CROATIAN RESPONSE ON MID-NOVEMBER IAEA REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 001009 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR EUR/SCE, ISN AND IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2017 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM IR HR IAEA AORC SUBJECT: CROATIAN RESPONSE ON MID-NOVEMBER IAEA REPORT REF: STATE 151038 Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, POL/ECON, Reasons 1.4 (B/D) ¶1. (C) PolOff reviewed reftel points with Ambassador Mario Horvatic, Croatia's IAEA Governor, on November 8. Horvatic said that Croatia agrees that the IAEA Work Plan could represent a positive step toward resolution of the crisis, but "only if Iran implements its commitments." He appreciated our efforts to provide details on our view of what should be the core criteria for judging a positive outcome for the IAEA report, and said that the US could "definitely" count on Croatian support in that effort. Horvatic noted that the Iranian Ambassador to Croatia had also requested an appointment with the MFA, presumably to discuss the IAEA. Horvatic said he and his boss, Assistant Minister Pjer Simunovic, had been putting the Iranian off, since "the Iranians just keep repeating the same points over and over" and there was little point in talking to them unless they were going to meet their commitments. ¶2. (C) PolOff noted that we hoped the UNSC would deal with the issue of a third sanctions resolution in December, but that the issue could well still be on the UNSC agenda when Croatia joins the Council in January. He queried Horvatic on what the GoC view would be regarding a sanctions resolution. Horvatic said the GoC did not yet have a position, and would not be able to formulate a specific policy until a new government was formed after the upcoming November 25 elections. He noted, however, that if the US and EU agreed on such an issue, "you make our job much easier." BRADTKE