Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ZAGREB464
2008-06-20 15:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:  

FM JANDROKOVIC'S EXPECTATIONS FOR JULY 1 MEETING

Tags:  PREL CVIS MARR EFIN HR 
pdf how-to read a cable
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OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVB #0464 1721503
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 201503Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8417
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
UNCLAS ZAGREB 000464 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD
OSD FOR POPOVICH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL CVIS MARR EFIN HR
SUBJECT: FM JANDROKOVIC'S EXPECTATIONS FOR JULY 1 MEETING
WITH THE SECRETARY

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000464

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD
OSD FOR POPOVICH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL CVIS MARR EFIN HR
SUBJECT: FM JANDROKOVIC'S EXPECTATIONS FOR JULY 1 MEETING
WITH THE SECRETARY


1. (SBU) In a meeting with the Ambassador on June 20, Foreign
Minister Gordan Jandrokovic said he was looking forward to
his first to Washington as Foreign Minister as an opportunity
to discuss both bilateral and regional issues. Jandrokovic
discussed efforts to strengthen the bilateral economic
relationship, such as the Southeast European Trade and
Investment Conference in Vienna this fall, a planned trade
delegation focused on Croatian food processing firms to the
US later in the year, and the possibility of initiating
negotiations on a double taxation treaty. He also noted
continued progress in building military ties, stating that
the Cabinet session later on June 20 was scheduled to approve
the decision to forward the supplemental bilateral SOFA to
the Croatian Parliament for final ratification, and noting
how much he looked forward to being in Brussels on July 9 for
the signature of Croatia's NATO Accession Protocol. Finally,
he stressed continued Croatian interest in eligibility for
the Visa Waiver Program, saying that the June 20 Cabinet
session would also discuss ways to move forward on issuance
of new passports with a chip holding biometric data, a key
requirement for VWP.


2. (SBU) Jandrokovic added that he would be happy to discuss
the situation in the region, commenting that Serbia, B-H and
Macedonia still needed attention, while developments seemed
very positive in Albania and Montenegro. He underlined
Croatian support for Montenegro in particular, saying that
"Montenegro deserves our help" and that the GoC felt
Podgorica genuinely wanted to reach NATO and EU standards
quickly. On Kosovo, he noted that establishing full
diplomatic relations was the next step in developing
Croatia's ties with the country, and said Croatia was
committed to the step, but gave no timeline. He observed
that the Kosovars had been curiously inactive in trying to
build either political or economic ties with Croatia, with
Croatian entrepreneurs being far more engaged in trying to do
business than their Kosovar counterparts.
Bradtke