US embassy cable - 04ZAGREB834

C O N F I D E N T I A L  ZAGREB 000834 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE (ENGLISH) AND EUR/RPM (SHINAGEL) 
USNATO FOR BRUCE ROGERS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2014 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, HR, NATO 
SUBJECT: CROATIAN OFFICIALS REACT TO NATO REVIEW 
 
REF: A. USNATO 429 
 
     B. ZAGREB 817 
 
Classified By: Poloff A.F.Godfrey for reasons 1.5 (b,d) 
 
Summary 
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1.  (C) GoC officials were both encouraged and disappointed 
with their second annual review by NATO's North Atlantic 
Council of Croatia's progress towards membership.  They were 
encouraged by new optimism about Croatia expressed by many 
allies, citing that the International Staff's report noted 
progress on tough issues.  But GoC officials disheartened by 
what they perceived as a new position by the U.S., Croatia's 
former champion at NATO.  Croatian officials believe the USG 
has changed the standard by which it is measuring cooperation 
with ICTY.  We encouraged Croatia to continue its progress 
toward NATO membership, stressed that the U.S. has always 
insisted on full cooperation with international obligations 
and underscored the U.S. Mission's message at the NAC (ref a) 
that the continued fugitive status of ICTY indictee Gotovina 
is an obstacle to accession.  End Summary. 
 
Croatia reacts to NATO's "Report Card" 
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2.  (C) Croatia took away mixed messages from its April 30 
"26 1" Membership Action Plan (MAP) progress review at NATO's 
North Atlantic Council (NAC).  In the week following the NAC 
meeting, we met with Croatia's MAP coordinator Pjer Simunovic 
and with Davor Stier, the lead political officer at Croatia's 
mission to NATO.  GoC officials were pleased by most allies' 
recognition that Croatia was making good progress on 
sensitive issues in the political chapter of MAP.  They 
appreciated the constructive, but tough assessment of the 
work the GoC needs to do on defense reform, military 
downsizing and restructuring and also on judicial reform. 
 
Croatia: USG Moved the Goalposts on ICTY Cooperation 
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3.  (C) According to Steir, the most disheartening message 
came from the U.S. representative to the NAC.  Most Allies 
took note of the ICTY Chief Prosecutor's positive assessment 
of Croatia's cooperation, noting the immediate transfer of 
eight indictees and the ICTY's assessment of full cooperation 
on document requests to the GoC.  According to Steir, it was 
the GoC's firm understanding that the USG had previously used 
the ICTY's assessment as its own measure of Croatia's 
cooperation.  Now that Del Ponte judges Croatia as "fully 
cooperating," Stier continued, the U.S. has changed its 
standard, insisting that Gotovina must be in The Hague before 
the U.S. will allow Croatia to move forward toward 
membership.  Steir reiterated FM Zuzul's plea at the NAC that 
Croatia "must not be held hostage to one man." 
 
"A Blow to Croatia's Atlantic Movement" 
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4.  (C) Simunovic said that the new U.S. position at the NAC 
was a blow to Croatia's Atlanticists and could dampen energy 
in Zagreb for Croatia's NATO bid.  The EC's "avis" was not 
seen as a finish line, but as a starting point.  With this 
concrete signal, Croatia's reformers have a new tool with 
which to push ahead on reforms relating to the EU.  According 
to Simunovic, the message to those in Croatia who are 
responsible for managing the NATO bid was the opposite: 
despite GoC efforts and measurable achievements, Croatia is 
no closer to NATO membership. 
 
"Give Us a 'Carrot' in the Istanbul Communique, Please" 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
5.  (C) Simunovic and Stier asked for a strong message at the 
Istanbul summit which could re-energize Croatia's bid for 
NATO and boost public support for membership the way the EC's 
"avis" had for Croatia's EU bid.  More than anything, 
Simunovic said he fears that the Croatian public could 
develop a "who needs NATO anyway" attitude; support for the 
tough reforms which are not part of EU requirements -- 
especially in defense -- could fall away. 
 
6.  (C) Stier said Croatia was considering proposing draft 
language for the Summit communique to various delegations at 
NATO.  He said that proposed language would not include a 
call for an invitation -- Allies have been clear that the MAP 
aspirants should not expect that -- but would suggest that 
heads of state hail the progress of the three and direct the 
NAC to assess their suitability for an invitation after the 
next MAP review cycle in Spring 2005. 
 
7.  (C) For our part, we encouraged Croatia to continue its 
efforts in NATO's MAP and to address all of the issues raised 
by allies at the April 30 review.  As always, we reiterated 
to our interlocutors that Croatia should take all measures 
possible to deliver Gotovina to ICTY custody. 
FRANK 
 
 
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