BOSNIA - VISIT OF DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SARAJEVO 001573 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2018 TAGS: MARR PREL BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA - VISIT OF DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE GORDON ENGLAND, SEPT. 30 - OCT. 1 Classified By: Amb. Charles English for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C/NF) SUMMARY: In meetings with the Presidency, Minister of Defense and Prime Minister of Bosnia, Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England emphasized the U.S. Government's commitment to Bosnia's stability and our continued cooperation to help Bosnia achieve its goals of reform and progress on the path to NATO accession. In response to recent escalating political rhetoric, England clearly stated to all interlocutors that the U.S. would not support any kind of secession, unilateral abolition of any entity, or the creation of a third entity. President Komsic, Defense Minister Cikotic and PM Spiric praised U.S. support for Bosnia's success in defense reform, but explained that the reform process remains unfinished. England thanked the President and Minister for Bosnia's contribution in Iraq and recommended that Bosnia look next to a possible contribution to ISAF, something Komsic and Cikotic seemed open to. Cikotic asked that General Wightman's tenure as the Commander of NATO HQ Sarajevo be extended another 6 months to facilitate the ongoing defense reform process. END SUMMARY. President Komsic: NATO accession a rare point of agreement -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) In his meeting with England, Croat member of the Presidency Komsic said that in Bosnia, everyone agrees on the twin goals of NATO and EU accession, and that the progress that Bosnia has made on the path to NATO accession is largely attributable to the active engagement of the United States. England stressed that defense reform was a necessary but not sufficient condition for NATO accession, which will require substantial economic and political reforms as well. Komsic highlighted defense reform's success in strengthening state institutions and, by example, having a positive impact on Bosnia as a whole, proving that "things that looked totally impossible were in fact achievable." Komsic: EU project going more slowly -------------- ¶3. (C/NF) On the road to the EU, things are going more slowly, Komsic told England. Noting EU expansion fatigue, Komsic turned to Bosnia's internal impediments to EU accession. Speaking for himself, not the Presidency as a whole, Komsic said that the need to change Bosnia's constitution was unquestionable, but that in today's climate, it would be impossible to achieve consensus on constitutional reforms. This stalemate will impact many areas, he said, and impede the road to European accession. Komsic said that he belonged to the group of people that believes Bosnia missed a rare opportunity when they failed to agree on the constitutional package two and a half years ago. PM Spiric: Formal progress, heated political climate -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Chairman of the Council of Ministers Spiric, a Bosnian Serb, cited Bosnia's recent formal progress towards its goals of NATO and EU membership -- signing the SAA with the EU and kicking off Intensified Dialogue talks with NATO -- as evidence that Bosnia is on the right path. Spiric stated he is fully aware that success in NATO means political as well as defense reforms, and commented that the rising political rhetoric was blocking the reform process. He was, he said, "shocked that some in the political elite are actually trying to block development of the country." He implicitly criticized Silajdzic, who the same day was giving a controversial speech before the Council of Europe(septel), saying that "We don't have a right after the war to continue the environment of hostility." There are two fronts in Bosnia, he said, alluding to rhetoric about the secession of RS on one side and its abolition on the other. Condemning the former (which is increasingly raised as a possibility by Spiric's SNSD party boss, RS PM Dodik) without elaborating, he went on to slam the latter, espoused by Bosniak Presidency member Silajdzic: "Many Bosniak leaders would rather live in a poor BiH without the existence of Republika Srpska (RS) than in Europe with the RS...They try to deny the existence of RS." ¶5. (C) Repeating well-known Bosnian Serb positions, Spiric insisted that any constitutional reform must be based on Dayton. He did say that all sides must realize that secession is not a possibility, but added that any reorganization of the Dayton structure is also not possible. England expressed our continued support for Dayton until SARAJEVO 00001573 002 OF 003 Bosnians by consensus decide to find a different structure. MOD: