US embassy cable - 05ZAGREB1320

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 001320 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, HR, Regional Issues 
SUBJECT: CROATIA SEEKS COOPERATION WITH U.S. ON REGIONAL 
ISSUES 
 
 
Classified By: CDA Greg Delawie for reasons 1.4 b/d. 
 
1.  (C) Summary: MFA State Secretary Hidajet Biscevic called 
in Charge on August 9 to preview a GOC non-paper outlining a 
framework for U.S.-Croatian cooperation in South East Europe 
over the next two years.  Biscevic cited the resolution of 
the Kosovo question, the future of the Serbia-Montenegro 
union and the tenth anniversary of Dayton with consequent 
rethinking on making Bosnia truly self-sufficient as the key 
regional issues in the coming years that an increasingly 
introspective EU will be unable to confront alone.  The GOC 
believes that a strong U.S. role is essential to prevent 
backsliding from the common goal of integrating all states in 
the region into Euro-Atlantic structures and would like to 
position Croatia as a facilitator in this process, in 
cooperation with the U.S.  In this role, Croatia would avoid 
seeing its Euro-Atlantic ambitions subordinated to the 
progress of its neighbors.  Biscevic hopes to have bilateral 
discussions on these issues in the fall.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) Charge met with Croatian MFA State Secretary Hidajet 
Biscevic at the latter,s request on August 9.  Biscevic 
called the meeting to present a GOC non-paper (e-mailed to 
EUR/SCE) setting out a framework for Croatian-U.S. relations 
over the next two years.  Biscevic cited several issues where 
the GOC sees room for close cooperation with the U.S. in the 
region: 
 
-- Resolution of Kosovo status, where Croatia could act as a 
consultant or special envoy for the Contact Group; 
-- Future of Serbia-Montenegro union, with continued work on 
resolving open disputes and assisting with rule of law issues; 
-- Adjustments to Dayton to move Bosnia toward greater 
self-sufficiency, where Croatia could serve as a conduit for 
investment and economic development; 
-- Assisting Macedonia in its own NATO and EU bids. 
 
3.  (C) Biscevic indicated that the GOC had made similar 
proposals to the EU in advance of its March 05 decision on 
whether or not to begin accession negotiations with Croatia. 
However, he felt that the EU was now too self-absorbed with 
its own internal issues and the fallout from the negative 
votes on its constitution and digesting its recent 
enlargement to tackle these issues effectively.  He expressed 
concern that a leadership vacuum could threaten much of the 
progress that has been made in the region since the 90s and 
possibly lead to backsliding.  Biscevic said that U.S. 
engagement remains essential to ensure that South East Europe 
stays on the course of Euro-Atlantic integration and does not 
siphon U.S. resources from the war on terrorism and other 
global issues. 
 
4.  (C) In the context of furthering stability in South East 
Europe, Biscevic noted that Croatia hopes to act as 
facilitator in this process and, in so doing, ensure that its 
own EU and NATO ambitions are not linked to those of its 
neighbors.  Croatia considers itself much further along the 
path toward both EU and NATO membership than its southern 
neighbors and so considers that it can burnish its 
Euro-Atlantic credentials while offering assistance in 
regional stability and development. 
 
5.  (C) Biscevic expressed the hope that this non-paper could 
form the basis for further bilateral discussions on these 
questions this fall. 
 
6.  (C) Charge noted the U.S. shared the goal of seeing 
Croatia integrated into Euro-Atlantic structures and avoiding 
any backsliding in the region to the problems of the 90s.  He 
told Biscevic that, as far as the NATO Membership Action Plan 
is concerned, the U.S. view is that each candidate will be 
judged based on its own progress in meeting the specific 
requirements of membership. 
DELAWIE 
 
 
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