VISIT OF ADM ULRICH TO MONTENEGRO, MAY 21-22

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TAGS: PREL MARR PGOV MASS MW
SUBJECT: VISIT OF ADM ULRICH TO MONTENEGRO, MAY 21-22


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1. (SBU) SUMMARY. COMMANDER OF JOINT FORCES COMMAND NAPLES
(COMJFC) AND U.S. NAVAL FORCES EUROPE (COMNAVEUR) ADMIRAL HENRY

G. ULRICH VISITED MONTENEGRO FROM 21-22 MAY 2007. ADM ULRICH'S
VISIT COINCIDED WITH THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF MONTENEGRIN
INDEPENDENCE AND THE U.S. NAVY SHIP VISIT BY THE SUB-TENDER
EMORY S. LAND (ESL) WITH A CREW OF OVER 1200 OFFICERS AND
SAILORS. COMJFC AND COMNAVEUR MET SEPARATELY WITH THE
MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT AND FOREIGN MINISTER, MINISTER OF DEFENSE
AND CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF. ALL INTERLOCUTORS EXPRESSED
SATISFACTION AT THE PACE OF MONTENEGRO'S EURO-ATLANTIC SECURITY
INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL DEFENSE RELATIONS WITH
THE U.S.





MESSAGE OF SUPPORT

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2. (SBU) ADM ULRICH OFFERED A CLEAR MESSAGE OF SUPPORT FOR
MONTENEGRO'S EURO-ATLANTIC SECURITY ASPIRATIONS. THROUGHOUT HIS
MEETINGS WITH MONTENEGRO'S SENIOR LEADERSHIP, ADM ULRICH
UNDERSCORED THE IMPRESSIVE PROGRESS THAT MONTENEGRO HAS MADE IN
ITS FIRST YEAR AS A SOVEREIGN STATE AND WAS PLEASED TO BE IN
MONTENEGRO ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE. ADM ULRICH
AND PRESIDENT FILIP VUJANOVIC REVIEWED THE LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS
MADE BY MONTENEGRO FROM ENTRY INTO PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE ON 26
NOVEMBER 2006 TO THE SIGNING OR THE STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT
(SOFA) BY THE LATTER IN WASHINGTON ON 1 MAY 2007. ADM ULRICH
STRESSED U.S./NATO COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH AND PROVIDE
ASSISTANCE FOR MONTENEGROS DEFENSE REFORM EFFORTS. PRESIDENT
VUJANOVIC EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE TO THE UNITED STATES FOR
SUPPORT OF MONTENEGRIN EURO-ATLANTIC SECURITY INTEGRATION AND
ASSISTANCE TO THE MONTENEGRIN ARMED FORCES (MAF). THE PRESIDENT
ADDED THAT HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD SOON APPROVE THE NECESSARY
DEFENSE LAWS AND STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS THAT WOULD FACILITATE
FURTHER REFORM.







STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIP

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3. (SBU) PRESIDENT VUJANOVIC EMPHASIZED THAT THE STRATEGIC AIM
OF MONTENEGRO WAS INCLUSION IN TO EURO-ATLANTIC INSTITUTIONS -
FULL MEMBERSHIP IN NATO AND EU. FURTHER, PRESIDENT VUJANOVIC
EXPRESSED HIS SATISFACTION WITH HIS RECENT VISIT TO WASHINGTON
AND MEETINGS WITH SENIOR U.S. OFFICIALS. THE PRESIDENT
HIGHLIGHTED HIS SIGNING OF A STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT WITH
SECRETARY RICE, BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH SECRETARY GATES AND

