PM SANADER DISCUSSES CROATIA'S NATO ACCESSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USNATO 000022 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2018 TAGS: PREL MARR NATO PREF PINR HR SUBJECT: PM SANADER DISCUSSES CROATIA'S NATO ACCESSION PROSPECTS WITH PERMREPS JANUARY 16 REF: A. STATE 4239 ¶B. NATO 11 ¶C. ZAGREB 24 ¶D. PO(2008)0003(CRO) E-MAILED TO EUR/RPM EUR/SCE EMBASSY ZAGREB Classified By: Charge Richard G. Olson for reasons 1.4 (b),(d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Prime Minister Sanader discussed with NATO PermReps on January 16 Croatia's progress in meeting NATO,s performance-based standards. He stressed that all parties in the governing coalition supported joining the Alliance, and that the new government would expand its contribution to ISAF, work closely with the U.S. and EU as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, and continue to cooperate closely with its neighbors to maintain stability in the Balkans. Allies welcomed those points, while stressing the need to address unfinished business -- broadening public support for NATO accession, completing judicial reforms, implementing legislation to benefit individuals in minority groups, finalizing refugee returns, and meeting defense spending targets. Addressing those points in turn, Sanader expressed confidence that public support for NATO would rise further as the government spread the message that the Alliance "is not just about security, but about values, democracy, and human rights." End Summary. CROATIA'S NEW TEAM -------------- ¶2. (C) Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, accompanied by his new Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic and Defense Minister Branko Vukelic, discussed Croatia's performance under the sixth Membership Action Plan (MAP) cycle with the North Atlantic Council (NAC) on January 16. Sanader pointed out that meeting the NAC was the new team's first diplomatic action, reflecting the consensus among coalition parties on seeking accession to NATO. A REGIONAL MODEL -------------- ¶3. (C) Sanader cited Croatia's contributions to NATO-led operations and other peace support activities, its accession to a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, support for regional stability, and the successful conclusion of the OSCE mission in Zagreb as demonstrating the nation's contributions to building stability and its readiness to join the Alliance. He pointed to good economic figures and reaffirmed the government's commitment to allocate 2 percent of GDP to defense by 2010. Addressing other challenges cited in NATO's MAP Progress Report (REF D),Sanader described progress in building public support for NATO membership and prosecuting war crimes. He noted that all eight minority group Members of Parliament were in the governing coaltion, and said refugee returns were going well. The PM promised to continue these reforms beyond NATO's April Summit in Bucharest, taking special care to emphasize that Croatia would not stop its reform efforts if it were to receive an invitation to join the Alliance at Bucharest. In a show of regional solidarity, Sanader expressed his conviction that fellow NATO Aspirants Albania and Macedonia would do the same. REMAINING CHALLENGES -------------- ¶4. (C) Ambassador Nuland drew on guidance (REF A) to congratulate Sanader on his re-election and welcome Croatia's contributions to NATO-led operations. She noted its strong performance on MAP objectives, including housing for returning refugees and the battle against corruption. At the same time, she stressed that broadening public support for NATO accession (still around 50 percent) was an important remaining challenge. She also cited the need for continued progress on refugee returns, judicial reforms, and meeting spending and deployability targets. She urged Sanader to "sprint to the finish," a theme that the SYG picked up in his closing remarks and even used in the follow-on press conference. NO "NO" VOTES -------------- ¶5. (C) The 21 other Allied representatives who spoke were united in their appreciation for Croatia's contributions to peace support operations, as well as in their congratulations to Sanader on the formation of his government. Hungary, Italy, Norway, France, Estonia, and Spain were particularly supportive of Croatia,s membership aspiration, clearly USNATO 00000022 002 OF 002 signaling their intention to support an invitation at Bucharest. While also very supportive, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Bulgaria cited areas from the MAP report calling for further progress -- meeting defense spending targets, implementing judicial reform and minorities legislation, fighting corruption, and building public support for NATO. ¶6. (C) The UK, Netherlands, Germany, and Turkey put a more critical focus on those issues and other unfinished business, while Slovenia also criticized its establishment of a protected ecology and fishing zone in the Adriatic. (Italy made clear in previous discussions that it shares this complaint, but did not raise it in the NAC.) Greece and Norway stressed that each Aspirant would be judged on its own merits, while Spain called for a "regional approach" to NATO enlargement. No Ally raised any intelligence-related issues, and none suggested that Croatia would be denied an invitation at Bucharest. SANADER RESPONDS: MANAGING REGIONAL, OTHER CHALLENGES -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) In response to a number of Allied questions about regional stability, Sanader said that Croatia's relations with its neighbors were focused on that goal. While asserting that the status quo in Kosovo was not sustainable, he voiced his own "deep conviction that the unity of the EU and NATO is more important" than the specifics of Kosovo's final status arrangements. Sanader cautioned Allies against allowing any unrest in Kosovo to spill over to Bosnia and Herzegovina. In response to questions about relations with Serbia, he noted that he had appointed a Croatian Serb as Deputy PM, the first time any Serb had been represented in the GOC since 1991, and said he had excellent personal relations with both President Tadic and PM Kostunica. He expressed hope that Tadic would be re-elected against a strong challenge from the Radical Party. ¶8. (C) On Croatia's plans for participating in the UN Security Council, he pledged to work closely with the U.S. and EU. Finally, on broadening public support for NATO, he pointed out that it had risen from a low of 30 percent to its current 50 percent, and claimed to be "confident and satisfied" that it would rise further as the government spread the message that the Alliance "is not just about security, but about values, democracy, and human rights." BIO NOTE - NEW FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER -------------- ¶9. (U) The Croatian Mission told us that Sanader has selected Davor Ivo Stier, their DCM since July 2006, as his new foreign policy adviser. Stier is a career diplomat who joined the Croatian Foreign Service in 1996, serving in the Protocol Directorate (1996-1997),the North America Department (1997-1998),Washington (1998-2002),and the International Security Department (2002-2003). Before joining the MFA, Stier was a radio correspondent in Buenos Aires, where he was born on January 6, 1972. He is married with three children. OLSON