US embassy cable - 04ZAGREB454

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000454 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, HR, SY 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES PRESIDENT MESIC'S PLANS TO 
VISIT MIDDLE EAST 
 
REF: A. STATE 47980 
 
     B. ZAGREB 71 
     C. 03 ZAGREB 2646 
 
    CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR RALPH FRANK: REASON: 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (C)  THE AMBASSADOR MET WITH PRESIDENT MESIC MARCH 12 TO 
DISCUSS THE PRESIDENT'S UPCOMING MIDDLE EAST TRIP AND DELIVER 
POINTS CONCERNING U.S. POLICY TOWARD SYRIA (REF A).  MESIC 
DESCRIBED HIS THREE-COUNTRY TRIP, BEGINNING LATER THIS MONTH, 
INCLUDING STOPS IN QATAR, JORDAN, AND SYRIA.  MESIC HAD TOLD 
US EARLIER OF HIS PLANS TO VISIT SYRIA -- FOR ABOUT SEVEN 
HOURS ON MARCH 20 -- AND REQUESTED ANY INFORMATION ON U.S. 
POLICY TOWARD THE ASSAD REGIME (REF B).  HE EXPRESSED 
APPRECIATION THAT WE HAD COME BACK TO HIM WITH A RATHER 
EXHAUSTIVE INVENTORY OF CONCERNS. 
 
2.  (C)  MESIC SAID HE SHARED MANY OF THE CONCERNS AND WOULD 
DISCUSS THEM DURING STOPS IN SYRIA AND JORDAN, WHERE HE 
EXPECTS TO MEET JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH.  IN PARTICULAR, MESIC 
SAID HE WOULD PRESS PRESIDENT ASSAD TO ACCEPT THE "REALITY OF 
ISRAEL" AND TO PUSH THE SYRIANS NOT TO SUPPORT RADICAL 
TERRORIST GROUPS.  HE WOULD ALSO UNDERSCORE WITH THE SYRIAN 
REGIME THAT IT WOULD BE WISE TO COOPERATE WITH THE U.S. ON 
IRAQ, WHERE RECONSTRUCTION COULD PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIC 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SYRIA. 
 
3.  (C)  THE PRIMARY REASON BEHIND THE VISIT TO SYRIA WILL BE 
TO DISCUSS THE OPERATIONS OF CROATIA'S STATE-OWNED OIL 
COMPANY, INA.  THE COMPANY RECENTLY DISCOVERED OIL IN A 
CONCESSION IT HAS EAST OF DAMASCUS AND HAS A LARGE-SIZE 
STAFFING PRESENCE THERE.  ACCORDING TO ONE CROATIAN OIL 
INDUSTRY EXPERT WHO WORKS IN THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, THE 
SYRIA DISCOVERY IS INA'S LARGEST OVERSEAS TO DATE. 
 
    4.  (C)  MESIC'S ENTOURAGE, AS IS THE CASE WITH MOST OF THE 
CROATIAN PRESIDENT'S OVERSEAS TRIPS, WILL BE FOCUSED 
PRIMARILY ON TRADE AND ECONOMIC ISSUES.  IN QATAR, HE TOLD 
THE AMBASSADOR HE HOPES TO BOOST QATARI INTEREST IN FINANCING 
AN LNG FACILITY ON THE CROATIAN COAST. 
 
MINIMIZE CONSIDERED 
 
FRANK 
 
NNNN