CHARGE EXPRESSES DISMAY AT CROATIAN PRESIDENT'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000990

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/SCE, WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2016
TAGS: PREL NAM UNSC HR CU
SUBJECT: CHARGE EXPRESSES DISMAY AT CROATIAN PRESIDENT'S
PLANNED TRIP TO HAVANA FOR THE NAM SUMMIT

REF: ZAGREB 753

Classified By: CDA Greg Delawie for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Summary: Charge called August 21 on Josko Klisovic,
new chief of cabinet to FM Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, to
express dismay with President Mesic's planned trip to Cuba
for the Non-Aligned Movement Summit (reftel) as well as the
President's characterization in the press August 18 that the
USG did not object to his trip. Klisovic noted that he
understood Charge's message; that despite the President's
interest in attending the NAM Summit Croatia's commitment to
joining NATO has never been stronger; and that Prime Minister
Sanader had already called the President to discuss the
issue. End summary.


2. (C) Comment: Stjepan Mesic, the last president of the
former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, is the
constitutional co-creator of Croatian foreign policy together
with Prime Minister Sanader. Mesic, although a committed
democrat and human rights advocate, is nostalgic for the days
of the NAM. He is in constant low-intensity conflict with
the efforts of PM Sanader, who has staked his political
future on Croatia's complete integration into Euro-Atlantic
institutions. End comment.


3. (U) On August 18 President Mesic was quoted in national
daily Jutarnji List as stating that the USG did not
officially object to his planned visit to the Non-Aligned
Movement Summit in Havana next month.


4. (C) Charge immediately called Presidential Foreign Policy
Advisor Tomislav Jakic to remind him that in meetings with
Presidential Foreign Policy advisor Budimir Loncar both
former Ambassador Frank in June and current Ambassador
Bradtke in July had cautioned in very strong terms against a
Mesic visit to Cuba. Jakic said both he and the President
understood US views about the Havana trip. He could not
explain why the President had raised the issue publicly in
such a fashion. Charge repeated that a head of state visit
to Cuba would be a very bad idea.


5. (C) During his August 21 call on MFA Chief of Cabinet
Klisovic, Charge noted that the President's statement had
caused us considerable consternation. Charge noted: he was
puzzled that the head of state of a country that aspires to
join both NATO and the EU would be attending the NAM Summit,
even as an "observer;" any visit to Cuba by a European head
of state will be used by the Communist regime for propaganda
purposes to endorse its continued policies of repression; a
Cuba visit was particularly puzzling for a champion of human
rights such as President Mesic, especially given Croatia's
historic efforts to cast off exactly the sort of regime under
which the Cuban people now suffer; and finally, that he
doubted that any of Croatia's EU partner states would be
represented at the NAM at the senior political level.


6. (C) Furthermore, Charge noted that two US Ambassadors had
told the President's office exactly what we thought of his
plans, so we were particularly upset that he publicly
mischaracterized USG views on the trip. He added that the
Embassy had chosen not to respond publicly to the President's
statements in order to keep the public temperature from
rising on the issue; nevertheless Ambassador Bradtke was
seeking an appointment with President Mesic immediately upon
his return to post (NB: week of August 28) to make our
objections clear in person.


7. (C) Klisovic responded that he understood our concerns.
He noted that President Mesic had stated that he wanted to
attend the NAM Summit in order to lobby attendees as part of
Croatia's effort to gain a non-permanent seat on the UNSC; it
was merely a coincidence that the meeting would take place in
Cuba. He reminded Charge that the President was an
independent actor under the Croatian constitution with a role
in foreign policy co-equal to that of the Prime Minister, and
that he and the Prime Minister did not always agree.


8. (C) Prime Minister Sanader had already spoken to President
Mesic about this issue, Klisovic added, although he was not
yet aware of any outcome of that discussion. Furthermore, we
should not assume that Croatia's commitment to NATO had
weakened in any way; in fact, it had never been stronger.
Even President Mesic is now speaking to general audiences
about the benefits and responsibilities of NATO membership,
he said, whereas in the past Mesic had only raised the issue
with militarily-oriented audiences.


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9. (C) Charge also had a brief telephone conversation August
21 with MFA State Secretary Hidajet Biscevic along the same
lines.

DELAWIE