AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON PM SANADER

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000847

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2016
TAGS: PREL ETRD PGOV HR EU UP
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON PM SANADER

Classified By: Ambassador Robert A. Bradtke for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) Croatia is committed to promoting ever stronger
Transatlantic cooperation, PM Ivo Sanader told the Ambassador
during a July 13 introductory call. Europe and the United
States can only succeed when they work together; Sanader
emphasized that now, as well as when Croatia is a member of
the EU in the future, he will continue to advocate the
strongest possible relationship between the EU and the US.


2. (C) The Ambassador noted that it was a historic time to be
in Croatia; three decades ago it would have been impossible
to imagine the security and prosperity Croatians enjoy today.
He committed to strongly supporting Croatia,s aspirations
to join NATO, and to help educate the Croatian public about
the benefits and obligations inherent in NATO membership.
That said, the Ambassador continued, the US-Croatia
relationship is not limited to security issues; he hoped to
help build our bilateral economic relationship, and to look
for opportunities to increase educational cooperation and
people-to-people exchanges as well.


3. (C) Sanader noted his strong support for regional
cooperation; in 2004 he was the first Croatian prime minister
to visit Belgrade; he will return there July 21. He has
visited all regional capitals, and will continue to work in
support of better relations with Croatia's neighbors.


4. (C) Sanader noted that he strongly supported the
acquisition of Croatian pharmaceutical company Pliva by
US-based Barr Laboratories. Barr plans to maintain the Pliva
brand, make Zagreb its European headquarters, and expand
employment. The Ambassador noted that he thought the
Barr/Pliva deal was a great opportunity for Croatia; he
encouraged Sanader to ensure the competition for Pliva was
fair, open, and transparent, and that the GOC focus on
ensuring that any decisions it made on the issue were based
primarily in economics, and not politics. Sanader agreed
with this sentiment, noting that Barr's offer was clearly
superior to that of its Icelandic competitor Actavis.

Ukraine
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5. (C) Sanader noted that he was traveling to Kiev later in
the day to give the keynote speech at an international
conference on Ukraine at the request of EU Commission
President Barroso. The EU had wanted to send a positive
signal to Ukraine about its European prospects, but it did
not want the signal to be too strong, he said, so Barroso had
decided that the message should be delivered by a candidate
country rather than an EU member.


6. (C) Sanader said in his address he would speak to
Croatia's desire to expand the Central European Free Trade
Agreement not just to Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, and
Moldova, but to Ukraine as well. He noted that EU
Commissioner Olli Rehn had said it was too early to include
Ukraine in such an arrangement, but Sanader noted that the EU
itself can't really offer anything similar to the country
now. Joining CEFTA, however, would be a concrete gesture for
the country. He noted that current CEFTA chair Romania
supports including Ukraine. Sanader asked for US support for
the initiative as well.


7. (C) Sanader expressed his continued interest in an early
visit to the White House to meet with President Bush.

BRADTKE