CROATIAN CONCERNS OVER NATO RATIFICATION PROCESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000015

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL NATO HR
SUBJECT: CROATIAN CONCERNS OVER NATO RATIFICATION PROCESS

Classified By: Ambassador Robert A. Bradtke, for reasons 1.4(b) & (d).


1. (C) In a January 9 meeting with the Ambassador, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs State Secretary Matkovic raised Croatian
concerns over the pace of progress towards ratifying Croatian
and Albanian accession to NATO. Noting that she had been
instructed by Prime Minister Sanader to meet with the
Ambassador, Matkovic said that the Croatians had been told
that NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer wanted the
process completed by the end of February. This, according to
the SYG's staff, would allow for Croatian and Albanian
participation as full members in preparations for the April
3-4 NATO Summit, but it also meant that the practical
deadline to complete the ratification process was less than
two months away.


2. (C) While being assured by the SYG's staff that everything
was "under control," Croatia was concerned about Greece and,
to a lesser extent, Slovenia. In the case of Slovenia,
Matkovic said, the Croatians accepted Slovene Prime Minister
Pahor's public statements that Slovenia would proceed with
ratification in time for the Summit. Nevertheless, given
Croatian experience with Slovenia in its EU accession talks,
Croatia would be watching closely developments in Slovenia.


3. (C) Regarding Greece, Matkovic suggested, without further
explanation, that Greece might seek some last-minute
concession from Croatia on its use of the word "Macedonian,"
in Croatia's Constitutional law on National Minorities. The
Prime Minister was sufficiently concerned that he intended to
call Greek Prime Minister Karamanlis next week to urge rapid
and unconditional ratification by Greece. On behalf of the
Prime Minister, Matkovic asked for U.S. assistance in helping
to ensure Greek ratification as soon as possible.


4. (C) Matkovic also raised the issue of whether the U.S.
intended to host an event in Washington to mark the
completion of the process of deposit of all the instruments
of ratification. The Prime Minister, she said, recalled that
the United States hosted such an event in 2005, and he hoped
that the U.S. would do so again. In response, the Ambassador
noted that a decision on any Washington ceremony would have
to await the new Administration.


5. (C) Comment and Action Requested. Given the problems
they have encountered in the EU accession process, and a
spate of other bad news about the economy and gas supplies,
it is understandable that the Croatians are anxious that the
NATO ratification process go smoothly and be completed by the
April Summit. We defer to USNATO, Embassy Athens, and
Washington on the merits and tactics of approaching the
Greeks, but from our perspective, we would like to be
responsive to the Prime Minister's request for help.
BRADTKE