Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ZAGREB243
2008-03-11 15:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:
CROATIA NOW INTENDS TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO ON OR
how-toVZCZCXRO1717 OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHVB #0243 0711527 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 111527Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8747 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000243
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2018
TAGS: PREL HR KO
SUBJECT: CROATIA NOW INTENDS TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO ON OR
AROUND MARCH 19, IN COORDINATION WITH HUNGARY AND PERHAPS
OTHERS
REF: ZAGREB 171
Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, POL/ECON, Reasons 1.4 B/D
(C) Ambassador spoke with Croatian FM Jandrokovic on March 11
seeking an update on Croatian plans to recognize Kosovo
(reftel). Jandrokovic said that the GoC planned to recognize
Kosovo "next week", and was planning to do so in coordination
with at least Hungary. Jandrokovic said that Croatia hoped
to coordinate its recognition with Bulgaria and Macedonia as
well, but that it appeared unlikely either country would be
able to move forward in time to join Croatia and Hungary. In
a conversation with POLCOUNS the previous evening (March 10),
Neven Pelicaric, Assistant FM with responsibility for SE
Europe, said the GoC's current target date for recognition
was March 19, and he was fairly sure it would be "before
Easter" (i.e., March 23) and that Croatia would very much
like to be in a "group of three or four countries." He added
that he was still hopeful that Bulgaria or Macedonia might
join the group. He said he was trying to persuade his
Macedonian counterpart that it would be better to recognize
Kosovo as a country first, then sign an agreement on the
outstanding border issues, but he was uncertain how Skopje
would proceed.
Bradtke