CROATIAN PRESIDENTIAL FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000932 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2017 TAGS: PREL HR SR AA SUBJECT: CROATIAN PRESIDENTIAL FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR COMMENTS ON SERBIA AND B-H REF: SARAJEVO 2057 Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, POL/ECON, Reasons 1.4 B/D ¶1. (C) In a discussion with visiting EUR/SCE Director Chris Hoh on October 4, President Mesic's foreign policy advisor Tomislav Jakic stressed that Croatia's interest was that Serbia be convinced not to react too harshly against states that recognize an independent Kosovo. Croatia, Jakic said, would "not be the first, but would be among the first ten" to do so. Jakic further commented that he thought President Tadic could be more realistic about Kosovo's future, but could only do so after elections, assuming he could win. ¶2. (C) On Bosnia, Jakic commented that the recent Bosnian Croat's "Kresevo Declaration" (REFTEL) was "better than we expected it to be." While he acknowledged that the Declaration does not explicitly oppose a third entity, he thought it was a positive step that the text does not favor such an option either. Jakic reaffirmed the Croatian position that the third entity is a bad idea for B-H, and repeated President Mesic's view that the best solution for Bosnia would be to create a stronger central state. He said that Mesic continued to have some sympathy for Silajdzic's position, but added that "Silajdzic makes sense when he talks to Mesic, but then says different things when he is back in Bosnia." BRADTKE