Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 251287 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AEMR ASEC AMGT AE AS AMED AVIAN AU AF AORC AGENDA AO AR AM APER AFIN ATRN AJ ABUD ARABL AL AG AODE ALOW ADANA AADP AND APECO ACABQ ASEAN AA AFFAIRS AID AGR AY AGS AFSI AGOA AMB ARF ANET ASCH ACOA AFLU AFSN AMEX AFDB ABLD AESC AFGHANISTAN AINF AVIATION ARR ARSO ANDREW ASSEMBLY AIDS APRC ASSK ADCO ASIG AC AZ APEC AFINM ADB AP ACOTA ASEX ACKM ASUP ANTITERRORISM ADPM AINR ARABLEAGUE AGAO AORG AMTC AIN ACCOUNT ASECAFINGMGRIZOREPTU AIDAC AINT ARCH AMGTKSUP ALAMI AMCHAMS ALJAZEERA AVIANFLU AORD AOREC ALIREZA AOMS AMGMT ABDALLAH AORCAE AHMED ACCELERATED AUC ALZUGUREN ANGEL AORL ASECIR AMG AMBASSADOR AEMRASECCASCKFLOMARRPRELPINRAMGTJMXL ADM ASES ABMC AER AMER ASE AMGTHA ARNOLDFREDERICK AOPC ACS AFL AEGR ASED AFPREL AGRI AMCHAM ARNOLD AN ANATO AME APERTH ASECSI AT ACDA ASEDC AIT AMERICA AMLB AMGE ACTION AGMT AFINIZ ASECVE ADRC ABER AGIT APCS AEMED ARABBL ARC ASO AIAG ACEC ASR ASECM ARG AEC ABT ADIP ADCP ANARCHISTS AORCUN AOWC ASJA AALC AX AROC ARM AGENCIES ALBE AK AZE AOPR AREP AMIA ASCE ALANAZI ABDULRAHMEN ABDULHADI AINFCY ARMS ASECEFINKCRMKPAOPTERKHLSAEMRNS AGRICULTURE AFPK AOCR ALEXANDER ATRD ATFN ABLG AORCD AFGHAN ARAS AORCYM AVERY ALVAREZ ACBAQ ALOWAR ANTOINE ABLDG ALAB AMERICAS AFAF ASECAFIN ASEK ASCC AMCT AMGTATK AMT APDC AEMRS ASECE AFSA ATRA ARTICLE ARENA AISG AEMRBC AFR AEIR ASECAF AFARI AMPR ASPA ASOC ANTONIO AORCL ASECARP APRM AUSTRALIAGROUP ASEG AFOR AEAID AMEDI ASECTH ASIC AFDIN AGUIRRE AUNR ASFC AOIC ANTXON ASA ASECCASC ALI AORCEUNPREFPRELSMIGBN ASECKHLS ASSSEMBLY ASECVZ AI ASECPGOV ASIR ASCEC ASAC ARAB AIEA ADMIRAL AUSGR AQ AMTG ARRMZY ANC APR AMAT AIHRC AFU ADEL AECL ACAO AMEMR ADEP AV AW AOR ALL ALOUNI AORCUNGA ALNEA ASC AORCO ARMITAGE AGENGA AGRIC AEM ACOAAMGT AGUILAR AFPHUM AMEDCASCKFLO AFZAL AAA ATPDEA ASECPHUM ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
ETRD ETTC EU ECON EFIN EAGR EAID ELAB EINV ENIV ENRG EPET EZ ELTN ELECTIONS ECPS ET ER EG EUN EIND ECONOMICS EMIN ECIN EINT EWWT EAIR EN ENGR ES EI ETMIN EL EPA EARG EFIS ECONOMY EC EK ELAM ECONOMIC EAR ESDP ECCP ELN EUM EUMEM ECA EAP ELEC ECOWAS EFTA EXIM ETTD EDRC ECOSOC ECPSN ENVIRONMENT ECO EMAIL ECTRD EREL EDU ENERG ENERGY ENVR ETRAD EAC EXTERNAL EFIC ECIP ERTD EUC ENRGMO EINZ ESTH ECCT EAGER ECPN ELNT ERD EGEN ETRN EIVN ETDR EXEC EIAD EIAR EVN EPRT ETTF ENGY EAIDCIN EXPORT ETRC ESA EIB EAPC EPIT ESOCI ETRB EINDQTRD ENRC EGOV ECLAC EUR ELF ETEL ENRGUA EVIN EARI ESCAP EID ERIN ELAN ENVT EDEV EWWY EXBS ECOM EV ELNTECON ECE ETRDGK EPETEIND ESCI ETRDAORC EAIDETRD ETTR EMS EAGRECONEINVPGOVBN EBRD EUREM ERGR EAGRBN EAUD EFI ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ETRO ENRGY EGAR ESSO