CROATIAN PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR DEFENDS NAM SUMMIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 001017

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2016
TAGS: PREL PHUM NAM HR CU HUMAN RIGHTS
SUBJECT: CROATIAN PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR DEFENDS NAM SUMMIT
POLICY

REF: ZAGREB 990 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Pol Counselor Vonda Delawie for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Ambassador Bradtke reiterated strong U.S.
disappointment with President Mesic's planned attendance at
the Havana NAM Summit in an August 28 meeting with
presidential advisor Jakic. The Ambassador also expressed
concerns with Mesic's recent public claim that the U.S. had
not objected to the trip, despite several clear statements to
the contrary made to the President's staff by both Ambassador
Bradtke and his predecessor.


2. (C) Jakic waxed NAM-nostalgic, downplayed the significance
of the Havana venue, and stressed the importance of
re-establishing economic relations with developing countries.
He suggested that Mesic had used the "no U.S. objection"
language to avoid saying that Washington does not decide
Croatian foreign policy. Jakic also asserted that Croatia
has no plans to change its observer status in the NAM, and
said Mesic will refer in Havana to Euro-Atlantic integration
as Croatia's top policy priority.


3. (C) COMMENT: Mesic is not well served by advisors like
Jakic, with his sincere, but outdated, desire to reach out
beyond the developed world for economic ties (China and India
undoubtedly filled any Yugoslavian niche) and support for
Croatia's UN Security Council seat bid. Ambassador will see
Mesic August 29 and will suggest that he could usefully
burnish his human rights credentials by publicly
acknowledging the dismal situation in Cuba and, following the
lead of some EU member countries, expressing support for a
democratic transition there. END COMMENT
BRADTKE