CROATIAN RESPONSE ON BILATERAL SOFA LANGUAGE

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001032 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD AND EUR/RPM OSD FOR WINTERNITZ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR NATO HR SUBJECT: CROATIAN RESPONSE ON BILATERAL SOFA LANGUAGE REF: A. STATE 142607 (OCT 11 2007) ¶B. EUR/SCE-WALKER EMAILS ¶1. (U) Croatian FM Grabar-Kitarovic on November 22 sent a letter to the Ambassador stating her "belief" that the language regarding "other appropriate US control" of US personnel (proposed in reftel) and the subsequent explanations (provided in ref emails),is "appropriate...thus contributing to the finalization of the negotiating process" of the SOFA. Full text of the letter is in para 3. ¶2. (SBU) The letter is not the final approval from the GoC on the SOFA texts (English and Croatian). Acceptance by GoC officials of the revised SOFA language and accompanying explanations has come too late for the text to be put before the full GoC's weekly meeting prior to this Sunday's (Nov. 25) elections. Our understanding is that this letter is the MFA's effort to put the GoC's officials and lawyers who have been negotiating the provisions on record as accepting the language prior to this weekend's election. This in turn should make it easier to secure adoption of the SOFA text shortly after a new government is formed (which could take several weeks after the election). If the HDZ is returned to power, we believe the SOFA would be adopted without need of any further discussion. If an SDP-led government is voted into office, we will likely need to explain the SOFA text to the new government, but this agreement to the text should make success in that task easier. ¶3. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER (in the original English) Zagreb, November 22, 2007 Dear Excellency, I would like to thank you for your letter of November 13, 2007 including two explanatory documents attached thereto, with regard to the provision of Article IX of the negotiating text of the Status of Forces Agreement between the Republic Croatia and United States of America. I would like to convey to you my belief that the information provided therein with regard to the various forms of pretrial restraint to which a member of the U.S. military may be subject to and "other appropriate US control" which could be imposed upon civilian component personnel, as well as the position of the US side on the possibilities that pertain in case pretrial confinement of a member of the civilian component is appropriate, would provide for a better understanding, thus contributing to the finalization of the negotiating process of the said Agreement. Please accept, Excellency, the assurance of my highest consideration. Sincerely, /s/ Mr.sc. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic END TEXT OF LETTER BRADTKE