EGAD ENV ENER EAIDXMXAXBXFFR ELA EET EINVETRD EETC EIDN ERGY ETRDPGOV EING EMINCG EINVECON EURM EEC EICN EINO EPSC ELAP ELABPGOVBN EE ESPS ETRA ECONETRDBESPAR ERICKSON EEOC EVENTS EPIN EB ECUN EPWR ENG EX EH EAIDAR EAIS ELBA EPETUN ETRDEIQ EENV ECPC ETRP ECONENRG EUEAID EWT EEB EAIDNI ESENV EADM ECN ENRGKNNP ETAD ETR ECONETRDEAGRJA ETRG ETER EDUC EITC EBUD EAIF EBEXP EAIDS EITI EGOVSY EFQ ECOQKPKO ETRGY ESF EUE EAIC EPGOV ENFR EAGRE ENRD EINTECPS EAVI ETC ETCC EIAID EAIDAF EAGREAIDPGOVPRELBN EAOD ETRDA EURN EASS EINVA EAIDRW EON ECOR EPREL EGPHUM ELTM ECOS EINN ENNP EUPGOV EAGRTR ECONCS ETIO ETRDGR EAIDB EISNAR EIFN ESPINOSA EAIDASEC ELIN EWTR EMED ETFN ETT EADI EPTER ELDIN EINVEFIN ESS ENRGIZ EQRD ESOC ETRDECD ECINECONCS EAIT ECONEAIR ECONEFIN EUNJ ENRGKNNPMNUCPARMPRELNPTIAEAJMXL ELAD EFIM ETIC EFND EFN ETLN ENGRD EWRG ETA EIN EAIRECONRP EXIMOPIC ERA ENRGJM ECONEGE ENVI ECHEVARRIA EMINETRD EAD ECONIZ EENG ELBR EWWC ELTD EAIDMG ETRK EIPR EISNLN ETEX EPTED EFINECONCS EPCS EAG ETRDKIPR ED EAIO ETRDEC ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ERNG EFINU EURFOR EWWI ELTNSNAR ETD EAIRASECCASCID EOXC ESTN EAIDAORC EAGRRP ETRDEMIN ELABPHUMSMIGKCRMBN ETRDEINVTINTCS EGHG EAIDPHUMPRELUG EAGRBTIOBEXPETRDBN EDA EPETPGOV ELAINE EUCOM EMW EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM ELB EINDETRD EMI ETRDECONWTOCS EINR ESTRADA EHUM EFNI ELABV ENR EMN EXO EWWTPRELPGOVMASSMARRBN EATO END EP EINVETC ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID ELTRN EIQ ETTW EAI ENGRG ETRED ENDURING ETTRD EAIDEGZ EOCN EINF EUPREL ENRL ECPO ENLT EEFIN EPPD ECOIN EUEAGR EISL EIDE ENRGSD EINVECONSENVCSJA EAIG ENTG EEPET EUNCH EPECO ETZ EPAT EPTE EAIRGM ETRDPREL EUNGRSISAFPKSYLESO ETTN EINVKSCA ESLCO EBMGT ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EFLU ELND EFINOECD EAIDHO EDUARDO ENEG ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EFINTS ECONQH ENRGPREL EUNPHUM EINDIR EPE EMINECINECONSENVTBIONS EFINM ECRM EQ EWWTSP ECONPGOVBN
KFLO KPKO KDEM KFLU KTEX KMDR KPAO KCRM KIDE KN KNNP KG KMCA KZ KJUS KWBG KU KDMR KAWC KCOR KPAL KOMC KTDB KTIA KISL KHIV KHUM KTER KCFE KTFN KS KIRF KTIP KIRC KSCA KICA KIPR KPWR KWMN KE KGIC KGIT KSTC KACT KSEP KFRD KUNR KHLS KCRS KRVC KUWAIT KVPR KSRE KMPI KMRS KNRV KNEI KCIP KSEO KITA KDRG KV KSUM KCUL KPET KBCT KO KSEC KOLY KNAR KGHG KSAF KWNM KNUC KMNP KVIR KPOL KOCI KPIR KLIG KSAC KSTH KNPT KINL KPRP KRIM KICC KIFR KPRV KAWK KFIN KT KVRC KR KHDP KGOV KPOW KTBT KPMI KPOA KRIF KEDEM KFSC KY KGCC KATRINA KWAC KSPR KTBD KBIO KSCI KRCM KNNB KBNC KIMT KCSY KINR KRAD KMFO KCORR KW KDEMSOCI KNEP KFPC KEMPI KBTR KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNPP KTTB KTFIN KBTS KCOM KFTN KMOC KOR KDP KPOP KGHA KSLG KMCR KJUST KUM KMSG KHPD