CROATIA EXPRESSES PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT NORTH

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001205 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PARM KN HR SUBJECT: CROATIA EXPRESSES PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT NORTH KOREAN TEST PLAN REF: STATE 166404 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) Ambassador raised reftel points with MFA Assistant Minister Neven Pelicaric on October 4. Drawing from reftel guidance, Ambassador also noted that this was not just a U.S. problem, but a problem for the entire world. Pelicaric agreed that the threat needed to be dealt with on a global basis. He regretted that Croatia had no influence with North Korea. He agreed to advise FM Grabar-Kitarovic immediately of our demarche. Later the same day, the GOC issued a public statement of concern. ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador also demarched Presidential foreign policy advisor Budimir Loncar, who agreed the situation was serious. Loncar speculated that the North Korean announcement may have been motivated in part by North Korean envy about the recent attention given to South Korean FM and UN SYG candidate Ban. ¶3. (U) The Foreign Ministry statement indicated that Croatia shares the international community's deep concern over the announcement by North Korea that it will perform a nuclear test. Detonating nuclear weapons would pose a serious threat to peace and security in Asia and the rest of the world; the Ministry urged North Korea to rejoin the six-party negotiations with the aim of avoiding further escalation of events and finding a solution through diplomatic means. Bradtke