COVERAGE OF EASTERN SLAVONIA BASIC AGREEMENT

UNCLAS ZAGREB 004591 SIPDIS USIA FOR EEN (DOCAL) AND R (MCINTOSH) DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE AND PA USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM HR SR SUBJECT: COVERAGE OF EASTERN SLAVONIA BASIC AGREEMENT IN CROATIAN MEDIA -- REFLECTING THE AMERICAN VIEW ¶1. BECAUSE OF SOME SKEPTICISM WITHIN THE CROATIAN MEDIA AND PUBLIC OVER THE BASIC AGREEMENT ON EASTERN SLAVONIA, UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ZAGREB 04591 161634Z WE INVITED FOUR COLUMNISTS FROM CROATIA'S MAIN NEWSPAPERS FOR A SESSION WITH AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH IN THE HOPES OF GETTING OUR VIEWS OUT. THE FIRST FRUITS OF THIS DISCUSSION APPEARED TODAY (NOVEMBER 16) IN ONE OF THOSE PAPERS, VECERNJI LIST, UNDER THE HEADLINE "SKELETON WITHOUT THE FLESH: AMERICA'S VIEW OF THE AGREEMENT ON EASTERN SLAVONIA." ¶2. FOLLOWING ARE SIGNIFICANT EXCERPTS FROM THAT COLUMN, BY FOREIGN AFFAIRS WRITER MARINA SERIC: (BEGIN TEXT) THE BASICS OF THE AGREEMENT ON EASTERN SLAVONIA CAN BE UNDERSTOOD TO BE A SKELETON TO WHICH THE "FLESH" STILL NEEDS TO BE ATTACHED. IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYTHING TO GO SMOOTHLY, FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY (LIVING) THERE TO STAY AND FOR THOSE WHO WERE EXPELLED TO RETURN, AND FOR (EASTERN SLAVONIA) TO BE A MULTI-ETHNIC COMMUNITY AGAIN. THE TRANSITIONAL AUTHORITY WILL BE A NEUTRAL FORCE THAT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ATTACHING THE FLESH TO THE SKELETON AND FOR EVERYTHING GOING SMOOTHLY. THIS COULD SUMMARIZE THE THOUGHTS ON THE BASIC AGREEMENT ABOUT EASTERN SLAVONIA FROM THE MOUTH OF THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR PETER GALBRAITH. . . . "THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE THE WAR BEGAN. THEREFORE, IT IS LOGICAL THAT ITS END BEGIN THERE. THAT REGION NEEDS TO REMAIN A MULTI-ETHNIC COMMUNITY. THIS AGREEMENT IS A BASIS FOR THE INITIATIVES OF BOTH SIDES, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR ITS REALIZATION. THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD EXISTS BECAUSE IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE PRESENT LOCAL POPULATION TO PREPARE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ZAGREB 04591 161634Z ITSELF FOR NORMAL LIFE WITHIN CROATIA," EXPLAINS GALBRAITH. THE U.S. HAS APPROACHED THIS PROBLEM FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ITS OWN MULTI-ETHNICITY. THEREFORE ONE OF THE BASIC IDEAS IS THAT AN AREA THAT USED TO BE MULTI-ETHNIC IN THE PAST REMAIN MULTI-ETHNIC IN THE FUTURE. "THERE IS STILL THE POSSIBILITY HERE FOR THOSE WHO ARE THERE TO REMAIN, AT THE SAME TIME FOR THOSE WHO WERE EXPELLED TO RETURN, AND FOR THE REESTABLISHMENT OF CONFIDENCE BETWEEN THESE PEOPLES. THAT WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE FOR BOSNIA," CLAIMS GALBRAITH, WHO IS CONVINCED THAT THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY THAT THE AGREEMENT WILL FALL APART AND (WHO) BELIEVES THAT IT IS IN THE INTERESTS OF ALL THAT THE TRANSITION PERIOD "PASS SMOOTHLY, WITHOUT A MASSIVE EXODUS OF THE SERB POPULATION AND WITHOUT INCITING NEW EMOTIONS FOR WAR." HE ALSO CONSIDERS THIS AGREEMENT TO BE A SIGN OF THE MATURITY OF THE SERB NEGOTIATING TEAM, WHICH, UNLIKE THE KNIN LEADERSHIP, UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY WERE IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION. (SERB DELEGATION HEAD) MILAN MILANOVIC WAS DESCRIBED AS AN INFLUENTIAL MAN WHO OPERATED IN THE BACKGROUND. "THERE WEREN'T ANY ARGUMENTS WITHIN THE SERB DELEGATION, AS THERE WERE IN KNIN, WHOSE LEADERSHIP SHOWED ITSELF TO BE TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE. THESE (PEOPLE) HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING AND ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY. GREAT CREDIT MUST GO TO (CROATIAN DELEGATION CHIEF HRVOJE) SARINIC AND HIS TEAM. IT WAS A MATTER OF INTELLIGENT AND ELEGANT COMPROMISES," CONCLUDED THE AMBASSADOR. ASKED WHETHER THIS AGREEMENT AND THE ONE BETWEEN PRESIDENTS TUDJMAN AND IZETBEGOVIC IN DAYTON WERE ONLY MASKS FOR THE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ZAGREB 04591 161634Z (LACK OF) SUCCESS OF NEGOTIATIONS ON BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA, GALBRAITH SAID THAT IT IS ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE, THAT THESE SUCCESSES ARE SIGNS OF RESOLVE TO FIND A SOLUTION, AND THAT "THE QUESTION OF BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA CANNOT BE SOLVED BEFORE THE QUESTION OF CROATIA IS SOLVED." THE LIFTING OF THE OTHER "WALL" -- SANCTIONS ON SERBIA -- BEHIND WHICH LIES THE POSSIBILITY OF SERBIA'S ACCEPTANCE INTO EUROPEAN AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, WILL BE TIED TO RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE PROBLEM OF KOSOVO, AND TO COOPERATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL IN THE HAGUE. IT MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN THAT SIMILAR CONDITIONS APPLY ALSO FOR CROATIA. (END TEXT) DAVIDSON UNCLASSIFIED NNNN