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,

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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