AMBASSADOR MEETS SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT LUKA BEBIC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000065 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV HR POLITICAL PARTIES SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT LUKA BEBIC ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: New Sabor President Luka Bebic strongly endorses all of PM Sanader's priorities, including close cooperation with the US, a strong desire to join NATO, and an eagerness to play a constructive role in the region. He said the Sabor should shortly take up several pieces of legislation of interest to the U.S. He cited continued cooperation between the ruling HDZ and minority politicians, particularly the largest Croatian Serb party, as signs of Croatia's continuing political development and maturity. END SUMMARY. NATO, GOOD US RELATIONS, AND REGIONAL COOPERATION -------------- ¶2. (U) In his first official meeting with Ambassador Bradtke on January 28, Sabor President Luka Bebic highlighted the importance of good relations with the U.S., predicting even closer cooperation between the two countries in the next few months leading up to the NATO Summit. Bebic said NATO was Croatia's top priority and the state leadership would do all it could to raise popular support for the country's membership in it. Bebic thanked President Bush and the U.S. for their clear support. ¶3. (U) Speaking of President Bush, Bebic said the Croatian government and people would warmly welcome a visit by the U.S. President as the "crowning achievement for our policies and an incentive for our continued efforts." The government would do all it could to make that visit happen. Bebic noted the Croatian people had always been inspired by the U.S. in its quest for freedom, adding that big problems in this part of the world could never have been resolved without U.S. involvement. ¶4. (U) Bebic urged continued U.S. engagement in Southeastern Europe, citing Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina as potential sources of instability. Croatia would also continue to devote significant energy to building regional cooperation, not only with Macedonia and Albania as Croatia's partners under the Adriatic Charter, but also with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia. Bebic stressed parliamentary cooperation programs with both Albania and Macedonia and said he hoped both would also be invited to join NATO in Bucharest, and that other countries in the region would become part of the Adriatic Charter. SUPPORT FOR U.S. LEGISLATIVE INTERESTS -------------- ¶5. (U) The Ambassador raised a number of specific pieces of legislation that are of interest to the U.S. Bebic had encouraging replies on all of them. He was familiar with our concerns about how Croatia's current property restitution law disadvantages some claims by foreign nationals on property seized during WWII and the Communist era, and said that legislation would be drafted soon to allow foreign citizens to make property claims. He confirmed that the GOC plans to pass a Law on Foundations to liberalize the establishment and work of charitable foundations. He acknowledged that the new Law on Foreigners, an attempt to address EU expectations of Croatia on fighting illegal migration, had also created difficulties for foreign businesspeople in getting residence permits for their families. That had not been the Sabor's intent, Bebic emphasized, and could harm Croatia as it sought more foreign investment. He expects the government to propose changes to the law. ¶6. (U) Asked about the prospects of revising the Criminal Proceedings Law to ensure more efficient prosecution of such crimes as corruption and money laundering, Bebic replied that fighting corruption and improving judicial and administrative efficiency was among Croatia's highest priorities "not because the EU or the U.S. would want us to, but because it's in our own interest." ¶7. (U) Expanding on the notion of "doing things for our own sake," Bebic said the government had reached out to the Serb community, including by appointing a Deputy Prime Minister from their ranks, "a thing that would have been unthinkable eight years ago." In addition, the government has signed separate coalition agreements with all other ethnic minority representatives, seeking to resolve their specific issues. These steps are all concrete proof, Bebic said, that Croatia wants to be a modern state that has put the war behind it. COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (SBU) COMMENT: Bebic, while still very new to his role as speaker of the Sabor, has long parliamentary experience, and took care to be well-briefed prior to his appointment with the Ambassador. In all of his points, from stressing Croatia's readiness to work closely with its neighbors, to his heartfelt plea for a visit by President Bush, Bebic was faithfully echoing Prime Minister Sanader's policies. He is every bit as much of an HDZ party stalwart as his predecessor, Vladimir Seks, but Bebic presents a much better and friendlier face for the Sabor toward the outside ZAGREB 00000065 002 OF 002 world. Bebic and Seks remain close friends and colleagues, but we believe our cooperation with the Sabor could be noticeably more productive with Bebic in charge. END COMMENT. BRADTKE