CROATIA SENSITIZED TO NATO INTEROPERABILITY

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000366 SENSITIVE SIPDIS EUR, EUR/RPM, EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MOPS PARM PREL NATO HR SUBJECT: CROATIA SENSITIZED TO NATO INTEROPERABILITY CONCERNS IN OSLO PROCESS REF: SECSTATE 48124 ¶1. (U) This cable is Sensitive But Unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) Post delivered reftel points on May 8 to MFA head of Arms Control and Disarmament Section Mirko Capjak, who will be part of Croatian delegation at Dublin negotiating session this month. Capjak was previously unaware of these concerns and agreed with the principle of avoiding unnecessary obstacles to interoperability. He committed to informing key MFA policy-makers and said he expected Croatia's position would be guided by advice from NATO allies in Dublin. ¶3. (SBU) Capjak reported that the Croatian delegation will also include Dijana Plestina, the Foreign Minister's Special Advisor for Mine Action and an ardent supporter of the Ottawa Convention (Croatia hosted the 2005 Conference of Ottawa Convention Signatory States at her urging). Her traditional focus on humanitarian mine action and victim assistance may make her less attuned to NATO interoperability concerns regarding a cluster munition ban. Bradtke