NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR NATO UNITES TOP LEADERSHIP

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001331

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: PREL NATO HR
SUBJECT: NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR NATO UNITES TOP LEADERSHIP


1. (U) President Mesic, PM Sanader and Parliament Speaker Seks
agreed November 2 to co-chair a "National Committee for NATO
Membership" to coordinate government, political party and state
institutional activities in pursuit of NATO membership. Among other
things, the committee will help relevant ministries develop a
communication strategy to inform the Croatian public about NATO
membership. Other committee members include deputy parliament
speakers (representing opposition parties),the heads of
parliamentary committees for national security and international
affairs, and heads of parliamentary delegations to international
bodies; the ministers of foreign affairs, defense and finance;
Croatia's ambassador to NATO; the national coordinator for NATO (an
assistant minister of foreign affairs),the Armed Forces
Chief-of-Staff, the heads of the Office of the Council for National
Security and the Office of the President; presidential advisors on
the political system, national security, and defense; the head of
the Information Department of the Office of the President and the
government spokesman.


2. (SBU) COMMENT: This new committee was previewed for the
Ambassador and U/S Burns by the Prime Minister earlier this week.
It publicly commits Croatia's top political leadership, including
the sometimes unpredictable and slightly "Yugo-nostalgic" President
Mesic, to NATO membership. The committee is clearly a result of PM
Sanader's desire to keep up the positive momentum from his October
White House visit, where President Bush stressed the importance of
political leadership in building public support for NATO membership.
END COMMENT
BRADTKE