GOC SUPPORTS PFP FOR SERBIA, BIH, AND MONTENEGRO

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001435 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR DICARLO, EUR/SCE HOH, SAINZ, BALIAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS MARR NATO SR BK MW HR DEFENSE REFORM SUBJECT: GOC SUPPORTS PFP FOR SERBIA, BIH, AND MONTENEGRO ¶1. In briefing for NATO Ambassadors December 01, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Pjer Simunovic said the GoC warmly welcomes accession of Serbia, BiH, and Montenegro into the Partnership for Peace (PfP). According to Simunovic, this will enable Croatia to raise regional cooperation to a new level. The GoC wants all of its neighbors to follow it on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration, he noted, and is already working to share lessons learned from its PfP experience with Montenegro and Serbia. ¶2. Simunovic added that inclusion of these countries in PfP will bring better results in influencing their governments to meet integration requirements. "They should not be complacent," he said, "particularly with regard to cooperation with the Hague Tribunal." BRADTKE