FOLLOW UP ON SERBIAN FIRM'S POSSIBLE BID TO SUPPLY

S E C R E T BELGRADE 001451 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/24/2017 TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC MASS SY SR CG SUBJECT: FOLLOW UP ON SERBIAN FIRM'S POSSIBLE BID TO SUPPLY MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO SYRIA REF: A) BELGRADE 526 B) STATE 50277 Classified By: DCM Jennifer Brush for reasons 1.4 (B/D) Summary -------------- ¶1. (S) Serbia's Director of Arms Control at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told poloff, October 5, that, since April, the Government of Serbia had discovered no information regarding a potential sale of multispectral camouflage netting to Syria by a Serbian firm. Separate discussions with Mile Dragic Production similarly suggest that there has been no sale. End Summary. No Information on Potential Sale -------------- ¶2. (S) Ambassador Branka Latinovic, Director of Arms Control at Serbia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told poloff, October 5, that, to her knowledge, since her last discussion with emboffs in April (reftel A),neither the MFA nor any other government ministries involved in export controls had discovered any information that would lead the GOS to believe that the Serbian company Mile Dragic Production was trying to export multispectral camouflage netting to Syria. Latinovic said that Mile Dragic Production had made only one request to export in 2007, and that was to the Congo. Although she was uncertain of the date of the request, she thought it was either May or June ¶2007. Latinovic did not recall what the company intended to export, but said that before the MFA had given its decision to the GOS export control committee in that case, they had informed the UN Committee on Sanctions (for Congo) and had implemented all procedures related to the sanctions. She also told poloff that, in her nearly two years in the position, she had never seen any export requests for Syria. Latinovic assured poloff that the MFA would continue to share any information with the United States on this or other suspicious export requests. ¶3. (S) Representatives from the U.S. Defense Attache Office in Belgrade met with senior leaders from Mile Dragic Production, August 15. Mile Dragic leaders stated that they were no longer pursuing a sales contract to Syria for these products. Comment -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Serbia has consistently proven willing to cooperate with post on export control issues. Post will continue to work with the Government of Serbia to make certain that this good cooperation continues. End Comment. MUNTER