KREC KIPRTRD KPREL KEN KCSA KCRIM KGLB KAKA KWWT KUNP KCRN KISLPINR KLFU KUNC KEDU KCMA KREF KPAS KRKO KNNC KLHS KWAK KOC KAPO KTDD KOGL KLAP KECF KCRCM KNDP KSEAO KCIS KISM KREL KISR KISC KKPO KWCR KPFO KUS KX KWCI KRFD KWPG KTRD KH KLSO KEVIN KEANE KACW KWRF KNAO KETTC KTAO KWIR KVCORR KDEMGT KPLS KICT KWGB KIDS KSCS KIRP KSTCPL KDEN KLAB KFLOA KIND KMIG KPPAO KPRO KLEG KGKG KCUM KTTP KWPA KIIP KPEO KICR KNNA KMGT KCROM KMCC KLPM KNNPGM KSIA KSI KWWW KOMS KESS KMCAJO KWN KTDM KDCM KCM KVPRKHLS KENV KCCP KGCN KCEM KEMR KWMNKDEM KNNPPARM KDRM KWIM KJRE KAID KWMM KPAONZ KUAE KTFR KIF KNAP KPSC KSOCI KCWI KAUST KPIN KCHG KLBO KIRCOEXC KI KIRCHOFF KSTT KNPR KDRL KCFC KLTN KPAOKMDRKE KPALAOIS KESO KKOR KSMT KFTFN KTFM KDEMK KPKP KOCM KNN KISLSCUL KFRDSOCIRO KINT KRG KWMNSMIG KSTCC KPAOY KFOR KWPR KSEPCVIS KGIV KSEI KIL KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KQ KEMS KHSL KTNF KPDD KANSOU KKIV KFCE KTTC KGH KNNNP KK KSCT KWNN KAWX KOMCSG KEIM KTSD KFIU KDTB KFGM KACP KWWMN KWAWC KSPA KGICKS KNUP KNNO KISLAO KTPN KSTS KPRM KPALPREL KPO KTLA KCRP KNMP KAWCK KCERS KDUM KEDM KTIALG KWUN KPTS KPEM KMEPI KAWL KHMN KCRO KCMR KPTD KCROR KMPT KTRF KSKN KMAC KUK KIRL KEM KSOC KBTC KOM KINP KDEMAF KTNBT KISK KRM KWBW KBWG KNNPMNUC KNOP KSUP KCOG KNET KWBC KESP KMRD KEBG KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KPWG KOMCCO KRGY KNNF KPROG KJAN KFRED KPOKO KM KWMNCS KMPF KJWC KJU KSMIG KALR KRAL KDGOV KPA KCRMJA KCRI KAYLA KPGOV KRD KNNPCH KFEM KPRD KFAM KALM KIPRETRDKCRM KMPP KADM KRFR KMWN KWRG KTIAPARM KTIAEUN KRDP KLIP KDDEM KTIAIC KWKN KPAD KDM KRCS KWBGSY KEAI KIVP KPAOPREL KUNH KTSC KIPT KNP KJUSTH KGOR KEPREL KHSA KGHGHIV KNNR KOMH KRCIM KWPB KWIC KINF KPER KILS KA KNRG KCSI KFRP KLFLO KFE KNPPIS KQM KQRDQ KERG KPAOPHUM KSUMPHUM KVBL KARIM KOSOVO KNSD KUIR KWHG KWBGXF KWMNU KPBT KKNP KERF KCRT KVIS KWRC KVIP KTFS KMARR KDGR KPAI KDE KTCRE KMPIO KUNRAORC KHOURY KAWS KPAK KOEM KCGC KID KVRP KCPS KIVR KBDS KWOMN KIIC KTFNJA KARZAI KMVP KHJUS KPKOUNSC KMAR KIBL KUNA KSA KIS KJUSAF KDEV KPMO KHIB KIRD KOUYATE KIPRZ KBEM KPAM KDET KPPD KOSCE KJUSKUNR KICCPUR KRMS KWMNPREL KWMJN KREISLER KWM KDHS KRV KPOV KWMNCI KMPL KFLD KWWN KCVM KIMMITT KCASC KOMO KNATO KDDG KHGH KRF KSCAECON KWMEN KRIC
PREL PINR PGOV PHUM PTER PE PREF PARM PBTS PINS PHSA PK PL PM PNAT PHAS PO PROP PGOVE PA PU POLITICAL PPTER POL PALESTINIAN PHUN PIN PAMQ PPA PSEC POLM PBIO PSOE PDEM PAK PF PKAO PGOVPRELMARRMOPS PMIL PV POLITICS PRELS POLICY PRELHA PIRN PINT PGOG PERSONS PRC PEACE PROCESS PRELPGOV PROV PFOV PKK PRE PT PIRF PSI PRL PRELAF PROG PARMP PERL PUNE PREFA PP PGOB PUM PROTECTION PARTIES PRIL PEL PAGE PS PGO PCUL PLUM PIF PGOVENRGCVISMASSEAIDOPRCEWWTBN PMUC PCOR PAS PB PKO PY PKST PTR PRM