Zagreb Daily Report - December 09, 2009

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000717 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL HR ECON SUBJECT: Zagreb Daily Report - December 09, 2009 ¶1. (SBU) Slovenia Still Blocking Three Chapters: Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar said in Brussels after the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) meeting on Tuesday that Ljubljana would not be able to lift its blockade of three more negotiating chapters at the accession conference scheduled for 21 December. Zbogar stated that there was not sufficient time for Slovenia's relevant parliamentary committee to approve the opening of the chapters on Fisheries, Environment, and Foreign, Security and Defense Policy. Zbogar also made vague references to "content-related" problems with these chapters, but pledged that Slovene "ministries are seeking solutions to those issues" and that he expected Ljubljana to act soon to approve them, so they would be ready for opening at the first accession conference held in 2010. The Croatian government has not responded publicly to Zbogar's comments. Privately, officials have told us they are surprised that Slovenia has not been willing to let these chapters open. ¶2. (U) Croatia Finances Construction of Health Center in Afghanistan: The Croatian Foreign Ministry reported on December 8 that a Croatian official with the German-led PRT in Feyzabad province participated in the opening ceremony of a health center in the village of Layoba. The center was donated to the Afghan Ministry of Public Health and its construction was entirely financed by the GoC. The project cost $270,000 and was carried out in cooperation with IOM. ¶3. (U) President Mesic Welcomes New Serbian Ambassador; Croatian Press Reports on Statement of FM Jeremic: On December 7, President Mesic received the credentials of the new Serbian Ambassador to Croatia. In his remarks, Mesic expressed regret that bilateral relations have "subsided" recently, since the stability of the region depends on the relationship between Serbia and Croatia. Mesic affirmed Croatian support for Serbia's path to the EU. In a clear reference to Bosnia, he added that regional stability also depends on both countries' relationships with their other neighbors. Local media also reported Serbian FM Jeremic's comments on December 8 that, "Everything Mesic has said in the last few months simply cannot contribute to our efforts to improve our relations." Commenting on Croatia's presentation to the ICJ, also on December 7, in support of Kosovo's independence, Jeremic said, "We want the best possible relations with Croatia, but within the international framework Croatia is continuing to act contrary to the fundamental interests of Serbia." ¶4. (U) Public Distrustful of Politicians: In celebration of International Anti-Corruption Day, Transparency International Croatia provided an overview of current corruption issues in Croatia and measures proposed to address them. In their opening remarks, both President Mesic and Justice Minister Simunovic underscored the Croatian government's commitment to the fight against corruption on every level. The event also showcased the results of a recent poll which surveyed the Croatian public's attitude toward campaign financing and corruption in the current presidential campaign. If the results are to be believed, the Croatian electorate has little faith in their political leaders' integrity: 71.6% percent of the respondents believed that presidential campaigns are conducted illegally and 93.1% say that the government should regulate the amount of money spent during presidential campaigns. FOLEY