DS LEW IN ZAGREB: NATO PARTNERSHIP, EU ACCESSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000121 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2020 TAGS: PREL PVOV HR SUBJECT: DS LEW IN ZAGREB: NATO PARTNERSHIP, EU ACCESSION AND CROATIA'S REGIONAL ROLE Classified By: Vivian S. Walker, Deputy Chief of Mission, for reasons 1 .4 (b) & (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Deputy Secretary Jacob Lew traveled to Zagreb February 17-18 as head of the presidential delegation to the inauguration of Croatia's third president, Ivo Josipovic. Croatia's ISAF contributions, EU accession and role in the region emerged as key themes of the visit. In addition to his attendance at the Feb. 18 inauguration event, Deputy Secretary Lew met with President elect Josipovic on the evening of the 17th, and, in the margins of the inauguration, held bilateral meetings with the Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Presidents of Slovenia and Albania. During an official dinner, Deputy Secretary Lew also had the opportunity to discuss Croatia's key foreign and domestic policy challenges with senior GoC officials and advisors. The GoC expressed deep appreciation for Deputy Secretary Lew's visit, which served to reinforce the excellent bilateral relationship between Croatia and the US and to advance key issues on the bilateral agenda. End Summary. ¶2. (C) During a meeting with President Ivo Josipovic on the eve of his inauguration as Croatia,s third president, Deputy Secretary Lew congratulated Josipovic on the deepening of democracy and democratic institutions in Croatia over the last ten years. Josipovic responded by thanking the USG for its continued support and friendship. The Deputy Secretary noted that the USG and the GoC share a number of multilateral priorities, particularly in Afghanistan, adding that the USG hopes that Croatia will be able to join with the US in increasing its contribution to ISAF. Having flown in and out of the air base at Mazar-al-Sharif, which is secured by Croatian forces, Deputy Secretary Lew said that he could personally attest to the importance of Croatia's contribution. The Deputy Secretary noted that training of Afghan National security forces is essential in securing Afghanistan's future and particularly thanked Croatia for its role in this area. He also asked both President Josipovic and later FM Jandrokovic to consider providing more trainers for police (ANP) and military (ANA). ¶3. (C) Josipovic said that the two foreign policy priorities for his administration are EU accession and the development of good relations within the region. With respect to EU accession, Josipovic noted that many challenges have been met, such as the forthcoming opening of Chapter 23, but that significant reforms remain, particularly in the realm of public administration. Josipovic said that it is essential for Croatia to build good relationships with its neighbors, adding that there are "unresolved consequences of the war (of the 1990s) that must be addressed now. The current generation has the responsibility to address and resolve these issues." Turning to domestic priorities, Josipovic -- a legal expert -- cited the fight against corruption and judicial reform as two essential and interrelated priorities for his mandate. He commended efforts carried out by the state prosecutor's office to deal with local and regional mafia elements, and said that improved sentencing laws and proposed changes to the constitution will help to assure that extradition procedures will be implemented when appropriate: "citizenship cannot be used to avoid prosecution." ¶4. (C) On the issue of economic reform, Josipovic noted that "not enough" has been done. He cited the high rate of unemployment and the growing number of poor people as particular concerns: "We need to control the social situation," he said, or "disorder and chaos" may follow, which would be "potentially destabilizing" for a small country like Croatia. He agreed with the Deputy Secretary's observation that "this is the time to improve the trade and investment environment," adding that he will work with Prime Minister Jandranka Kosor to deliver on the promise oQeform. Josipovic said he was "very optimistic" about the potential for cooperation between himself and Kosor and said he hoped they could promote a common approach between the HDZ (Kosor,s party) and his former party, the Social Democrats (SDP). "No party affiliation can dominate" in the effort to find a solution to the economic challenge. The Deputy Secretary agreed, saying that getting leaders of opposing parties to work together on difficult issues yields joint ownership and new opportunities. ¶5. (C) The Deputy Secretary had dinner with a range of high level Croatian government officials and advisors, in the areas of foreign