CROATIA SUPPORTS US OBJECTIVES FOR JANUARY 26

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000074 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO HR SUBJECT: CROATIA SUPPORTS US OBJECTIVES FOR JANUARY 26 INFORMAL NATO FOREIGN MINISTERIAL ON AFGHANISTAN REF: A. STATE 7434 ¶B. ZAGREB 45 ¶C. STATE 4834 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Greg Delawie for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Following up on the Ambassador's conversation with Foreign Minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic (ref B) on the January 26 NATO meeting on Afghanistan, DCM raised USG ministerial goals (ref A) with Pjer Simunovic, Assistant Foreign Minister for International Organizations and Security, who will accompany the FM to Brussels for the meeting. ¶2. (C) Simunovic said that the GOC broadly supported the US objectives outlined in reftel, noting that supporting ISAF was one of Croatia's most important foreign policy objectives. In particular, he mentioned the following contributions Croatia would be bringing to the table: a. An increase in Croatia's ISAF contribution from 150 personnel in 2006 to 200 in 2007 to 300 in 2008; Croatia's parliament approved the increases in December. b. A contribution to the Afghan military of 1,000 AK-47 assault rifles and associated ammunition that is almost ready to go; the weapons are already packed; the GOC is coordinating delivery through NATO. c. Croatia has no caveats on the use of its ISAF forces. d. The GOC continues to seriously examine its capabilities vis a vis the possibility of taking responsibility for a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan in 2008. BRADTKE