Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06USNATO716
2006-12-14 17:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Mission USNATO
Cable title:  

ACCESSION OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, MONTENEGRO,

Tags:  NATO PREL MARR XB 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNO #0716/01 3481702
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 141702Z DEC 06
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0307
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000716 

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR, EUR/RPM, EUR/SCE, PM, IO,

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2016
TAGS: NATO PREL MARR XB
SUBJECT: ACCESSION OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, MONTENEGRO,
SERBIA TO NATO,S PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE, DECEMBER 14, 2006

REF: SECSTATE 198801

Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland for reasons 1.4 (b/d)

SUMMARY:
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000716

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR, EUR/RPM, EUR/SCE, PM, IO,

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2016
TAGS: NATO PREL MARR XB
SUBJECT: ACCESSION OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, MONTENEGRO,
SERBIA TO NATO,S PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE, DECEMBER 14, 2006

REF: SECSTATE 198801

Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland for reasons 1.4 (b/d)

SUMMARY:
--------------


1. (C) In a historic and emotional morning at NATO HQ on
December 14, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia
joined the Partnership for Peace by signing the PfP Framework
Document in back-to-back meetings with the North Atlantic
Council (NAC). BiH trilateral Presidency Chairman Nebosjsha
Radmanovic, Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic, and
Serbian President Boris Tadic headed the three delegations to
NATO. Ambassador Nuland met separately with Tadic to stress
the importance the U.S. places on Serbia,s commitment to
ICTY cooperation, regional stability, and continuing domestic
reforms. Tadic forcefully acknowledged his support for those
goals, both to the Ambassador and to the NAC, but showed
clear ambivalence about how Kosovo,s final status would play
out. UK, Norwegian, and other delegations made strong
interventions emphasizing the importance of ICTY compliance,
and the UK called for a cooperative approach to Kosovo final
status. Radmanovic and Vujanovic stressed the positive role
that accession to Partnership would play in their own
nations, reforms and future domestic development. See text
of Tadic address in para 12. End Summary.

A PULL-ASIDE WITH TADIC
--------------


2. (C) Ambassador Nuland met privately with Serbian President
Tadic before his session with the NAC. Drawing on reftel,
she made clear that President Bush,s decision to support PfP
for Serbia at Riga was intended to boost democratic elements
in the nation, responding to Tadic's personal appeal. In
betting on a positive democratic future for Serbia, the
President expected President Tadic to live up to his public
and private assurances regarding ICTY compliance and a
constructive approach to Kosovo status. Tadic responded that
he understood the President's intent and his expectations in
supporting PfP, particularly regarding ICTY compliance. He

assured Ambassador Nuland that he shared U.S. goals and would
work to achieve them in Serbia,s own interests. He also
highlighted the benefits that Serbia had obtained from
bilateral defense ties, noting specifically
military-to-military cooperation with the Ohio National
Guard, and introduced his new CHOD as a "new broom."


3. (C) In separate meetings with the NAC, Bosnia and
Herzegovina (BiH),Montenegro, and Serbia acceded to NATO,s
Partnership for Peace (PfP) on December 14. BiH Chairman of
the Trilateral Presidency Radmanovic, Montenegrin President
Vujanovic, and Serbian President Tadic signed the Partnership
Framework Document at one-hour intervals in the presence of
NATO PermReps and the press, with each signing followed by
individual "26 1" meetings with Allies.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: PARTNERSHIP OF ENTITIES
-------------- ---


4. (C) President Radmanovic, accompanied by DefMin Nikola
Radovanovic and CHOD LtGen Sifet Podzic, acknowledged
Bosnia,s debt to the Alliance for providing a "security
umbrella" at its founding. Coming from the Republika Srpska
member of the Presidency, his promises of full compliance
with ICTY the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY) had added significance. Radmanovic said
this "great day for the citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina" would
further stimulate economic and defense reforms, and
represented "the first step on a long path toward full
membership in the Alliance and the EU."


