ZAGREB DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT: JANUARY 19, 2010

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000044 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON ENRG HR SUBJECT: ZAGREB DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT: JANUARY 19, 2010 ¶1. (U) HUNGARIAN PM HIGHLIGHTS RELATIONS ON ENERGY DURING VISIT TO CROATIA: Hungarian PM Bajnai visited Croatia on January 18, the first prime minister to visit Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor since she took office. The main topic of their meeting was energy, and both expressed hope that the recently begun Hungary-Croatian gas pipeline would be completed by the end of 2010. Bajnai is also reportedly concerned that Croatia take the steps necessary, including proceeding with construction of the LNG terminal, that would ensure the long-term diversification of energy supplies for the region. ¶2. (SBU) CROATIANS HOST MEETING TO PREPARE FOR MINISTERIAL MEETING ON REFUGEE ISSUES: The Croatian MFA on January 15 hosted "expert level" talks with Serbia, BiH, and Montenegro to discuss plans for an eventual Ministerial-level conference in Belgrade sometime later this year on remaining refugee issues between the states. At the end of their sessions, they debriefed representatives from the UNHCR, OSCE, and EU. According to UNHCR sources, the Zagreb meetings had a better atmosphere than the December session in Belgrade, and all sides continue to support holding a Ministerial when an agenda can be agreed. A follow on meeting is to be held in Sarajevo in February, with the specific date to be determined. It is not clear, however, that the sides made much progress on establishing the substance for a Ministerial agenda. The one point all sides did agree on was to begin a process before the Ministerial to review the statistics on how many refugees in which situations still remain, since the sides have varying figures. UNHCR is preparing a paper with thoughts on how to define criteria of who qualifies to still be considered a refugee. ¶3. (U) AMB FOLEY EXPLAINS U.S. POLICY FOR AFGHANISTAN ON CROATIAN NATIONAL TELEVISION: Ambassador James Foley discussed U.S. foreign policy goals in Afghanistan on Croatian National Television (HRT) weekly foreign affairs magazine on January 17. The entire program was dedicated to Afghanistan and included an interview from Kabul with an Afghan government spokesperson. Ambassador Foley emphasized core elements of the U.S. strategy to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda in Afghanistan and the border areas of Pakistan, including military efforts to create the conditions for a transition to an Afghan led civilian and military operation, increases in civilian personnel that will help build Afghan capacity in key areas, and our desire to have a broad and long term partnership with Pakistan's civilian government. He also praised Croatia's contributions to ISAF, and their focus on building the capacity of Afghanistan's security forces. The program received positive coverage in other Croatian press as well. FOLEY