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INAUGURATION OF THE STATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM WITH THE STATE OF
MAINE. FURTHER, THE PRESIDENT STRESSED THAT THE RECENT
CONCLUSION OF AN ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT THROUGH AN EXCHANGE OF
DIPLOMATIC NOTES WAS IN MONTENEGRO'S INTEREST AND WOULD INCREASE
THE POSSIBILITIES OF SECURITY COOPERATION. ALL OUR ACTIONS TO
DATE, ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT SERVED TO STRENGTHEN THE
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND MONTENEGRO. PRESIDENT
VUJANOVIC VIEWED CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED STATES AS
ESSENTIAL. IN PARTICULAR, THE PRESIDENT BELIEVED THAT U.S
PROGRAMS SUCH AS INTERNATIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING
WERE KEY TO MAF TRANSFORMATION AND ABILITY TO SECURE
INTEROPERABILITY AND ATTAIN NATO STANDARDS. ADM ULRICH
RESPONDED THAT FROM A U.S. NAVY PERSPECTIVE STRENGTHENING OUR
MILITARY RELATIONSHIP WILL CONTRIBUTE TO FUTURE MARITIME
SECURITY. THE ADM ADDED THAT MARITIME SECURITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THIS REGION. REFERRING TO PERCEPTIONS
OF NATO, PRESIDENT VUJANOVIC STATED THAT IT WAS UP TO THE
MONTENEGRIN LEADERSHIP TO CONDUCT AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.



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REGIONAL ISSUES

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4. (SBU) ADM ULRICH EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE MONTENEGRIN
LEADERSHIP'S VIEWS ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN BELGRADE AS
WELL AS THE ISSUE OF KOSOVO FINAL STATUS. PRESIDENT VUJANOVIC
COMMENTED THAT THE RECENT FORMATION OF A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT
IN BELGRADE, SERBIA BY PRESIDENT BORIS TADIC AND PRIME MINISTER
VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA WAS A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND THAT ANOTHER
ELECTION CYCLE WOULD NOT BE IN THE INTEREST OF SERBIAS
DEMOCRATIC FORCES OR THE REGION. THE PRESIDENT OFFERED THAT
MONTENEGRO HAS AND WOULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT DEMOCRATIC FORCES
IN BELGRADE AND SOUGHT TO STRENGTHEN BOTH POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC
TIES. FOREIGN MINISTER (FOMIN) MILAN ROCEN EXPRESSED A SIMILAR
VIEW THAT A DEMOCRATIC AND PROSPEROUS SERBIA COULD SERVE AS AN
ECONOMIC ENGINE IN THE REGION AND INCREASE THE WESTERN BALKANS
OVERALL ABILITY TO ENTER THE EUROPEAN UNION. REFERENCE KOSOVO,
THE FOMIN ARTICULATED THE POSITION THAT ONLY A STABLE AND SECURE
MONTENEGRO COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE RESOLUTION OF KOSOVO. WITH
SIZEABLE SERB 32% AND ALBANIAN 7% MINORITIES, KOSOVO COULD
BECOME A POLARIZING ISSUE FOR MULTI-ETHNIC MONTENEGRO AND
THEREFORE THE FOMIN STRESSED THAT THE BEST POLICY MONTENEGRO
COULD PURSUE WAS TO KEEP POSITIVE RELATIONS WITH BOTH BELGRADE
AND PRISTINA. THE FOMIN HOPED FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT MONTENEGRO
WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST IN THE REGION TO RECOGNIZE AN INDEPENDENT
KOSOVO.







