TFGG01: DEMARCHE TO CROATIA ON GEORGIA UNSC

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000595 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP - JOHN MARIZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2018 TAGS: UNSC GE PREL PBTS HR SUBJECT: TFGG01: DEMARCHE TO CROATIA ON GEORGIA UNSC RESOLUTION REF: STATE 86130 Classified By: PolOfficer PETER D'AMICO, Reasons 1.4 (B/D) ¶1. (C) Acting Political Counselor delivered reftel demarche to Ambassador Vladimir Matek, the Foreign Minister's advisor for UNSC, on the morning of August 12. Matek noted that he had received the French draft resolution and confirmed that the text was in line with the Croatian position. Matek did not have any information regarding the views of other members of the Council and said that he was waiting for the Croatian Mission in New York to open to receive further details. If he received any additional relevant information from New York he promised to contact post. Regarding the request that the GOC work to solicit support from other Council members, he said that the government had not yet discussed this point but he did not rule out the possibility of lobbying other members on the resolution. Matek also reported the Croatian Mission in New York had been speaking directly with Prime Minister Sanader's office and President Mesic's office and that the MFA was now trying to sort through the communication that had taken place. (Note: The press ran a number of stories today discussing the poor communication between the government and the President's office on this issue. End Note.) ¶2. (C) Matek also noted that Croatia had two military officers participating in the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) in Gali and in Sukhumi, who according to their last report did not feel threatened by the current situation. On August 11 Croatia released a press statement saying that it had successfully evacuated four Croatian citizens from Georgia. Late in the evening on August 10 Croatia also released a press statement calling for an end to the conflict and for all participants to seek a negotiated solution. ¶3. (C) Comment: If post receives additional information from the GOC about the position of other members of the Council or about Croatian lobbying for other members of the Council to support the resolution it will send a follow up cable. Bradtke