US embassy cable - 05ZAGREB335

C O N F I D E N T I A L  ZAGREB 000335 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE; PM/B:CORBETT; NP/RA 
DEFENSE FOR OSD/POLICY:WINTERNITZ 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2015 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, PARM, KNNP, HR, Defense Reform (Mil & NATO) 
SUBJECT: CROATIA SOON READY TO TALK SOFA & ARTICLE 98 
 
REF: ZAGREB 204 
 
Classified By: Poloff Justin Friedman, reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) 
 
SUMMARY and COMMENT 
------------------- 
 
1. (C) New Assistant Minister of Defense for Policy Igor 
Pokaz told the DCM in a introductory call on February 24 that 
he is planning to lead a delegation to Washington around 
March 29-31 to restart talks on Supplemental SOFA and Article 
98 agreements.  Pokaz would like to finalize an agreement on 
either the SOFA or a Bilateral Shipboarding Agreement as a 
deliverable for the next Bilateral Defense Commission meeting 
scheduled for June 27-29 in Zagreb.  Pokaz also outlined the 
main points of the soon-to-be released Strategic Defense 
Review, noting that the key issues of Coast Guard and air 
policing had been put off for futher study. 
 
2. (C) Although he mentioned Article 98 in this meeting, 
Pokaz indirectly indicated that this was the least likely 
near-term achievable, placing much more emphasis on the 
prospect of reaching agreement on a Supplemental SOFA.  Pokaz 
replaces the effective but often prickly Jelena Grcic-Polic 
as Assistant Minister at an opportune time.  His military and 
diplomatic experience, family military ties, and time served 
as one of Grcic-Polic's deputies may make him a more 
palatable interlocutor for a Croatian General Staff that had 
often been at odds with the civilian leadership at the 
Ministry.  Pokaz's first steps are encouraging, but he will 
face a tough challenge in mastering a broad portfolio on 
which Grcic-Polic often kept close hold.  END SUMMARY AND 
COMMENT. 
 
3. (C) DCM, DATT and Poloff with visiting EUR/SCE desk 
officer paid an introductory call on newly appointed 
Assistant Minister of Defense for Policy Igor Pokaz on 
February 24.  Pokaz explained that he decided to delay a 
previously planned trip to Washington to discuss the 
Supplemental SOFA and Article 98 agreements because the 
interagency consultation process was not yet complete.  He 
said that he was provisionally planning to go to Washington 
March 29-31 to restart the dialogue on these issues, assuming 
the internal consultations were completed by then.  Pokaz 
said that he would like to discuss a number of issues, 
including the Proliferation Security Initiative and Croatian 
participation in regional exercises, and possible 
contributions to training Iraqi forces in Jordan.  Per Reftel 
- the GoC subsequently decided to offer 2-6 police trainers 
for Iraq in Jordan.  Pokaz noted that recent remarks by EU 
Foreign Policy Head Solana seemed to indicate that the EU was 
softening its stance on Article 98 agreements.  He noted that 
if this were followed with actual proposals, it would greatly 
facilitate Croatia's ability to find common ground with us. 
 
4. (SBU)  Pokaz summarized a briefing he had delivered 
earlier that day to the Defense Attache Corps on the 
Strategic Defense Review (SDR).  The key achievement of the 
SDR was the decision to continue to reduce the size of the 
military and reshape it from a territorial defense force into 
a deployable, mobile force.  The new army would have 18,000 
persons and two brigades, one of which would be trained and 
equiped for international crisis response missions.  On two 
key questions - air policing and the use of the Navy for 
Coast Guard missions -- the MoD has decided to conduct 
further study. 
 
5. (SBU) Pokaz emphasized that his key initial task was to 
put an end to the not-always-behind-the-scenes bickering 
between the General Staff and the civilian MoD.  He stressed 
that the General Staff and MoD fully supported the SDR as a 
framework for further defense reform.  Pokaz asserted that 
SDR plans were fully financially sustainable, at either the 
current defense spending level of 1.84% of GDP or the desired 
2.1% of GDP.  Following approval by the President and Prime 
Minister, the SDR will be presented for public expert comment 
and then possible, but not required, adoption by the Sabor 
(parliament). 
 
BIO NOTE 
-------- 
 
6. (C) Igor Pokaz describes himself as pro-U.S. dating at 
latest from his diplomatic service at the Croatian Mission to 
the UN in New York the 1999-2003.  Although almost all of his 
professional experience is in the Foreign Ministry, Pokaz has 
credibility with the uniformed military both from his own 
military experience as a junior officer in the Croatian Army 
in the early 1990's (not listed in his official bio) and 
through his father, a retired General in the Croatian Army. 
Pokaz speaks fluent, colloquial English and calls himself a 
 
NY Yankees fan.  His three year old son, Daniel, was born in 
the U.S.  His wife, Mirna, is currently personal assistant to 
the Foreign Minister, although that may change once the new 
minister, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, finishes consolidating 
the MFA with the Ministry of European Integration. 
FRANK 
 
 
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