CROATIA NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH MONTENEGRO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000258 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, S/WCI, INR DEPT PLEASE PASS TO NSC BRAUN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KAWC MW HR REGIONAL ISSUES SUBJECT: CROATIA NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH MONTENEGRO REF: 06 ZAGREB 1435 Classified By: Political Officer Tom Selinger for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (U) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: Since Montenegro's independence in 2006, Croatian leaders have moved quickly to normalize relations with Podgorica. This positive dialogue intensified in 2007 with official visits to Montenegro by PM Ivo Sanader and Speaker of Parliament Vladimir Seks, and was capped by the March 9 Zagreb visit of Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic. While war reparations from the bombardment of Dubrovnik by Montenegrin forces in the early 1990s remain on the agenda, the GoC agreed to postpone this settlement and pushed on with a number of key initiatives, including opening an Embassy in Podgorica, signing an agreement on economic cooperation, and assisting its former adversary in pursuing integration into both the EU and NATO (reftel). Croatian negotiators are also seeking agreements with Montenegro on minority rights and border demarcation, while the Chief State Prosecutor concluded a war crimes evidence transfer agreement with his counterpart in Podgorica in July 2006. A handful of negative press commentaries show that a portion of the Croatian public is still hostile toward this warming of relations, but PM Sanader and President Stjepan Mesic have not faltered in their leadership in addressing issues from the past while focusing clearly on the future. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT. SANADER: REMEMBER PAST, BUT DON'T LIVE IN IT -------------- ¶2. (U) PM Sanader set the tone for the GoC's efforts in recent months during a January 12 visit to Podgorica, acknowledging that Montenegro's apologies for its part in Yugoslav National Army attacks on Dubrovnik had created the conditions for good relations. "We shall not forget the past," Sanader said, "but we will not live in it." He stressed that this new page in bilateral relations would focus on the common goal of EU and NATO membership. ¶3. (C) Sanader took some media heat when the GoM made public that the GoC planned to share with Montenegro some 30,000 pages of translation of the acquis communitaire and other EU legislation. The GoC will ultimately spend 10 million Euros on EU-related translation, so critics portrayed this as an unwarranted gift to Podgorica. The PM on March 2 explained to Ambassador Bradtke that sharing the aquis translation was part of the overall border settlement and was supposed to be kept quiet. The PM stressed to the Ambassador that the GoC wants to show the world that Croatia and Montenegro can be good friends despite what happened during the war, so it does not want disputed borders to become a matter of public debate. ¶4. (C) Montenegrin PM Sturanovic and Speaker of Parliament Krivokapic agreed with Sanader to work on a final settlement of the Croatian/Montenegrin border, which is currently based on a temporary settlement and does not reflect the border under the former Yugoslavia, but asked to delay negotiations until Montenegro finalizes its constitution and becomes a member of the Council of Europe in the summer. Sanader, who sees the border as a key bilateral issue, consented to a delay, but has instructed MFA State Secretary Hidajet Biscevic to begin assembling information for the negotiations. MFA Assistant Minister Neven Pelicaric told the DCM that the issue primarily relates to the sea border near the Bay of Kotor. SEKS: EXPAND PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION -------------- ¶5. (U) Parliament Speaker Seks echoed the PM's messages during his February 27 visit to Podgorica, telling Montenegrin speaker Krivokapic that the two parliaments should closely cooperate on such foreign policy issues as EU and NATO accession. War reparations and border issues entered the discussion, but Seks acknowledged that Montenegro was misused by Belgrade during the war. Seks said compensation was important to future relations, but noted that Zagreb has not yet officially requested reparations from Podgorica. MESIC: BETTER RELATIONS BUILD REGIONAL STABILITY -------------- --- ¶6. (U) During Montenegrin President Vujanovic's Zagreb visit, the return of President Mesic's July 2006 visit to Podgorica, Mesic stressed that bilateral relations can and must be better. Outstanding issues such as borders and reparations must not obstruct development of strong relations, he urged, ZAGREB 00000258 002 OF 002 pointing to ongoing negotiations as important steps toward resolution of bilateral issues. ¶7. (U) Montenegro and Croatia want the same thing, Mesic told the press -- a peaceful, stable region and a European future. Mesic added that the GoC is ready to share its EU accession experience with Montenegro, stressing that positive relations between Zagreb and Podgorica contribute to stability in the region. BRADTKE