US embassy cable - 05ZAGREB724

C O N F I D E N T I A L  ZAGREB 000724 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE, NP/RA:SONTAG, NP/ECC:MAGOULAS, 
INL/AAE:HARTSHORN, L/OES:ROACH 
DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISP/EURASIA:WINTERNITZ 
HOMELAND SECURITY FOR COAST GUARD AND FOR CBP:LAWRENCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2015 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, MOPS, ETTC, HR, Defense Reform (Mil & NATO) 
SUBJECT: CROATIA'S COAST GUARD: A WORK IN PROGRESS 
 
Classified By: POLMIL Off. Justin Friedman, reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) 
 
Summary and Comment 
------------------- 
 
1. (C) Formation of a Croatian Coast Guard remains a work in 
progress.  Although the Ministry of Sea, Tourism, Transport 
and Development is nominally the first among equals in the 
interagency committee created to coordinate Coast Guard (CG) 
activities, the Ministries of Interior and Defense are 
aggressively protecting their turf.  No ministry appears 
willing to surrender part of its Coast-Guard-relevant 
resources to improve the GoC's overall CG effort. 
 
2. (C) The interagency Coast Guard model the GoC is pursuing 
was first proposed by a U.S. Coast Guard assessment in 1996. 
The nine years it has taken to get from proposal to 
implementation is indicative of the challenges the GoC faces 
in making this model work, particularly given ongoing 
resource constraints.  The U.S.G. initiative to conclude a 
bilateral shipboarding agreement under the Proliferation 
Security Initiative has helped push the GoC to make key 
decisions about operational control.  The Croatian Navy is 
best positioned to take on the lead role ) at least in 
rapid-response interdiction incidents. 
 
3. (C) We can continue to have a positive impact on the 
formation of the Croatian Coast Guard through wise use of our 
State Dept. EXBS and DS/ATA programs and Defense Department 
DTRA and JCTP programs.  The planned assessment visit this 
summer by Export Control experts and this fall by U.S. Coast 
Guard come at the right time both for the GoC and for 
planning our future program foci.  EU accession-related 
programs continue to avoid working on the Coast Guard 
challenge.  Thus, we are well positioned to have maximum 
impact through critical equipment donations and assistance to 
develop and exercise operational plans for the new Croatian 
CG that will help develop appropriate and effective 
interagency coordination and cooperation. 
 
Coast Guard on Paper 
-------------------- 
 
4. (SBU) The Croatian Coast Guard was created by government 
decree on August 27, 2004.  Under the decree, the Ministry of 
Sea, Tourism, Transport, and Development (MMTPR) chairs an 
interagency commission charged with coordinating all Coast 
Guard activities in Croatia.  The Ministries of Interior 
(MUP), Defense (MORH), Agriculture (includes fisheries), and 
Environment have seats on the commission and contribute 
personnel and assets to the Coast Guard.  The Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs (MFA) also maintains a seat at the table. 
According to data provided to us by the MMTPR and MORH, the 
Croatian Coast Guard has the following assets at its disposal: 
 
               MMTPR  MUP   MORH   Agr.   Env. 
               ------------------------------- 
Personnel      303    248    580    12     3 
Ships >12m     5      5      6      -      - 
Ships