5. (C) Greece (NATO,s Contact Point Embassy in Sarajevo)
voiced confidence that Bosnia,s Partnership would further
strengthen its domestic reform efforts ) citing police
reform and political dialogue on the constitution as well as
ICTY compliance. Netherlands (lead nation for the NATO/PfP
Trust Fund to resettle redundant military personnel in
Bosnia) pointed to the Partnership tools that could help the
reform process through development of an Individual
Partnership Program (IPP) and eventually a much more
ambitious Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP). Canada
called on BiH to serve as a model for building a multi-ethnic
society, to respect its commitments to the ICTY, and to
contribute to stability in the Balkans as Kosovo attained its
final status early the next year. Radmanovic responded that
none of Bosnia,s entities had any doubt about the need for
ICTY compliance.


MONTENEGRO: A FAST TRACK FROM INDEPENDENCE
--------------


6. (C) NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer lauded
Montenegro,s quick progress since independence in June 2006
to membership in PfP. President Vujanovic described
Montenegro,s progress in more detail, focusing on building
defense institutions under democratic civilian control and
achieving interoperability with NATO to allow participation
in NATO-led peacekeeping operations. He also alluded to the
need for economic development, hoped that joining PfP would
encourage international investors, and that EU and NATO
membership would follow.


7. (C) Allies Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Belgium responded,
pointing to the need for further work on strengthening the
rule of law, building an efficient government administration,
fighting corruption, instituting economic reform, and
bolstering regional cooperation in the critical period
following the determination of Kosovo,s final status.
Slovenia stressed that the values and principles enshrined in
the PfP Framework Document were strongly shared by all Allies
and that PfP tools would help Montenegro to achieve its
reform and interoperability goals. Belgium applauded
Montenegro,s speedy accession to the UN and OSCE, as well as
PfP, and endorsed its aspirations to join NATO and the EU.

SERBIA: COMMITMENT TO ICTY...
--------------


8. (C) President Tadic was accompanied by MGen Ponos,
Presidential Counselors Jerenic, Ratkovic, and Krspic, and
Special Envoy to NATO Milinkovic. His meeting with PermReps
was the most anticipated and dramatic of the three. (The
SYG,s Private Office sought in advance to limit the number
of Allied interventions, and settled on Serbia,s
alphabetical third-place appearance to allow more time for
the session if needed.) At the launch of the meeting, in
front of the press, the SYG drew on Riga Summit language to
emphasize NATO's expectation that Serbia would cooperate
fully with ICTY, and that the Alliance would closely monitor
its actions. Still before the cameras, Tadic promised that
"Serbia is going to cooperate with the ICTY fully, arrest all
indictees, and finalize this process." He described Serbia's
Partnership as "the end of isolation."


9. (C) Tadic,s presentation in closed session was even more
emphatic. He insisted that arresting war criminals was a
"moral imperative" and reflected Serbia's own values. It
would show not "weakness or cowardice, but facing up to the
dark days of the 1990s when crimes were committed in the name
of our nation." He said Serbia had to take this values-based
stand "for the sake of our children." On Kosovo, he was more
nuanced. He first called for a compromise solution that
accommodated "Serbia,s legitimate demands." But he went on
to promise that "whatever the outcome, Serbia is committed to
help keep the peace in this region." He termed Serbia,s
Partnership as the culmination of his personal efforts since
serving as Defense Minister in 2003.

... BUT AMBIVALENCE ON KOSOVO
--------------


10. (C) Norway, Italy, the UK, Germany, Hungary, Romania, and
Spain responded to Tadic,s inspiring presentation. Each of
them saluted his commitment to bring war criminals to
account, and reiterated that this was essential for Serbia to
join what Spain called the Euro-Atlantic family. Norway
celebrated the "landmark day" for both the Balkans and for
the Alliance, stating that with ICTY compliance, "there is no
limit how far NATO-Serbian relations can go." The UK took
the most uncompromising stand, addressing Serbia,s
responsibility to contribute to regional stability (e.g.
Kosovo settlement) and to ICTY obligations (calling for this
to be acknowledged in Serbia,s PfP Presentation Document).
Hungary stressed that Partnership "is not a reward, but a
tool" for domestic reform.


