CANADIAN CHALLENGES RELATED TO ACCESSION OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 001317 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/RPM P. SCHROEDER AND L/T F. HOLLERAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2018 TAGS: PARM NATO MARR PREL KTIA AL CA HR SUBJECT: CANADIAN CHALLENGES RELATED TO ACCESSION OF CROATIA AND ALBANIA REF: STATE 106321 Classified By: PolMilCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) Action request -- see para 4. ¶2. (SBU) In response to reftel, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) Policy Adviser for Defence and Security Robert Bissett told pol/mil officer that Canada would move as quickly as possible to complete the ratification of the protocols required for the accession of Albania and Croatia to NATO membership. Bissett noted, however, that the Canadian government would not table the requisite bill for a 21-day review process by the House of Commons until Parliament meets following the October 14 election, perhaps as late as January. ¶3. (C/Rel Can) In the meantime, Bissett said, he is studying NATO SOFA obligations regarding allied military official travel to Canada. Canadian immigration law requires that suspected war criminals as well as persons who served in units suspected of war crimes must undergo enhanced scrutiny before consideration for admittance into Canada. The Croatian ambassador in Ottawa, backed by legal opinion from Zagreb, has insisted that the SOFA will negate the requirement for such scrutiny and potential findings of ineligibility to enter Canada. Given the need to block Croation war criminals from entering Canada, Bissett said, this is the kind of issue that could slow Canadian ratification. ¶4. (U) Action request: Bissett asked for ready-made U.S. legal analysis of the SOFA issue as it relates to suspected war criminals. Assuming U.S. law also prohibits their entry, he said, the analysis should help to assure concerned parliamentarians of their right to block undesirables from Canada -- even if they would otherwise qualify for entry under the SOFA. This, in turn, should expedite ratification of the protocols, he added. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada WILKINS