POUS PRELIZ PGIC PHUMS PAL PNUC PLO PMOPS PHM PGOVBL PBK PELOSI PTE PGOVAU PNR PINSO PRO PLAB PREM PNIR PSOCI PBS PD PHUML PERURENA PKPA PVOV PMAR PHUMCF PUHM PHUH PRELPGOVETTCIRAE PRT PROPERTY PEPFAR PREI POLUN PAR PINSF PREFL PH PREC PPD PING PQL PINSCE PGV PREO PRELUN POV PGOVPHUM PINRES PRES PGOC PINO POTUS PTERE PRELKPAO PRGOV PETR PGOVEAGRKMCAKNARBN PPKO PARLIAMENT PEPR PMIG PTBS PACE PETER PMDL PVIP PKPO POLMIL PTEL PJUS PHUMNI PRELKPAOIZ PGOVPREL POGV PEREZ POWELL PMASS PDOV PARN PG PPOL PGIV PAIGH PBOV PETROL PGPV PGOVL POSTS PSO PRELEU PRELECON PHUMPINS PGOVKCMABN PQM PRELSP PRGO PATTY PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PGVO PROTESTS PRELPLS PKFK PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PARAGRAPH PRELGOV POG PTRD PTERM PBTSAG PHUMKPAL PRELPK PTERPGOV PAO PRIVATIZATION PSCE PPAO PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PARALYMPIC PRUM PKPRP PETERS PAHO PARMS PGREL PINV POINS PHUMPREL POREL PRELNL PHUMPGOV PGOVQL PLAN PRELL PARP PROVE PSOC PDD PRELNP PRELBR PKMN PGKV PUAS PRELTBIOBA PBTSEWWT PTERIS PGOVU PRELGG PHUMPRELPGOV PFOR PEPGOV PRELUNSC PRAM PICES PTERIZ PREK PRELEAGR PRELEUN PHUME PHU PHUMKCRS PRESL PRTER PGOF PARK PGOVSOCI PTERPREL PGOVEAID PGOVPHUMKPAO PINSKISL PREZ PGOVAF PARMEUN PECON PINL POGOV PGOVLO PIERRE PRELPHUM PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PBST PKPAO PHUMHUPPS PGOVPOL PASS PPGOV PROGV PAGR PHALANAGE PARTY PRELID PGOVID PHUMR PHSAQ PINRAMGT PSA PRELM PRELMU PIA PINRPE PBTSRU PARMIR PEDRO PNUK PVPR PINOCHET PAARM PRFE PRELEIN PINF PCI PSEPC PGOVSU PRLE PDIP PHEM PRELB PORG PGGOC POLG POPDC PGOVPM PWMN PDRG PHUMK PINB PRELAL PRER PFIN PNRG PRED POLI PHUMBO PHYTRP PROLIFERATION PHARM PUOS PRHUM PUNR PENA PGOVREL PETRAEUS PGOVKDEM PGOVENRG PHUS PRESIDENT PTERKU PRELKSUMXABN PGOVSI PHUMQHA PKISL PIR PGOVZI PHUMIZNL PKNP PRELEVU PMIN PHIM PHUMBA PUBLIC PHAM PRELKPKO PMR PARTM PPREL PN PROL PDA PGOVECON PKBL PKEAID PERM PRELEZ PRELC PER PHJM PGOVPRELPINRBN PRFL PLN PWBG PNG PHUMA PGOR PHUMPTER POLINT PPEF PKPAL PNNL PMARR PAC PTIA PKDEM PAUL PREG PTERR PTERPRELPARMPGOVPBTSETTCEAIRELTNTC PRELJA POLS PI PNS PAREL PENV PTEROREP PGOVM PINER PBGT PHSAUNSC PTERDJ PRELEAID PARMIN PKIR PLEC PCRM PNET PARR PRELETRD PRELBN PINRTH PREJ PEACEKEEPINGFORCES PEMEX PRELZ PFLP PBPTS PTGOV PREVAL PRELSW PAUM PRF PHUMKDEM PATRICK PGOVKMCAPHUMBN PRELA PNUM PGGV PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PBT PIND PTEP PTERKS PGOVJM PGOT PRELMARR PGOVCU PREV PREFF PRWL PET PROB PRELPHUMP PHUMAF PVTS PRELAFDB PSNR PGOVECONPRELBU PGOVZL PREP PHUMPRELBN PHSAPREL PARCA PGREV PGOVDO PGON PCON PODC PRELOV PHSAK PSHA PGOVGM PRELP POSCE PGOVPTER PHUMRU PINRHU PARMR PGOVTI PPEL PMAT PAN PANAM PGOVBO PRELHRC

