Transport Minister Promises Action on Open Skies

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001114

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE RBALIAN, EB/TRA/AN COLEMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ETRD ECON HR
SUBJECT: Transport Minister Promises Action on Open Skies

Sensitive but Unclassified; please handle accordingly.

(SBU) Ambassador used the occasion of a September 19
introductory call on Croatian Minister of Sea, Tourism,
Transport and Development, Bozidar Kalmeta, to raise the
issue of Open Skies. Noting that we were yet to receive the
GOC's comments on our draft text, he emphasized that the
timing was right for a U.S.-Croatia agreement, as it would
not only facilitate trade and travel, but could also be an
important deliverable should PM Sanader travel to Washington
in the future. Kalmeta said that the MFA had been holding
up a response, concerned about the compatibility of a
bilateral agreement with Croatia's EU commitments, but that
the issue was now back in his ministry and he would speed up
the process us much as possible. Ambassador pointed out
that, while he understood Croatia's concerns, the US and the
EU are close to finalizing an agreement that Croatia would
eventually become party to anyway and that many current EU
members have long-standing aviation agreements with the U.S.
that are fully compatible with their EU commitments.

BRADTKE