CROATIAN PRESIDENT MESIC SPEAKING OUT ON THREATS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000855

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR BK
SUBJECT: CROATIAN PRESIDENT MESIC SPEAKING OUT ON THREATS
TO BOSNIAN UNITY

REF: EMBASSY SARAJEVO DAR 9/11/2007

Classified By: Ambassador Robert Bradtke, Reasons 1.4 B/D


1. (C) In separate conversations on September 12 and 13,
Presidential Counselor Budimir Loncar and Presidential
Foreign Policy Advisor Tomislav Jakic discussed with us
Croatian President Mesic's recent discussions with key
Bosnian figures. Both said that Mesic had met with B-H
Presidency Member Silajdzic the weekend of September 9 at
Silajdzic's request. According to Loncar, Silajdzic
requested the meeting on an "urgent" basis. Mesic did not
want the appearance of a "secret" meeting, nor was he keen to
meet officially with just one member of the Bosnian
Presidency. As a result, the meeting took place on the
margins of the Estonia-Croatia soccer match to which Mesic
invited Silajdzic.


2. (C) Loncar said that Silajdzic made three main points to
Mesic. He complained that the Bosnian Croats were "flirting"
with Bosnian Serb leader Dodik on the third entity issue and
urged Mesic to intervene with the Bosnian Croats; he accused
the international community of not taking tough enough
stances against Serbia and the Bosnian Serbs; and, he
portrayed the United States as "too distracted" to deal with
the problems of Bosnia. Loncar and Jakic confirmed press
reports (REF) that Mesic had stated strongly that no one
should be imperiling the unity of B-H, that proposals for a
"third entity" were a very bad idea. Mesic he had called
Presidency members Komsic and Radmanovic, and Loncar had
called EUSR Lajcak to make this position clear. Jakic and
Loncar also noted that Mesic would be traveling to Sarajevo
on September 20 to receive an international humanitarian
award, and that during that visit he would seek meetings with
senior Bosnian officials and Lajcak to make the point in
person.


3. (C) Jakic added that Mesic was "genuinely concerned" about
the prospects for peace in B-H. It was still only the
international military presence, Jakic argued, that kept the
peace in Bosnia. Jakic added that the basic idea of
Silajdzic's constitutional proposals to creative
administrative regions to replace the entities was a good
one, but in the Croatians view was not possible except
perhaps in the very long term. In this situation, Jakic
concluded, the only option was to support EUSR Lajcak's
efforts as "we must continue on the path of the current
reforms." Jakic was absolutely clear that Mesic was "opposed
to any sort of move toward a Croat entity." Loncar described
the possibility of a third entity as a "disaster" for Bosnia.
Queried as to whether there was significant elements of
support within Croatia for a "Croat entity," Jakic downplayed
the issue. While he acknowledged that there might be some in
Croatia who would support such a thing, he did not believe
they represented any significant faction or force.


4. (C) COMMENT: We believe Mesic, who built his political
popularity and career on his break with Tudjman over
Croatia's 1990's policy toward Bosnia, is absolutely sincere
in his support for Bosnia's integrity and Lajcak's efforts.
We are also reassured to hear Jakic's estimation that there
is no significant movement within Croatia to support a "third
entity" option, a point which the Prime Minister has also
stressed to the Ambassador and senior USG officials. END
COMMENT.
BRADTKE