Reform process remains unfinished -------------- ¶6. (C) Defense reform remains one of the biggest success stories in Bosnia since Dayton, proving that Dayton can be updated and improved, Defense Minister Cikotic told England. It has contributed to institution and state building and enabled Bosnia to make "irreversible progress towards NATO." Thanks to strong U.S. engagement, Bosnia has created a single operational and effective defense structure. However, the Minister reported that much remains incomplete. Cikotic agreed with England that many necessary reforms must happen outside defense institutions, and said that other parts of government "are not moving forward at the same pace." He specifically complained about the Presidency, which has failed to adopt the Defense Policy Document (essentially the MOD's mandate),failed to approve the staffing for Bosnia's mission to NATO and failed to find consensus on implementing the moveable property agreement. MOD: Property issues remain a problem -------------- ¶7. (C) The Minister restated that the inability to deal with outstanding property issues impedes efforts to train and equip the armed forces to bring them up to NATO standards. Ten percent of the armed forces are standing guard over property that the Ministry has determined to have no prospective use. Unstable ammunition and dispersed storage of weapons also present vulnerabilities that the Ministry would like to eliminate. In the case of moveable property, the Presidency has failed to pass relevant parts of the plan for implementation of the agreement because of squabbling among the various sides about who would get the spoils of various disposal schemes. England encouraged the donation of weapons and ammunition to Afghanistan as a way to visibly support NATO, earn political capital within the alliance, and avoid squabbling over the various vested interests with respect to other ways means of disposal. On immoveable property, Cikotic said that the ministry is preparing an interim document that would allow unlimited, rent-free use of defense property by the armed forces until the state board on property reaches a final settlement on all property issues. (Note: this doesn't deal with key issues of how to dispose of unwanted property, or acquire new property.) Cikotic request extension of Gen. Wightman -------------- ¶8. (C/NF) Cikotic asked that General Wightman's tenure as Commander of NATO HQ Sarajevo be extended a further six months, stating that now was a delicate time both politically and for defense reform. The general's replacement by a European will be seen as a drawdown of American presence in Bosnia. A European General, according to Cikotic, would not have the clout and would not be viewed the same way as an American. He hoped that Wightman could remain long enough for Bosnia to complete the next important steps in the defense reform process. MOD on Bosnia in Iraq and Afghanistan -------------- ¶9. (C) England thanked the Bosnian military for its contributions to peacekeeping operations worldwide, including eight EOD rotations in Iraq as well as a new infantry unit there. The Minister said that preparations to participate in ISAF are well underway, by which he was referring to the intention to deploy 8-10 officers to ISAF headquarters as a prelude to a possible troop deployment in the future. England stressed that a Bosnian contribution to ISAF would be of great assistance to NATO, to Afghanistan, as well as to Bosnia's own reform and NATO aspirations. The Minister said preparations for a contribution to ISAF, in the form of 8-10 officers deployed to ISAF headquarters, were underway. The Minister was open to the suggestions of a troop deployment to ISAF in the future, underscoring the importance of foreign deployments as confidence building measures as well as Bosnia's contribution to collective security. Cikotic praises Adriatic charter invitation -------------- ¶10. (C) On a positive note, Cikotic publicly and privately praised the recent decision by members of the Adriatic SARAJEVO 00001573 003 OF 003 Charter to extend an invitation to Bosnia, saying it was evidence of the U.S.'s continued presence in the region, as well as a welcome regional initiative that may bring Bosnia on a quicker road to NATO. Press Coverage -------------- ¶11. (U) All papers and electronic media outlets devoted extensive and positive media coverage to the visit, hailing it as a signal of continued strong U.S. support for Bosnia on the road to EU and NATO membership. RS media emphasized England's message of U.S. and Bosnia as partners in the war on terrorism. Bosniak daily Dnevni Avaz carried only part of England's message, "no secession and no third entity." Oslobodjenje included the third element, "no unilateral abolition of entities" as well. ¶12. (U) Deputy Secretary England has cleared this cable. ENGLISH