NATO
MEMBERSHIP. SIMUNOVIC POINTED OUT THAT OUR SUGGESTION TO
INCLUDE SAM AND BIH SEEMS AT ODDS WITH THE REST OF OUR
MESSAGE (REF),WHICH STATES THAT THE FOCUS OF PC MEETINGS
SHOULD BE MAP-SPECIFIC, NOT ON ACTIVITIES WITH NON-CHARTER
PARTNERS OR ON POLITICAL DECLARATIONS. WE SUGGESTED THAT
INCLUDING THE SAM AND BIH MINISTERS WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR THE A3 STATES TO SHOW LEADERSHIP IN THE REGION FOR NATO'S
SHARED GOALS.


2. (SBU) ON MAY 10, SIMUNOVIC PHONED FROM BUCHAREST TO SAY
THAT HE HAD DISCUSSED OUR PROPOSAL WITH HIS MACEDONIAN
COLLEAGUE (POLDIR MIRA KRAJACIC) AND WOULD PROPOSE THAT A
SEPARATE MEETING ON THE MARGINS OF THE ADRIATIC CHARTER EVENT
INCLUDING THE THREE "A3" FOREIGN MINISTERS WITH THE SAM AND
BIH FOREIGN MINISTERS. HE REMAINED CONVINCED THAT FULL
ENGAGEMENT OF THE MINISTERS IN THE COMMISSION'S ACTIVITIES
WOULD BE DISTRACTING AND WOULD DETRACT FROM THE POTENTIAL
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE COMMISSION MEETING. HE SAID HE
CONTINUES TO BELIEVE THAT THE ADRIATIC CHARTER SHOULD BE
ABOUT PROGRESS TOWARDS MAP; "THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO REGIONAL COOPERATION." WE THANKED
HIM FOR THE PROPOSAL, AND SAID WE WOULD RELAY ANY WASHINGTON
REACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

COMMENT
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3. (C) SIMUNOVIC HAS A POINT: THE INCLUSION OF THE BIH AND
SAM FOREIGN MINISTERS IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE MEETING WOULD
LIKELY MOVE THE AGENDA AWAY FROM MAP. BUT THERE MAY BE OTHER
REASONS FOR CROATIAN FM ZUZUL TO BE LESS THAN EAGER TO MEET
SAM FM VUK DRASKOVIC. DRASKOVIC HAD BEEN EXPECTED TO
ACCOMPANY SAM PRESIDENT MAROVIC TO CROATIA ON AN OFFICIAL
VISIT TO ZAGREB. AFTER CROATIA'S TOP NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED A
LENGTHY INTERVIEW WITH DRASKOVIC CONTAINING SEVERAL
STATEMENTS CONSIDERED BY MANY IN ZAGREB TO BE INFLAMMATORY,
DRASKOVIC WAS "DISINVITED" BY PRESIDENT MESIC. ZUZUL IS
SCHEDULED TO TRAVEL TO BELGRADE TO MEET DRASKOVIC SHORTLY
AFTER THE ADRIATIC PARTNERSHIP MEETING. SIMUNOVIC, WHO IS IN
CHARGE OF CROATIA'S PR CAMPAIGN TO BUILD POPULAR SUPPORT FOR
NATO, WOULD PROBABLY RATHER NOT HAVE THE ZUZUL-DRASKOVIC
MEETING DISPLACE THE ADRIATIC CHARTER MINISTERIAL FROM THE
ZAGREB HEADLINES.
FRANK

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