MILITARY COOPERATION

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5. (SBU) DEFENSE MINISTER (DEFMIN) BORO VUCINIC EMPHASIZED THE
"STRATEGIC" PARTNERSHIP THAT THE MONTENEGRIN ARMED FORCES SEEKS
WITH THE U.S. MILITARY. THE DEFMIN VIEWED MILITARY COOPERATION
WITH THE U.S. AS VITAL TO THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE MAF AND
APPRECIATED ADM ULRICH'S CONSISTENT AND VALUABLE SUPPORT.
DEFMIN VUCINIC ARTICULATED HIS OWN PLANS TO MOVE FORWARD ON KEY
DEFENSE LAWS AND DOCUMENTS. THE DEFMIN RECAPPED PROGRESS TO
DATE SINCE PFP MEMBERSHIP IN NOV 2006 AS MONTENEGRO SUBMITTED
ITS PRESENTATION AND SECURITY DOCUMENTS AND WAS PREPARED TO
SHORTLY OPEN ITS MILITARY OFFICE IN BRUSSELS. LTC GEN JOVAN
LAKCEVIC THE MONTENEGRIN CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF (CGS)
SUMMARIZED HIS EFFORTS TO CONTINUE MOVING MONTENEGRIN DEFENSE
FORCES IN THE DIRECTION OF THE U.S AND NATO MEMBERSHIP. LAKCEVIC
ASSESSED THAT THE MAF HAD TO DEVELOP NICHE CAPABILITIES,
MODERNIZE THE FORCE, AND PREPARE A SECURITY CONTRIBUTION TO
ON-GOING NATO/U.S. OPERATIONS. ACCORDING TO THE CGS, ENGLISH
LANGUAGE TRAINING WAS FUNDAMENTAL AND ANY ASSISTANCE THAT ADM
ULRICH COULD PROVIDE WOULD BE WELCOME. (NOTE- MONTENEGRO WILL
RECEIVE $200,000 IN IMET X-YEAR FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED
TO A MULTI-MEDIA ENGLISH LANGUAGE LAB). THE CGS VIEWED THE
DEVELOPMENT OF HIS JUNIOR OFFICERS AND NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
AS KEY TO THE MAF'S TRANSFORMATION AND LOOKED FORWARD TO U.S.
SECURITY ASSISTANCE. THE CGS ALSO STRESSED THE NEED FOR
MONTENEGRO TO ACQUIRE NEW COMBAT UNIFORMS NOT ONLY FOR FUTURE
OPERATIONS AND TRAINING BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TO PROVIDE MAF
MEMBERS A SENSE OF MONTENEGRIN IDENTITY AND RAISE MORALE.
(NOTE- THE MONTENEGRIN DEFMIN INITIATED A REQUEST TO PURCHASE
U.S. COMBAT UNIFORMS THROUGH THE FOREIGN MILITARY SALES
PROGRAM.) GEN LAKCEVIC STATED THAT HE WOULD SOON SEND A
MONTENEGRIN OFFICER TO SERVE AS A LIAISON OFFICER AT COMJFC
NAPLES AND THAT HE LOOKED FORWARD TO GREATER MILITARY
COOPERATION WITH THE U.S AND NATO. THE CGS BELIEVED THAT THE
MAF WOULD INCREASE ITS PARTICIPATION IN FUTURE PFP EXERCISES
NEXT YEAR AND SEND OBSERVERS TO NATO OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN.
ADDRESSING THE GATHERED GUESTS DURING THE RECEPTION ON BOARD THE
ESL, ADM ULRICH STATED THAT MONTENEGRO'S LEADERS SHOULD BE
COMMENDED FOR THE IMPRESSIVE RESULTS ACHIEVED TOWARDS
EURO-ATLANTIC SECURITY INTEGRATION. ADM ULRICH PARTICULARLY
HIGHLIGHTED HIS SATISFACTION AND CLOSE COOPERATION WITH LTC GEN
LAKCEVIC WHOM HE CALLED A TRUE PATRIOT, REAL LEADER, AND A MAN
OF VISION. ADM ULRICH ADDED THAT THE MONTENEGRIN PEOPLE ARE
LUCKY TO HAVE THIS MAN IN CHARGE OF ITS MILITARY AT THE RIGHT
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MOMENT IN HISTORY.




6. (SBU) OTHER REQUESTS RAISED BY GENERAL LAKCEVIC INCLUDED NATO
NCO TRAINING, ASSISTANCE IN INSTALLING COSTAL RADARS, EVALUATION
OF EXISTING NAVAL FACILITIES, DESIGN ASSISTANCE FOR THE NEW
NAVAL BASE AT BAR, AND DIVER TRAINING. ADMIRAL ULRICH AND GEN
LAKCEVIC ALSO DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF HOSTING A REGIONAL
MARSHALL CENTER SEMINAR IN PODGORICA ON DEFENSE REFORM THAT
WOULD BE CONDUCTED IN SERBO-CROATIAN.



