US embassy cable - 05ZAGREB718

C O N F I D E N T I A L  ZAGREB 000718 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISP/EURASIA - ANDREW WINTERNITZ 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2015 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, HR, Defense Reform (Mil & NATO) 
SUBJECT: ASD RICARDEL MEETINGS WITH CROATIAN MINISTER OF 
DEFENSE RONCEVIC AND PRESIDENT MESIC, APRIL 29 
 
Classified By: JUSTIN FRIEDMAN, POLMIL OFF. REASON: 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) On April 29, Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
International Security Policy (Acting), Ms. Mira Ricardel, 
accompanied by Ambassador Ralph Frank, met with President 
Stjepan Mesic and Berislav Roncevic, Minister of Defense.  In 
both meetings defense reform and the possibility of expanding 
Croatia,s presence in Afghanistan were discussed. 
 
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MESIC MEETING 
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2. (SBU) Mesic expressed his opinion that the relationship 
with the United States is good.  Mesic laid out his two 
strategic goals: First, membership in the European Union and 
second membership in NATO.  On the European Union, Mesic 
noted that Croatia is expecting negotiations soon.  He then 
pronounced that the Armed Forces were working to be in 
compliance with NATO standards. 
 
3. (SBU) A/ASD Ricardel congratulated Mesic on his 
re-election in January 2005.  She agreed that the level of 
bilateral cooperation with Croatia was good and related that 
reforms under way are impressive. 
 
4. (C) Noting the U.S. appreciation for Croatia,s 
contribution in Afghanistan, A/ASD related that she had 
discussed with SACEUR General Jones the value of non-NATO 
member participation in improving those countries, 
interoperability with NATO.  A/ASD Ricardel requested that 
Croatia consider contributing to a new Provincial 
Reconstruction Team being established in Chaghcharan by 
Lithuania.  She then noted that the new democratically 
elected government of Iraq should be welcomed by Croatia. 
She observed that when Croatia was just getting started, 
recognition and support by the international community were 
vital to normalizing Croatia,s status.  She commented that 
Croatia,s establishment of diplomatic relations with Iraq is 
a step in the right direction and recommended the 
establishment of a commercial office in Baghdad. 
 
5. (C) Mesic stated that it would be acceptable for Croatia 
to increase its presence in Afghanistan.  He also noted that 
he has an open invitation from Afghan president Hamad Karzai 
and that he was likely to act on that invitation in the 
future.  As for Iraq, the opening of diplomatic relations was 
a modest step for Croatia as these relations had never 
existed under Saddam Hussein.  Additionally, the state-owned 
oil company INA has established an office in Baghdad and this 
will be strengthened as more Croatian companies engage. 
 
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ICTY COOPERATION 
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6. (SBU) A/ASD Ricadel stated that the U.S. works with the 
European Union and that both have a similar goal with respect 
to cooperation with The Hague tribunal.  She noted that she 
had heard from Prime Minister Sanader on the action plan for 
Gotovina and expressed her hope that it is fully realized. 
A/ASD Ricardel underscored that while Croatia had 
accomplished much on ICTY cooperation, the final step is 
still crucial for fulfilling Croatia,s Hague requirements. 
 
7. (SBU) Mesic noted that on ICTY cooperation, privatization, 
and the rule of law Croatia,s actions were not credible 
before 2000.  Additional problems came from the overt 
politicization of the Police and Armed Forces.  Mesic noted 
that this period of history had closed.  He then asserted 
that attempts to tell the U.S. Defense Department that he was 
politicizing the Armed Forces through the implication that 
the President appoints officers directly is misleading and 
untrue.  He asserted that attempts to amend the Constitution 
on this issue are wrong.  Mesic added that some people want 
to deprive the president of this right to approve general 
officers.  (COMMENT: Mesic may have been alluding to an error 
in the draft of the OSD-funded contractor Defense Assessment 
passed to the MOD prior to this visit.  This mistake will be 
explained to the Office of the President and the MOD and the 
language will be redacted from the Assessment text.) 
 