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 08ZAGREB869, BORDER DISPUTE WITH SLOVENIA DERAILING CROATIA'S

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08ZAGREB869.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08ZAGREB869 2008-12-19 15:05 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Zagreb
VZCZCXYZ0012
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVB #0869/01 3541505
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 191505Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8864
INFO RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA PRIORITY 6439
C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000869 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2018 
TAGS: PREL EUC HR SI
SUBJECT: BORDER DISPUTE WITH SLOVENIA DERAILING CROATIA'S 
EU JOURNEY 
 
REF: A. LJUBLJANA 537 
     B. LJUBLJANA 536 
     C. LJUBLJANA 515 
     D. ZAGREB 841 
     E. ZAGREB 834 
     F. ZAGREB 785 
     G. ZAGREB 762 
     H. ZAGREB 734 
 
Classified By: Classified By: Daniel Meges, Pol Officer, for reasons 1. 
4 (b) & (d). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1. (C/NF) The optimism that existed in Croatia two months ago 
that the new government in Slovenia would enable Zagreb and 
Ljubljana to move forward on the ongoing border dispute has 
disappeared.  On the eve of a Dec. 19 EU-Croatia accession 
conference meeting, where it is widely expected that Slovenia 
will block the progress in opening and closing of several 
chapters in Croatia's EU negotiations, local media and 
Croatian politicians are increasingly worried that Croatia's 
NATO membership might also become a victim of the dispute. 
The one encouraging sign is that, even as government 
statements display Croatia's irritation at what they see as 
Slovenian blackmail, top officials, including PM Sanader, 
have rejected suggestions in the public and the media that 
Croatia should consider retaliatory measures such as a 
consumer boycott of Slovenian products.  END SUMMARY. 
 
NO PROGRESS ON GETTING PAST SLOVENE OBJECTIONS TO CROATIA 
OPENING MORE CHAPTERS WITH THE EU 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) With the failure of French efforts to broker a 
compromise statement that nothing in the accession process 
should prejudice the resolution of the border dispute, 
Slovenia is poised to block the opening of several chapters 
and the closing of at least three chapters at the EU 
intergovernmental conference on December 19 in Brussels. 
Croatia is likely to be able to open just one chapter (public 
procurement), and provisionally close just two (intellectual 
property, and economic and monetary policy). 
 
