U/S BURNS' LETTER TO PM SANADER ON BOSNIA

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001483 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE FOR P, EUR/FO, EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL OPDC HR BK SUBJECT: U/S BURNS' LETTER TO PM SANADER ON BOSNIA DELIVERED TO CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER REF: A. STATE 197798 ¶B. ZAGREB 1451 ¶1. (SBU) Ambassador delivered U/S Burns' letter to PM Sanader on the Bosnian constitutional reform package (reftel A) to FM Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic December 14. He noted that while there was as yet no official reaction to the proposals conveyed by State Secretary Biscevic (reftel B),it was his personal sense, based upon conversations with Washington and Embassy Sarajevo, that there were two significant issues that needed to be weighed along with the Biscevic proposals: 1) the risk that opening the package on behalf of one entity might cause others to demand changes that would torpedo the whole package; and 2) that the focus right now should be on putting together a new government in Bosnia rather than deconstructing the reform package. ¶2. (SBU) In response to the FM's question, the Ambassador said the USG was not saying "no" to the GOC's proposals at this point; as the letter from U/S Burns states we are interested in hearing Croatia's ideas. However, the USG needs to review the proposals more carefully and discuss them with the Council of Europe to consider their full implications. The Ambassador noted that he expected further reaction to the Croatian proposals shortly. All this said, the USG preference for now is to continue to move forward with the existing reform package. ¶3. (SBU) Grabar-Kitarovic noted that the GOC wants to continue working closely with the USG on the future of Bosnia. Protection of the vital national interests of the Bosnian Croats remains a significant concern, since their political power is limited; they are "outnumbered" at the national level and are a minority in the Federation; it is also important to have a face-saving outcome for the Bosnian Croats. She noted that the GOC had discussed its proposals with the Bosniaks, who had said they were willing to accept them if the USG was. ¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador noted his concern that our evaluation of the lay of the land in Bosnia appeared to be somewhat different from the GOC's, particularly regarding the acceptability to various groups of the package changes that the GOC is promoting. BRADTKE