SABOR PRESIDENT PAVLETIC SAYS NO PEACE WITHOUT U.S. ASSISTANCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 005177 SIPDIS USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A TAGS: SUBJECT: SABOR PRESIDENT PAVLETIC SAYS NO PEACE WITHOUT U.S. ASSISTANCE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ZAGREB 05177 01 OF 02 181254Z l.SUMMARY: ON DECEMBER 14 AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH PAID A COURTESY CALL ON THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VLATKO PAVLETIC. DISCUSSION FOCUSED ON THE BALKANS PEACE AGREEMENT AND THE DIFFICULTIES OF IMPLEMENTATION. PAVLETIC SAID THAT THE AGREEMENT OFFERS THE BASIS FOR ALL THREE ETHNIC GROUPS TO RESOLVE THEIR DIFFERENCES. BECAUSE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN NO PEACE WITHOUT THE U.S. INITIATIVE, PAVLETIC STRESSED THAT IT IS VITAL FOR CONTINUED U.S. ASSISTANCE IN IMPLEMENTATION. THE AMBASSADOR AGREED THAT THERE IS MUCH UNFINISHED BUSINESS, INCLUDING CREATING A CIVIL SOCIETY, THE RETURN OF A MULTI-ETHNIC SOCIETY, AND A RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM OF THOSE WHO HAVE DISAPPEARED. THE AMBASSADOR STRESSED THAT PEACE WILL NOT BE REAL AND HEALING CANNOT BEGIN UNTIL A FINAL ACCOUNTING IS DONE AND THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR WAR CRIMES -- ON ALL SIDES -- HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE. END SUMMARY. 2.0N DECEMBER 14 AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH PAID A COURTESY CALL ON THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VLATKO PAVLETIC (CROATIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION -- HDZ). PAVLETIC FOCUSED HIS COMMENTS ON THE SIGNING OF THE BALKANS PEACE AGREEMENT IN PARIS AND NOTED THAT, AS DIFFICULT AS THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS WAS, IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE HARDER. HE SAID THAT THE CRUEL WAR OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAS BROUGHT A PEACE THAT THAT IS ALMOST AS CRUEL TO ITS VICTIMS. HE LAMENTED THAT WHILE THE VIOLENCE HAS ENDED, HATRED AND INTOLERANCE PERSIST. A DIFFICULT JOB LIES AHEAD TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS FOR CROATS, SERBS, AND MUSLIMS TO LIVE TOGETHER AGAIN. HE NOTED, HOWEVER, THAT FINDING A FORMULA TO BUILD TRUST WILL BE MORE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ZAGREB 05177 01 OF 02 181254Z DIFFICULT THAN FINDING THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO REBUILD VUKOVAR. 3.PAVLETIC ADDED THAT THE PEACE AGREEMENT OFFERS THE BASIS FOR ALL THREE ETHNIC GROUPS TO RESOLVE THEIR DIFFERENCES. HOWEVER, THE ENTIRE FORMULA COULD PROVE UNWORKABLE IF ONE PARTY VIOLATES IT. HE SAID THIS WAS A SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO LEADERS IN SECTOR EAST WHO HAVE PUBLICLY INTERPRETED THE AGREEMENT DIFFERENTLY THAN THE GOC (NOTE: LEADERS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA HAVE SAID THAT CROATIAN DISPLACED PERSONS WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED TO RETURN WHEN SERBS BEGIN TO COME BACK TO FORMER SECTORS NORTH AND SOUTH). PAVLETIC WARNED THAT IF SUCH ATTITUDES PERSIST, THE GOVERNMENT AND HDZ WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTINUED PUBLIC OR PARLIAMENTARY SUPPORT FOR THE AGREEMENT. (PAVLETIC ALSO UNDERLINED THAT THE OPPOSITION PARTIES' WERE SEEKING AN IDEAL SOLUTION AND SAID THAT ONLY THE HDZ, WITH A REALISTIC VIEW OF THE PROBLEM AT HAND, CARRIED THE VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE AGREEMENT.) EVEN WITHOUT THE UNHELPFUL STANCE OF SOME EASTERN SLAVONIAN LEADERS, IMPLEMENTATION WILL NOT BE EASY OR SWIFT. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN NO PEACE WITHOUT THE U.S. INITIATIVE AND BECAUSE OF ITS INFLUENCE, PAVLETIC STRESSED, IT IS VITAL FOR CONTINUED U.S. ASSISTANCE IN IMPLEMENTATION. PAVLETIC SAID IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO REINTRODUCE LAW AND ORDER, SINCE FORMER INSTITUTIONS HAVE VANISHED WITH THE MASS MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND LOSS OF PROPERTY. 4.THE AMBASSADOR AGREED THAT THERE IS MUCH UNFINISHED BUSINESS, INCLUDING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT, CREATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY, THE RETURN OF MULTI-ETHNIC UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ZAGREB 05177 01 OF 02 181254Z SOCIETY, AND A RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF THOSE WHO HAVE DISAPPEARED. HE STRESSED THAT PEACE WILL NOT BE REAL AND HEALING CANNOT BEGIN UNTIL A FINAL ACCOUNTING IS DONE AND THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR WAR CRIMES -- ON ALL SIDES -- HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE. THE AMBASSADOR THANKE D PAVLETIC FOR HIS SUPPORT OF THE DAYTON AGREEMENT AND SAID THAT WHILE IT DID NOT GIVE CROATIA EVERYTHING IT WANTED, CROATIA MET MORE OF ITS GOALS THAN THE OTHER PARTIES IN THE CONFLICT. THE AGREEMENT GUARANTEES CROATIA'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY WITHIN ITS INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BORDERS AND, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BOSANSKA POSAVINA, ALMOST ALL BOSNIAN CROATS LIVE IN THE FEDERATION. HE NOTED THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT THAT FULLY SATISFIES ONE SIDE, THAT PEACE REQUIRES COMPROMISES. EVEN THOUGH THE CROATS OF BOSANSKA POSAVINA ARE NOT IN THE FEDERATION, THEY STILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO RETURN, RECOVER PROPERTY, AND VOTE. BY VOTING THEY COULD CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF THE SERB ENTITY. ¶5. SARAJEVO MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. UNCLASSIFIED NNNNPTQ3137 UNCLASSIFIED PTQ3137 PAGE 01 ZAGREB 05177 02 OF 02 181254Z ACTION EUR-01 INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 OASY-00 SRPP-00 FBIE-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-01 ADS-00 M-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-02 PM-00 PRS-01 P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 PRMC-01 DRL-09 G-00 /020W -------------- 09E08D 181254Z /38 R 181235Z DEC 95 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8373 INFO USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECPOLAD// USMISSION USUN NEW YORK JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE DIA WASHDC NATO EU COLLECTIVE HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//POLAD// UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 005177 SIPDIS USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A TAGS: SUBJECT: SABOR PRESIDENT PAVLETIC SAYS NO PEACE WITHOUT U.S. ASSISTANCE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ZAGREB 05177 02 OF 02 181254Z FINN UNCLASSIFIED NNNN