U.S. NAVY SHIP VISITS

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7. (SBU) IN THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS, U.S. NAVY SHIPS - THE USS
ANZIO AND USS EMORY S. LAND - VISITED TIVAT, MONTENEGRO; AS WELL
AS THE USS ROOSEVELT AS PART OF A FOUR-NATION NATO GROUP VISIT.
THE USS EMORY S. LAND (ESL) SHIP VISITED LASTED FROM 17 MAY 2007
TO 25 MAY 2007. TO THE CREDIT OF U.S. NAVY PERSONNEL THERE WERE
NO INCIDENTS DURING THE PORT VISIT. ADDITIONALLY, U.S. SAILORS
INJECTED APPROXIMATELY A ONE MILLION EUROS INTO THE LOCAL
ECONOMY DURING LIBERTY. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE ESL VISIT SENT A
STRONG PUBLIC DIPLOMACY MESSAGE OF PARTNERSHIP AND GOOD WILL TO
THE MONTENEGRIN LEADERSHIP, NAVY, LOCAL OFFICIALS AND
COMMUNITIES. OF NOTE, ESL COMMUNITY RELATIONS EFFORTS UNDER THE
LEADERSHIP OF THE U.S. EMBASSY PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OFFICER REACHED
OUT TO MINORITY AND UNDERPRIVILEGED COMMUNITIES. THE SIXTH
FLEET BAND PERFORMED IN ULCINJ, A MAJORITY ALBANIAN COMMUNITY,
FOR THE FIRST-TIME. SAILORS CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE REPAIRS AND
IMPROVEMENTS TO AN ORPHANAGE IN BIJELA. FURTHER, THE ESL HELD A
FORMAL RECEPTION ATTENDED BY THE MONTENEGRIN DEFMIN, CHOD AND
MILITARY MEMBERS, DIPLOMATIC CORPS, LOCAL OFFICIALS AS WELL AS
LEADING OPPOSITION FIGURES, IN PARTICULAR, ANDRIJA MANDIC OF THE
SERB NATIONAL PARTY (SNS). THE PRESENCE OF SNS LEADER MANDIC
WAS SIGNIFICANT ONLY A FEW MONTHS AGO HE PROUDLY BOASTED OF HIS
ROLE AS AN AIR DEFENSE OFFICER AND ATTEMPTS TO SHOOT DOWN
U.S/NATO AIRCRAFT DURING OPERATION ALLIED FORCE.





COMMENT

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8. (SBU) THIS WAS THE SECOND VISIT BY ADM ULRICH TO MONTENEGRO
IN THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS AND ONE OF A SERIES OF SENIOR LEVEL
U.S. DEFENSE VISITS THAT BEGAN WITH FORMER SECRETARY RUMSFELD IN
SEPTEMBER 2006. THESE VISITS HAVE PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN
ESTABLISHING OUR NASCENT DEFENSE RELATIONSHIP WITH MONTENEGRO
AND AIDED THE CONCLUSION OF KEY BILATERAL DEFENSE AGREEMENTS.
ALL THESE VISIBLE SIGNS OF SUPPORT, FROM SHIP VISITS TO THE
INAUGURATION OF A STATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, HAVE FUELED
MONTENEGRIN EXPECTATIONS ABOUT FUTURE LEVELS OF ASSISTANCE. THE
EMBASSY AND VISITING DOD AND MILITARY OFFICIALS HAVE
CONSISTENTLY SOUGHT TO TEMPER THOSE EXPECTATIONS POINTING OUT
THAT U..S. SECURITY ASSISTANCE COMPLEMENTS BUT CAN NOT REPLACE
MONTENGRIN DEFENSE COMMITMENTS. MONTENEGRO WILL IN THE END
DETERMINE ITS OWN PACE OF EURO-ATLANTIC SECURITY INTEGRATION.
THE PACE IN MONTENEGRO'S FIRST YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE HOLDS
PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE.
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