8. (SBU) A/ASD Ricardel stated that the USG does not comment 
on Croatia,s constitutional issues and that we have not had 
any discussions with the MOD on this matter. 
 
 
9.  In conclusion A/ASD Ricardel noted that Croatia can play 
a valuable role in the Proliferation Security Initiative 
(PSI) given its geography and role in the region.  She also 
related that the United States values its relationship with 
Croatia and that we want it to continue to improve it. 
 
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RONCEVIC MEETING 
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10. (SBU) A/ASD Ricardel,s meeting with MOD Roncevic was 
very amiable.  A/ASD Ricardel began by noting that efforts to 
make the formulation of the Strategic Defense Review (SDR) 
open to the public are good for transparency.  She then 
observed that NATO would be looking at this document as an 
explanation of how Croatia intends to spend its resources. 
She then advised that a country needed to make a distinction 
between a modernization goal that is useful and those that 
may look powerful but cannot be used.  Stressing the role of 
transformation of modern defense forces, A/ASD noted that 
every country joining NATO needed to bring its own niche 
capabilities and that Croatia,s Military Police capacity is 
useful as this was historically a shortfall for NATO-led 
stability operations. 
 
11. (SBU) Roncevic opened by explaining that despite rumors 
to the contrary that the MOD and the Joint General Staff were 
one system.  Equally important was that with the finalization 
of the SDR, both the government and the executive were 
unified on defense reform issues.  Roncevic noted that the 
release of the SDR to the public would have to take place 
after the 15 May municipal elections for political reasons, 
but that the MOD would try to publish the final version of 
the document shortly after. 
 
12. (C) Roncevic thanked A/ASD Ricardel for her earlier 
praise of the MPs and Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) 
contributions in Afghanistan.  He noted that future rotations 
of the MP platoon were already planned and that on 4 May the 
Adriatic Charter countries would sign a technical agreement 
required for their combined deployment of a medical team to 
ISAF.  Roncevic then related that Croatia is considering 
increasing its PRT contributions and was looking specifically 
at the PRTs led by Germany and Lithuania.  Finally, he noted 
that a senior-level delegation from the Parliament and Office 
of the President would travel to Afghanistan in May. 
 
13. (C) A/ASD Ricardel noted that prior to this meeting she 
had held useful discussions at the Sabor on the need for 
flexibility for the Armed Forces.  She relayed that she had 
urged the parliamentary officials to use their position as 
representatives of the people to explain why this flexibility 
is important.  A/ASD related that she was very pleased that 
Croatia was considering increasing its PRT contributions, 
especially in the Lithuanian PRT.  This contribution will 
help Croatia,s deployed forces gain greater interoperability 
with NATO, with the added benefit of recognition.  A/ASD then 
urged MOD Roncevic to contact the Danish MOD as she believed 
that his vigorous push for the reforming of the Danish Armed 
Forces could be a useful example for Croatia. 
 
13. (SBU) Roncevic noted that he would be attempting to 
establish Minister-level ties to the Danish MOD in the near 
future.  He then talked about the opening of regional 
cooperation with Croatia,s neighbors by noting that Croatia 
had recently accredited Defense Attachs to 
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia-Montenegro. He also related 
that Croatia had offered to help those countries with their 
defense reform efforts. 
 
14. (SBU) A/ASD received this news as a positive step and 
noted that one aspect of NATO review for aspirant countries 
is whether they are a net contributor or a net consumer of 
security in their region.  She continued that it seems 
Croatia is on the right track in this regard.  She also 
expressed satisfaction that Croatia had become the chair for 
the Southeast Europe Defense Ministerial (SEDM) Working Group 
on Counterproliferation, Border Security and Counterterrorism 
(CBSC).  This is an important role for Croatia to play in the 
region. 
 
15. (C) Roncevic concluded by saying that Croatia accepts 
this role and hopes to promote greater cooperation in the 
region, especially on the sharing of military intelligence. 
He added that during his mandate, the Military Security 
Agency (VSA) had done good work and that several 
inter-government agreements on the security of military 
information had been concluded. 
 
 
16. (U) A/ASD CLEARED THIS MESSAGE. 
 
FRANK 
 
 
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