US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB972

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000972 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE OPS - PLEASE PASS TO SECRETARY'S PARTY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2008 
TAGS: PREL, HR, NATO, Defense Reform (Mil & NATO) 
SUBJECT: CROATIAN GRUMBLING ABOUT TIRANA VENUE FOR ADRIATIC 
CHARTER SIGNING 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR LAWRENCE ROSSIN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B,D) 
 
1.  (C) THE DECISION TO SIGN THE ADRIATIC CHARTER IN TIRANA, 
AND NOT IN WASHINGTON, LED TO GRUMBLING IN THE CROATIAN 
FOREIGN MINISTRY AND SPECULATION IN THE PRESS HERE THAT 
CROATIA WAS BEING PUNISHED FOR ITS REFUSAL TO SUPPORT OUR 
APPROACH ON IRAQ.  THE FOREIGN MINISTRY SOUGHT -- WITH NO 
SUCCESS -- TO CONVINCE OTHER A3 COUNTRIES TO PUSH FOR A 
CHANGE IN VENUE BACK TO WASHINGTON, EVEN IF IT WOULD HAVE 
MEANT A DELAY.  PICULA WOULD HAVE PREFERRED A HIGH-PROFILE 
SIGNING IN WASHINGTON, WITH BILATERAL MEETINGS BEFORE AND 
AFTER, TO VALIDATE THE GOC'S PROGRESS TOWARD MEMBERSHIP IN 
NATO AS THE COALITION ENTERS AN ELECTION SEASON.  THE CHOICE 
OF TIRANA AS A VENUE WILL ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE THINGS ALBANIA 
IS DOING AND CROATIA IS NOT, LIKE SIGNING AN ARTICLE 98 
AGREEMENT AND MAKING SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO EFFORTS IN 
IRAQ. 
 
2.  (C) THE CROATIAN PRESS, SPURRED ON BY MALICIOUS LEAKS 
FROM THE DEFENSE MINISTRY, IS SPECULATING THAT THE U.S. CHOSE 
TIRANA FOR THE SIGNING IN ORDER TO PUNISH THE RACAN 
GOVERNMENT.  POLITICAL COMMENTATORS CLAIM THAT THE U.S. 
DECISION WAS PREDICATED BY CROATIA'S REFUSAL TO BE NAMED AS A 
MEMBER OF THE COALITION OF THE WILLING, BY CROATIA'S REFUSAL 
TO GRANT OVERFLIGHT CLEARANCE FOR MILITARY AIRCRAFT BOUND FOR 
IRAQ, AND ALSO IN RESPONSE TO DEROGATORY REMARKS ABOUT 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES (INCLUDING THE U.S. 
AMBASSADOR) MADE RECENTLY BY DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER GORAN 
GRANIC. 
 
    3.  (C) THE GOC IS DOING ITS BEST TO TURN OFF SPECULATION 
THAT THE TIRANA VENUE WAS CHOSEN AS "PUNISHMENT" FOR CROATIA. 
 CROATIA'S MAP COORDINATOR EXPLAINED TO THE PRESS THE 
SIGNIFICANCE OF SECRETARY POWELL'S PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO THE 
CHARTER AND POINTED OUT HOW DIFFICULT IT HAS BEEN FOR THE 
SECRETARY TO FIND A TIME -- IN THE MIDDLE OF A KEY TRIP TO 
 
SIPDIS 
THE MIDEAST -- TO SIGN THE DOCUMENT.  ANALYSTS BOTH IN AND 
OUT OF GOVERNMENT WILL PROBABLY NOT BE CONVINCED.  FOR MANY 
OF THEM, CROATIA IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERY 
WORLD EVENT WHICH AFFECTS CROATIA MUST HAVE SOMEHOW BEEN 
BROUGHT ABOUT BY CROATIA'S OWN ACTION. 
ROSSIN 
 
 
NOTE: NOT PASSED TO ABOVE ADDRESSEE(S) 
 
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