Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ZAGREB245
2009-05-06 13:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:
CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER EXPRESS CONCERNS OVER
how-toVZCZCXRO7687 PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHVB #0245 1261318 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 061318Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9191 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA PRIORITY 6449 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000245
SIPDIS
PASS TO EUR DAS JONES & DAS GARBER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2019
TAGS: PREL HR SI EUC
SUBJECT: CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER EXPRESS CONCERNS OVER
POSSIBLE SLOVENE CHANGES TO REHN PROPOSAL ON BORDER DISPUTE
REF: ZAGREB 244
Classified By: ROBERT A. BRADTKE, AMBASSADOR FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d
)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000245
SIPDIS
PASS TO EUR DAS JONES & DAS GARBER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2019
TAGS: PREL HR SI EUC
SUBJECT: CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER EXPRESS CONCERNS OVER
POSSIBLE SLOVENE CHANGES TO REHN PROPOSAL ON BORDER DISPUTE
REF: ZAGREB 244
Classified By: ROBERT A. BRADTKE, AMBASSADOR FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d
)
1. (C) Foreign Minister Jandrokovic called me the afternoon
of May 6 to confirm that Croatia had accepted the Rehn
proposal on arbitration to resolve the Croatia-Slovenia
border dispute (REFTEL). Jandrokovic stressed that Rehn had
told both him and Slovene Foreign Minister Zbogar in
presenting the proposal to them that it was "take it or leave
it" and not open to negotiation. For that reason, Croatia
had accepted it without change, even if there were parts of
the proposal that Croatia would have wanted to change. If
the Slovenes came back with changes, Jandrokovic said, then
Croatia would have to reconsider its acceptance and would
propose changes of its own. Jandrokovic expressed strong
concern that reopening the proposal could make it impossible
to bring the process to a conclusion.
2. (C) Comment. While I recognize the difficulties that an
unconditional acceptance of the Rehn proposal may pose in
Ljubljana, it is also clear to me that Slovene changes would
feed Croatian insecurities about the Rehn process and lead to
proposed changes on the Croatia side. The result would be not
just a lost opportunity and a return to square one, but a
slipping even further back into negative territory.
BRADTKE
SIPDIS
PASS TO EUR DAS JONES & DAS GARBER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2019
TAGS: PREL HR SI EUC
SUBJECT: CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER EXPRESS CONCERNS OVER
POSSIBLE SLOVENE CHANGES TO REHN PROPOSAL ON BORDER DISPUTE
REF: ZAGREB 244
Classified By: ROBERT A. BRADTKE, AMBASSADOR FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d
)
1. (C) Foreign Minister Jandrokovic called me the afternoon
of May 6 to confirm that Croatia had accepted the Rehn
proposal on arbitration to resolve the Croatia-Slovenia
border dispute (REFTEL). Jandrokovic stressed that Rehn had
told both him and Slovene Foreign Minister Zbogar in
presenting the proposal to them that it was "take it or leave
it" and not open to negotiation. For that reason, Croatia
had accepted it without change, even if there were parts of
the proposal that Croatia would have wanted to change. If
the Slovenes came back with changes, Jandrokovic said, then
Croatia would have to reconsider its acceptance and would
propose changes of its own. Jandrokovic expressed strong
concern that reopening the proposal could make it impossible
to bring the process to a conclusion.
2. (C) Comment. While I recognize the difficulties that an
unconditional acceptance of the Rehn proposal may pose in
Ljubljana, it is also clear to me that Slovene changes would
feed Croatian insecurities about the Rehn process and lead to
proposed changes on the Croatia side. The result would be not
just a lost opportunity and a return to square one, but a
slipping even further back into negative territory.
BRADTKE