BARROSO, THE EU'S "PAUSE" AND AVOIDING A "DOUBLE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 001178 SIPDIS SIPDIS FROM AMBASSADOR BRADTKE FOR U/S BURNS, EUR A/S FRIED AND PDAS VOLKER, USNATO FOR AMBASSADOR NULAND PASS TO NSC FOR AINSLEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO EU HR SUBJECT: BARROSO, THE EU'S "PAUSE" AND AVOIDING A "DOUBLE NO" AT THE RIGA SUMMIT Classified By: Ambassador Robert A. Bradtke for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Despite EU and Croatian Government efforts to downplay Commission President Barroso's comments about a "pause" in the EU's enlargement process, the damage has been done. For many Croatians, Barroso has turned on its head the EU's assurance that "When you are ready to join us, we will be ready for you." A typical comment on the website of one of Croatia's leading dailies was: "Proof that they lied to us," echoing events in Hungary. ¶2. (C) What this means is that what NATO leaders say about enlargement in Riga has become even more important. Failure to provide a strong signal that NATO will/will enlarge in 2008 will be seen as delivering the second part of a "double no" to Croatia and the countries of this region. As we negotiate communique language, I hope we will continue to be guided by what the President said in Warsaw in June 2001: "We should not calculate how little we can get away with, but how much we can do to advance the cause of freedom." BRADTKE