US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB686

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000686 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
GENEVA FOR JDELAURENTIS 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE MNARDI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2013 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, HR, UNCHR 
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: UNCHR/CROATIA WILL OPPOSE SPECIAL IRAQ 
SITTING 
 
REF: A. GENEVA 979 
 
     B. ROSSIN/NARDI TELCON 3/26 
     C. ZAGREB 679 
         D. ROSSIN/DELAURENTIS EMAIL 3/27 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF MITCH BENEDICT FOR REASONS 1.5 B AND D 
 
1. (C) ON RECEIPT OF REF A, AMBASSADOR SPOKE EARLY MORNING 
MARCH 27 WITH MIROSLAV KOVACIC, MFA NORTH AMERICA DIRECTOR, 
WHO WAS IN THE MEETING WITH DEPUTY FM SIMONOVIC THAT WE 
REPORTED IN REF C.  THE AMBASSADOR RECALLED THE (HELPFUL BUT 
EU-CAVEATED) POSITION THE GOC HAD DECIDED UPON AND THAT HAD 
BEEN CONVEYED TO THE AMBASSADOR BY SIMONOVIC, AND SAID OUR 
REPORTS FROM GENEVA WERE THAT THEIR DELEGATION WAS STILL 
INTENDING TO ABSTAIN.  THE AMBASSADOR ALSO NOTED INDICATIONS 
REPORTED BY GENEVA THAT THE EU WOULD OPPOSE.  KOVACIC 
RECONFIRMED THE GOC STANCE WAS "NO, BUT WE WILL FOLLOW THE EU 
LINE IF THERE IS ONE," AS REPORTED IN REF C, AND HE SAID HE 
WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH HIS DELEGATION IN GENEVA. 
 
2. (C) KOVACIC CALLED THE CROATIAN DELEGATION IN GENEVA AND 
THEN CALLED US BACK TO CONFIRM -- THEIR CURRENT INSTRUCTION 
IS TO OPPOSE, TO VOTE "NO" -- NOT "ABSTAIN."  WERE THE EU TO 
TAKE A COMMON POSITION, CROATIA WOULD LINE UP WITH THAT 
POSITION, WHATEVER IT WAS.  THE DELEGATION CONFIRMED IT KNOWS 
WHAT ITS INSTRUCTIONS ARE. 
 
3. (C) IF, AS GENEVA REPORTS, THE EU IS GOING TO VOTE "NO," 
THEN IT WOULD APPEAR THE GOC IS A LOCK AGAINST THE SPECIAL 
IRAQ SESSION. 
ROSSIN 
 
NNNN