CROATIA ON CONTRIBUTIONS FOR SUSTAINING AFGHAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000694 SIPDIS FOR SCA/A TOM REOTT AND EUR/RPM RAPHAEL CARLAND E.O. 12958: DECL: 10-01-2018 TAGS: PREL NATEU MOPS MARR EAID AF HR SUBJECT: CROATIA ON CONTRIBUTIONS FOR SUSTAINING AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY REF: STATE 97991 Classified By: Peter D'Amico, Political Officer, for Reasons 1.4 B/D. ¶1. (C) Pol officer discussed reftel points in a meeting at the Croatian Foreign Ministry with Marina Rozic, Head of the NATO Department and Marta Nakic-Vojnovic, Head for Peace Support Operations. Nakic noted that earlier this year the Croatian Parliament (Sabor) had authorized an increase in Croatia's ISAF contribution from 200 to a maximum of 300 soldiers for 2008 and 2009 and that Croatia currently had 277 Croatian soldiers in Afghanistan. Nakic said that the Croatian Armed Forces, in combination with the Minnesota National Guard, were planning on sending a second Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) to Afghanistan in 2009. In a separate meeting with the DATT, officials from the Ministry of Defense said they are planning on sending a third OMLT to Afghanistan in 2009. ¶2. (C) Regarding monetary contributions, Nakic reported that for the first time this year the MFA had a development assistance budget of approximately 270,000 dollars for Afghanistan (but not necessarily for the ANA) and was in contact with USAID in Afghanistan regarding working together on a project. Bradtke