policy, defense, economics, culture and education. Discussion focused on the current lack of competitiveness of the Croatian economy and Croatia's future within the European Union. The Croatian guests spoke at length about the challenge of developing normal relations with Serbia, with this challenge amply illustrated as the dinner guests received text message notification that the Serb government had decided not to send a representative to the next morning's inauguration. ¶6. (C) During his meeting with Foreign Minister Jandrokovic, the Deputy Secretary raised the GoC pledge made to Secretary Clinton in December to increase its ISAF contribution, and briefed Jandrokovic on the conversation with Josipovic, especially with regard to OMLTs and POMLTs. Jandrokovic responded that the government was now ready to implement this pledge; following internal government deliberations, the next step would be to seek approval from the new president and then from the parliament. The Foreign Minister was cautiously optimistic that this effort would be successful. He said the army is prepared to increase the number of training missions "very soon." He noted all the assistance Croatia had received from international friends in the 1990s and said he viewed it as a moral obligation to do the same for Afghanistan. NOTE: On February 22,just four days after the visit, the Croatian government reaffirmed, with President Josipovich's support, its intent to increase its troop contribution from 300 to 320. ¶7. (C) The Foreign Minister then outlined the status of Croatia's EU accession and said all negotiating chapters should be opened and more than 20 closed by mid 2010. He noted the positive moves of the British and Dutch on Chapter 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and said the GoC will continue all efforts to locate documents sought by the ICTY. Jandrokovic noted the importance of Croatia's EU accession to others in the region, who say that if Croatia is not successful then there is no hope for themselves. He also said that Croatia wants to help others in the region, but will be in a much stronger position from a resource perspective to do so once it joins the EU. The Deputy Secretary welcomed Croatia's progress with Slovenia, but said improving relations with Serbia is very important going forward. Jandrokovic said the GoC wants to improve relations, but that the Serbs need to come to terms psychologically with their changed circumstances in the region and to adopt a genuine Euro-Atlantic perspective. Jandrokovic and the Deputy Secretary also discussed both countries' efforts to reform the diplomatic corps and redistribute resources to meet current and future, rather than past, priorities. The Foreign Minister also asked the status of an initiative he discussed with the Secretary to post a U.S. diplomat at the Croatian Foreign Ministry. The Deputy Secretary undertook to check on developments. ¶8. (C) In a pre-inauguration bilateral meeting, Albanian President Topi thanked the Deputy Secretary for the USG's assistance and friendship, particularly with Kosovo. They noted that the second anniversary of Kosovo's independence was the prior day. The president briefly touched on relations with Albania's neighbors. He said that there is a great deal of ambiguity in Serbia's foreign policy, with moves to orient the country on an EU path while still contesting the independence of Kosovo. Topi said Kosovo's status is irreversible. He said that Macedonia has many problems but good relations with Albania, and Albania's relations with Croatia and Montenegro are at "the best level ever." Topi briefed the Deputy Secretary on the opposition's boycott of parliament and said he is attempting to facilitate a dialogue between the government and opposition. The Deputy Secretary thanked the president for Albania's assistance resettling Guantanamo detainees and for its important ISAF contribution. He noted that the USG will soon open a consulate in Herat where Albanian forces are deployed and expressed appreciation for the GoA's consideration to increase its ISAF commitment. The Deputy Secretary expressed some concern to Topi regarding recent developments with Albania's intelligence services. Deputy Secretary Lew's meeting with Slovenian President Turk is reported septel. ¶9. (C) Comment: Croatian officials expressed deep appreciation for Deputy Secretary Lew's visit, which they said underscored the critical role the U.S. has played in support of Croatia's NATO membership and EU accession path. (It is noteworthy in this regard that the U.S. was the only bilateral relationship highlighted by Josipovic in his inauguration speech.) Embassy believes the Deputy Secretary's demarches on Croatia's ISAF contribution, relations with Serbia and economic reform will have a positive impact. FOLEY