Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ZAGREB121
2009-03-04 11:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:
CROATIA WOULD VIEW COMPLETING THE ACCESSION
how-toVZCZCXYZ0002 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHVB #0121 0631110 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 041110Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9053 INFO RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 3485 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000121
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/CE, EUR/RPM, L/T
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL NATO HR
SUBJECT: CROATIA WOULD VIEW COMPLETING THE ACCESSION
PROCESS BY THE END OF NATO SUMMIT AS A FAILURE
REF: LJUBLJANA 00057
Classified By: PolOfficer Peter D'Amico, for reasons 1.4(b) & (d).
(C) We appreciate the problems Slovenia faces in completing
the ratification of Croatia's accession to NATO prior to the
NATO Summit (reftel). However, a scenario as suggested in
para 5 of reftel, with completion of the ratification process
only at the end of the summit, would definitely not/not be
seen a "victory" here. The Croatian Government has set its
hopes on participating in this Summit as full member of the
Alliance, and if it is not, the government and Croatian
public would see the Alliance as failing to deliver on the
commitment made at the Bucharest Summit. It will be
politically difficult for President Mesic and Prime Minister
Sanader to arrive in Strasbourg still not knowing whether
Slovenia has taken the final step to approve Croatian
membership. In order to do what it can to speed up the
process, the GoC is currently taking action to make sure that
it is ready to deposit its instrument of ratification as soon
as the Secretary General issues the invitation for Croatia to
accede to NATO, as we will be reporting (septel).
BRADTKE