GERMANY: SMOOTH SAILING EXPECTED FOR RATIFICATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 001411 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2018 TAGS: PREL MARR NATO HR AL GM SUBJECT: GERMANY: SMOOTH SAILING EXPECTED FOR RATIFICATION OF NATO ACCESSION PROTOCOLS REF: STATE 106321 Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JEFF RATHKE. REASONS: 1.4 ( B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) As instructed reftel, post contacted the MFA NATO Office to inquire about the status of Germany's ratification of the NATO accession protocols for Croatia and Albania. Desk Officer Karin Marshall noted that the Cabinet had approved draft legislation seeking approval of the accession protocols on September 24 and had forwarded it to the Bundestag for action. She said that the goal was to obtain Bundestag approval by the end of the year and that thus far, everything appeared to be on track. She said that Germany would probably deposit its instrument of ratification in Washington immediately following the completion of domestic procedures, which she thought could happen as early as December. ¶2. (C) We also checked with parliamentary contacts, who confirmed that the proposed legislation approving the accession protocols had been forwarded to the Bundestag. The first reading of the legislation is scheduled for mid-November, after which it will be forwarded to the Foreign Relations Committee for detailed review and consideration before going back to the plenary for a final vote. Our Bundestag contacts agreed that there is a good chance the protocols will be approved by year's end. ¶3. (C) NATO enlargement to Croatia and Albania is widely supported here and the ratification process is not expected to generate very much debate or opposition. At this point, there seem to be few if any impediments to German ratification of the accession accords before the April 2009 Strasbourg/Kehl Summit. KOENIG