NATO ALLIES TELL BOSNIAN FM THAT REFORMS ARE

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000530 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2019 TAGS: PREL NATO BK TU IT NO SUBJECT: NATO ALLIES TELL BOSNIAN FM THAT REFORMS ARE ESSENTIAL Classified By: POLAD Kelly Degnan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Bosnia-Herzegovina's Foreign Minister failed in a November 17 informal meeting with NATO PermReps to push Allies towards consensus that Ministers should grant Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) the Membership Action Plan (MAP) in December. Most PermReps rejected the FM's assertion that progress in the Butmir process should have no bearing on NATO,s decision. End summary. ¶2. (C) Turkey called a hastily arranged informal meeting on November 17 to allow BiH Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj to brief NATO PermReps. The Turkish Mission to NATO was hoping to influence ongoing informal discussions on granting MAP to BiH at NATO,s December 3-4 Foreign Ministerial. Given the short notice, only about half of the Allies were represented by their Ambassador. DCM Heffern represented the United States. ¶3. (C) FM Alkalaj gave a five-point presentation, updating PermReps on his government's perceptions of progress on EU visa liberalization, the Butmir process, OHR transition, EU operations, and MAP. In addition to routine information on national unity in pursuing NATO membership, Alkalaj indicated his belief that there should be "no linkage" between the Butmir process and NATO's decision whether or not to grant MAP. He stressed that a positive decision from NATO Foreign Ministers would provide additional "glue" to consolidate the different ethnic groups of BiH society and create stability. ¶4. (C) The majority of Allies' responses, led by Norway and Italy, indicated a different perspective. Both PermReps portrayed themselves as members of a group which, while favoring granting MAP in December, thought it was important that BiH show progress that would assist NATO in reaching consensus on granting MAP. ¶5. (C) No participant in this meeting indicated any possible linkage between the separate NATO decisions to be taken on MAP for Montenegro and for BiH. ¶6. (C) Allies lined up as follows: -- Grant MAP in December regardless of other factors: Albania, Slovenia, Croatia, Turkey. -- Progress in reforms/Butmir would assist NATO with its decision: Norway, Italy, Romania, United Kingdom, Germany, U.S., France, Luxembourg, Denmark. -- Not sharing a final opinion: Spain. ¶7. (C) Comment: FM Alkalaj thanked the Allies for their comments but it is clear that the meeting took a different direction than the Turkish organizers had desired. A senior member of the BiH Mission to NATO (strictly protect) privately indicated after the meeting his disappointment and concern that this event had negatively impacted BiH's prospects for MAP in December. End comment. DAALDER