Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PODGORICA265
2008-10-22 22:40:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Podgorica
Cable title:  

STATUS OF MONTENEGRO'S NATO-RELATED REFORMS

Tags:  PREL PGOV MARR MW 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1891
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPOD #0265/01 2962240
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 222240Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY PODGORICA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0994
INFO RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0089
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA 1082
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PODGORICA 000265 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/RPM AND EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MW
SUBJECT: STATUS OF MONTENEGRO'S NATO-RELATED REFORMS

REF: (A) PODGORICA 240 (B) PODGORICA 251 (C) PODGORICA 254 (D) STATE 83856

PODGORICA 00000265 001.2 OF 002


REF:(A) PODGORICA 240 (B) PODGORICA 251 (C) PODGORICA 254, (D)
STATE 83856



UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PODGORICA 000265

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/RPM AND EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MW
SUBJECT: STATUS OF MONTENEGRO'S NATO-RELATED REFORMS

REF: (A) PODGORICA 240 (B) PODGORICA 251 (C) PODGORICA 254 (D) STATE 83856

PODGORICA 00000265 001.2 OF 002


REF:(A) PODGORICA 240 (B) PODGORICA 251 (C) PODGORICA 254, (D)
STATE 83856




1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The GoM has continued to make progress on
fulfilling the USG's NATO-related priorities (Ref D). Most
significantly, the Parliament recently passed two acts -- a
resolution endorsing Montenegro's policy of integration with the
Euro-Atlantic community and a law authorizing deployments to
international peacekeeping missions. Among other steps forward,
the GOM has finished work on a secure communication facility
designed to comply with NATO standards and is continuing its
campaign to boost public support and to strengthen judicial
standards. END SUMMARY.




2. (SBU) The bilateral Montenegro - U.S. working group (Ref A
and previous) met on 6 October to review progress towards NATO
MAP. In the areas identified as the greater challenges (Ref A,
Paragraph Four),Montenegro had positive developments to report.



-- Plans for NATO partnership goals: The MoD has developed a
matrix for all 32 activities planned between 2008 and 2010. The
MoD is responsible for 26 of these, including five of the six
scheduled for 2008. The five cover Organization of the
Headquarters, Information Services for Headquarters and Command
Center, Medical Support, Safe Electronic Email System, Building
Staff Efficiency. MoD officials stated they are on track to
meet these five goals this year. The sixth goal for 2008 falls
under the purview of the Information Security Agency (see next
item). Most of the goals for the remaining two years come under
MoD, except four for the Border Police and one for Ministry of
Interior.



-- Data Protection and Information Security: Under the
leadership of a new director, Savo Vucinic (no relation to the
Minister),the Information Security Agency completed
construction of its secure communication and storage facility
within the MoD. Vucinic transmitted to NATO Headquarters a
formal request for NATO certification of the facility, and
NATO's final inspection is scheduled for 12-14 November. At the
outset, MoD expects to have the necessary clearances and

training for five of its staff, rising to a total of 14 by late

2009.



-- Rule of Law: In a separate meeting, Ministry of Justice
officials told us that the GoM has fulfilled the 2008 goals in
its Action Plan for judicial reform. The MoJ highlighted
legislation to de-politicize selection of judges and
prosecutors, and to this end a judicial council began
functioning in early 2008 to monitor standards and impartiality.
The GoM has also adopted a code of ethics for government
officials and is soon presenting to the Parliament stronger
conflict of interest legislation mandating dismissal and/or
fines for violations. In a major change to the criminal justice
system, the MoJ also expects to submit to the Parliament a
revised Criminal Procedure Code strengthening its prosecutor-led
adversarial trial system. The MoJ stressed that all five of
Montenegro's major war crimes cases are now out of the
investigation phase and in the courts. Officials also
highlighted revisions to the Criminal Code to cover Montenegrin
military personnel in peacekeeping missions.



-- Public Support: The Prime Minister's Chief of Staff reviewed
activities by the Coordination Team for the "Implementation of
the Communications Strategy on Euro-Atlantic Integrations". The
GoM has already completed several planned initiatives targeting
specific groups, such as journalists, academics and local
politicians. To engage mass audiences (an area earlier
neglected),it has begun airing documentaries about NATO on
state-run television, placed a PfP brochure in four daily
newspapers and redesigned a public website on NATO. The GoM
likewise plans to contract an outside PR firm to help beef up
its mass media campaign. GoM officials have also sought
guidance from new member countries -- e.g. Poland, Lithuania and
Croatia -- on how to build public support for membership. The
televised parliamentary debate over the resolution endorsing

PODGORICA 00000265 002.2 OF 002


Montenegro's path to NATO and the EU appears to herald a new,
more intensive effort to woo public opinion (REF B).




3. (SBU) The GoM has stepped up the pace of its consultations
with NATO on both military and civilian topics. Two of the GOM
participants commented on an October 1 expert session related to
economic issues, pointing out that NATO officials seemed to lack
direct information about Montenegro. The GoM intends to address
this by more frequent briefings and providing written materials,
such as its various Action Plans for reforms. The GoM
participants added that NATO officials had read a recent
Transparency International report on Montenegro, but were not
aware of the GoM Action Plan against corruption or reports by
its anti-corruption commission.




4. (SBU) COMMENT: While our GoM interlocutors may have a point
about lack of awareness in Brussels, they still have difficulty
distilling their mass of data into succinct talking points.
This is perhaps most important for the rule of law, the area in
which they must overcome the greatest international skepticism.
To this end, it will be important that the GoM continue to show
practical results. The GoM's success in pushing through
Parliament two acts -- a resolution endorsing Montenegro's
integration with the Euro-Atlantic community and a law
authorizing participation in international peacekeeping missions
(REF C) -- clearly reaffirmed the commitment of the Montenegrin
leadership to a pro-NATO course. END COMMENT.
MOORE