11. (C) An emotional Tadic responded by pointing to the
"unbelievable changes" in Serbian attitudes toward NATO since
the low point of NATO's 1999 Operation Allied Force bombing
campaign to today, when 60% of Serbians support PfP and 40%
support NATO membership. He reiterated that he would do "all
in my power to implement" further reform and the apprehension
of fugitives. Regarding Kosovo, he insisted that Serbia
would "defend our interests" while at the same time thinking
about regional stability. He said that a "compromise
settlement" was the best hope for regional stability, and

opposed "new fragmentation of borders in the Balkans" which
could become a broader regional problem.

TEXT OF TADIC ADDRESS TO THE NAC
--------------


12. (C) Begin text of Tadic address:

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,

It is my honor to address the North Atlantic Council on the
day the Republic of Serbia formally enters NATO's Partnership
for Peace program. The decision to invite us to join is of
great historical importance not only for my country and our
region, but -- I believe -- for all the countries represented
in this room.

For me, this date will mark the day the Euro-Atlantic
community of nations actualized Sir Winston Churchill's call
at Fulton for "a new unity in Europe from which no nation
should be pennanently outcast." Today, the soul of Europe has
grown stronger: the values we share with passion and
conviction have triumphed anew. Today, a fresh chapter in the
history of democratic freedom in South East Europe begins.

Of course, today marks just a beginning, not an end. Our
joining the PfP family is only the first step in the process
that will culinate in the region's full integration into te
Alliance.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Serbian Armed Forces have come far since the day when, as my
country's Minister of Defense, I addressed this same chamber.
On that day in 2003, I spoke of my intention to begin the
process of defense reform. On this day, I speak to you with a
happy sincerity that comes from knowing that the recognition
of our achievements has arrived at last.

On behalf of the democratic forces of Serbia, I want to
express my gratitude for the support you have extended to my
country. You have emboldened those who believe that together
more can be attained than separately. You have encouraged
those who insist that traumas of the past cannot stand in the
way of the promise of a better tomorrow. And you have
strengthened our resolve to fight at home with renewed vigor
against the notion that our desire to integrate into the
Euro-Atlantic family of nations is a sign of weakness and
cowardice.

I firmly believe that to be courageous in the Western Balkans
means to face up to the awful deeds committed during the dark
decade of the 1990s. It takes the courage that comes with
responsible leadership to say that crimes were committed in
the name of one's nation. Failure to do so dishonors us in
the eyes of our children.

I therefore consider it a moral imperative that all fugitives
from justice, Ratko Miadic in particular, be located,
arrested, and extradited to the Hague.

Serbia goes to the polls on January 21St. I am greatly
optimistic that the new democratic government will be fully
committed to extraditing all the indicted war criminals. I
have pledged to commit all relevant resources to that end,
and I intend to keep my promise.

Membership in the community of values that is the Partnership
for Peace only increases my determination to see them brought
I before the Tribunal.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is likely that very soon a proposal on the future status
of the province of Kosovo and Metohija will be recommended by
President Ahtisaari to the Contact Group and the Security
Council of the United Nations.

The Republic of Serbia has consistently argued for a
compromise solution that seeks to reconcile Belgrade,s
legitimate demands with those of the Kosovo Albanians. We
continue to believe that a negotiated, mutually-acceptable
solution is the best way forward and presents the best hope
for regional stability.

Others champion a more one-sided solution. But whatever the
outcome, the Republic of Serbia remains fully committed to


help keeping the peace in our region. Our membership in
Partnership for Peace only enhances this commitment, for it
provides us with mechanisms to respond to security challenges
in a constructive way, jointly with our allies.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I will end with a few old words that are in my opinion very
pertinent to the meaning of the new unity of Europe. The
preamble to the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty reads, in part,
that the parties to the treaty "are determined to safeguard
the freedom, common heritage and civilization of their
peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual
liberty and the rule of law."

For me today, those words are as powerful as on the day they
were written. I believe that never before in the history of
South East Europe has such a concrete opportunity to overcome
regional strife and conflict, as the one before us now,
presented itself to those willing to grasp its promise of
prosperity.

Thank you very much for extending the Partnership for Peace
to the Republic of Serbia.

NULAND