VZCZCXRO9936
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHVB #1035/01 2430654
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 310654Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6574
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0028
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0005

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 001035 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/SCE, WHA/CCA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016 
TAGS: PREL PHUM NAMSA HR CU HUMAN RIGHTS
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND CROATIAN PRESIDENT DISCUSS 
ATTENDANCE AT THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT SUMMIT IN HAVANA 
 
REF: ZAGREB 1017 
 
Classified By: DCM Greg Delawie for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  The Ambassador urged President Mesic to 
consider a gesture in support of democratic change in Cuba 
during his September visit to Havana for the Non-Aligned 
Movement (NAM) Summit.  Mesic emphasized his purpose was a 
visit to the NAM meeting, not to Cuba itself.  He will make 
general reference to democracy in his NAM statement, but 
would not single out Cuba for criticism.  Mesic explained 
that his attendance as an observer at the meeting was 
motivated by historical ties (via Yugoslavia) with the NAM, 
promoting commercial links with NAM attendees, and lobbying 
for a non-permanent seat on the UNSC.  Mesic also emphasized 
that his interest in the NAM did not signal an interest in 
NAM membership, and he restated the priority of Croatia's 
Euro-Atlantic integration. 
 
¶2. (C) Ambassador and DCM met with Croatian President Stjepan 
Mesic August 29 to discuss the president's upcoming visit to 
Havana for the NAM Summit.  Mesic was accompanied by 
Presidential foreign policy advisor Budimir Loncar. 
 
¶3.  (C)  In relaying USG concerns about Mesic's attendance at 
the NAM Summit, the Ambassador clarified that the US was not 
engaged in a campaign against the NAM; the USG has excellent 
relations with many leading NAM countries.  However, this 
time the NAM Summit is taking place in Cuba, and that is a 
problem.  Cuba is not a democracy, has no free press or 
elections, and holds political prisoners.  It is hard for the 
USG to understand how a distinguished human rights and 
democracy advocate such as Mesic could visit Cuba under these 
circumstances.  That said, it was Mesic's right to determine 
how he should promote Croatia's interests, and where he 
should travel. 
 
¶4. (C) The Ambassador asked Mesic to consider seriously how 
to use his visit to promote democracy and a peaceful 
transition in Cuba.  He asked that the president speak out on 
behalf of democratic change while there, or meet with Cuban 
human rights groups that have met in the past with former 
Czech President Havel. 
 
¶5. (C) Mesic responded that he understood US views on his 
Cuba trip.  He explained that via its Yugoslav heritage 
Croatia has a long and valued history with the NAM, which, in 
his view, served as a sort of a buffer between the West and 
the East during the Cold War: this year is the 40th 
anniversary of the "three-way meeting" (i.e., Tito, Nasser, 
Nehru) at Tito's Adriatic resort on Brijuni; it is the 45th 
anniversary of establishment of the NAM in Belgrade.  The NAM 
has been closely linked to Croatia since the beginning, so 
the NAM remains important to Croatia. 
 
¶6. (C) Mesic said he recognizes that the NAM is a 
"heterogeneous group," with participants ranging from 
democrats to dictators.  It has no serious ideology any more, 
but participants do share a common interest in opening 
markets for trade.  Croatian firms' technology has a hard 
time competing in European markets, but they have found many 
good markets among NAM countries, so it is important to 
reinforce trade relationships.  He added that Croatia has 
attended all NAM Summits to date as an observer at the 
ministerial level; this year the only change is that the head 
of state would go instead.  Croatia will remain an observer 
at the NAM and has no intention of becoming a member. 
 
¶7. (C) Mesic emphasized that Croatia's strategic goal remains 
EU and NATO membership; he discusses this publicly 
constantly.  Croatia will implement all the reforms necessary 
to achieve these goals.  Croatia wants good relations with 
NAM countries that may not share these goals, Mesic 
continued, but that do share a commitment to peace. 
 
¶8. (C) There are NAM member states where a large number of 
terrorists are mobilized, Mesic said.  During his remarks at 
the NAM, he plans to emphasize the importance of poverty 
alleviation as one way of getting at the terrorism problem; 
dealing with poverty is impossible without the engagement of 
the democratic part of the world. 
 
¶9. (C) Mesic said he also hopes to lobby NAM member states in 
favor of Croatia's effort to win a non-permanent seat on the 
UNSC. 
 
¶10.  (C) Mesic noted that he understood the USG's concerns 
regarding Castro.  He was confident that when Castro goes he 
 
ZAGREB 00001035  002 OF 002 
 
 
will be replaced by someone else without so much charisma; 
democracy will be unavoidable without Castro.  The next 
president of Cuba will have a lot of work to do, he noted; 
while universal education and health care are laudable, the 
economy there is a disaster. 
 
¶11. (C) Mesic said he does not plan to see Castro while in 
Havana.  He will attend the summit and send out a message of 
democracy and cooperation.  He will avoid meetings with 
more-radical governments among the attendees.  Mesic promised 
to extend support for democracy in Cuba on another occasion; 
at the Summit he will speak in favor of democracy and human 
rights in general, but will not specifically mention Cuba in 
his remarks.  He concluded by assuring the Ambassador that 
his visit to the NAM would neither hurt the US nor help 
Castro. 
 
¶12. (C) The Ambassador welcomed Mesic's statement that 
Croatia had no intention of changing its status at the NAM 
from that of observer, and that this visit signaled no change 
in Croatia's Euro-Atlantic orientation.  He emphasized that 
this is an important time of transition for Cuba; we all have 
an interest in a peaceful transition to democracy on the 
island, and again urged the president to do whatever he could 
to help achieve that goal. 
 
¶13. (C) Comment:  While the President cites three major 
motivations for his NAM plans, nostalgia for the Yugoslav 
glory days in the NAM is clearly predominant.  As much as we 
wish he would not go down this path, this visit is a somewhat 
quixotic personal choice that represents no change in 
Croatia's strategic direction of ever-closer integration with 
the US and Europe, a direction strongly supported by Prime 
Minister Sanader.  The Ambassador will follow up with 
presidential advisors Budimir Loncar and Tomislav Jakic prior 
to the visit to continue to press our points regarding 
support for Cuban democratic reforms. 
BRADTKE