CROATIAN PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR ON PUTIN VISIT,

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000596

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/17/2017
TAGS: ENRG ECON PREL HR RS
SUBJECT: CROATIAN PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR ON PUTIN VISIT,
ENERGY SUMMIT

REF: ZAGREB 404

Classified By: DCM Greg Delawie for reasons 1.4 b and d.


1. (C) DCM met with Tomislav Jakic, foreign policy advisor to
Croatian President Mesic, on June 15 to discuss Russian
President Putin's upcoming visit to Zagreb. Putin will visit
Zagreb on June 24 to participate in a "Regional Energy
Summit" organized by President Mesic's office. DCM inquired
about the planned summit declaration that Jakic mentioned
during a previous discussion of the visit (reftel). Jakic
expressed frustration at the difficulty of agreeing on a
text, which he said that the Croatian side had hoped would be
a statement of principles that would avoid mention of
specific projects. He said that rather than signing the
declaration, as originally planned, the text would simply be
"endorsed" by the gathered heads of state and government.
However, as there was yet no agreement on the language, he
anticipated a meeting at the experts level on the eve of the
summit to agree on a text. Speaking obliquely to Russian
edits to the draft text, Jakic said that the Russians have
"overly eager English translators."


2. (C) Comment: Putin's visit to Zagreb has been initiated
and organized entirely from the President's office and has
involved no governmental experts on energy issues. Although
Jakic said that he anticipates that PM Sanader will have a
bilateral meeting with Putin while he is in Croatia, the
Government has otherwise not been involved in either the
conception or organization of the visit. President Mesic,
who relishes the limelight, views the summit as the beginning
of a process of regional consultation on energy issues. In
addition to regional leaders, the Croatians also expect
representatives of the EU and OPEC to attend.
BRADTKE