3.(SBU) Slovenian DCM to Croatia, Minister Robert Krmelj 
(please protect), met with Poloff on December 16 and gave us 
a sharper focus on what Slovenia considers to be "prejudicial 
material" in Croatia's submissions.  Slovenia has carefully 
combed through all of Croatia's negotiating positions, which 
themselves contain no prejudicial material, but often 
reference current and, at times, past Croatian laws.  The 
laws referred to in the negotiation package frequently then 
make reference to action plans, executive orders, or 
implementation plans (sub-legal acts) that contain maps or 
other specifications regarding the scope and dimensions of 
the border.  Slovenia argues that because its parliament must 
approve the opening and closing of each chapter, Croatia 
could claim that this parliamentary approval consitutes a 
"state blessing" of the material, giving it some legal weight 
in any future border arbitration.  Thus, Slovenia seeks the 
exclusion of Croatian laws that reference any sub-legal acts 
that contain prejudicial material from Croatia's negotiating 
positions. 
 
4. (SBU)  Krmelj argued that when Slovenia passed a law or 
adopted a sub-legal act that involved the Croatian-Slovenian 
border, it always included a footnote indicating the final 
border demarcation is unresolved and is subject to a dispute. 
 By contrast, Ljubljana claims, when Croatia enacted certain 
laws, such as the exclusive Ecological and Fisheries 
Protection Zone, or numerous sub-legal acts, it simply 
pocketed Slovenian concessions that were made during the 
never-ratified Racan-Drnovsek border deal of 2001.  Moreover, 
Krmelj argued, the GoC failed to acknowledge corresponding 
Croatian concessions nor did it indicate that the border 
demarcation remains unresolved.  Krmelj noted that Slovenian 
politicians across the political spectrum view the lack of 
footnoting by Croatia's legislature as a deliberate attempt 
to prejudge the border.  Therefore, Slovenia has been seeking 
that Croatia amend all the laws and sub-legal acts that 
contain these prejudicial references by including the 
appropriate footnotes clarifying that the border is still 
subject to dispute. 
 
5. (SBU) Croatian officials insist that they want to handle 
the border dispute bilaterally, preferably on the terms of a 
2007 agreement between Sanader and then-Slovene PM Drnovsek 
to refer the dispute to third-party arbitration (REFTELS). 
For this reason, the GoC offered to make statements 
guaranteeing that nothing in their accession negotiating 
positions would be used in the border negotiations, or could 
 
prejudice that outcome.  Any border arbitration, however, is 
likely to take many years (see para 9), so the Croatians fear 
indications from Ljubljana that a final resolution of the 
border dispute could be a pre-condition for Croatia's EU 
membership.  In the Croatian view, the French effort to turn 
Croatia's offer into a formal declaration was the best way to 
keep the border discussions in the bilateral track. 
 
6. (SBU) According to Krmelj, Slovenia made several 
amendments to the French text to increase the level of legal 
assurances from Croatia, but Zagreb objected -- with support 
from the French EU presidency (REFTEL A & D) -- that the 
Slovenian demands went too far in prejudging the border in 
favor of the Slovenian position.  Krmelj indicated that 
Slovenia would not withdraw its amendments to the French 
proposal, and it was up to Zagreb to accept them if they 
wanted to move forward on opening and closing more EU 
chapters.  On December 18 Prime Minister Sanader indicated 
that Croatia was not going to accept the Slovenian 
amendments. 
 
LJUBLJANA COMMITTED TO CROATIA'S NATO MEMBERSHIP, BUT WORRIES 
THAT POLITICS COULD INTERFERE 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
7. (C) Krmelj noted that the Slovenian government had 
submitted the protocol for NATO membership for Croatia and 
Albania to parliament.  He stated that the GoS clearly 
supported Croatia's NATO accession, and there is broad 
support in Slovenia for Croatia as a member of NATO.  It was 
now up to a parliamentary committee, in conjunction with 
parliamentary and constitutional experts, to determine the 
required majority in parliament needed to pass the protocol. 
He opined that based on precedents with Bulgaria and Romania 
this would likely mean a 2/3 majority to ratify Croatia's 
entry into NATO.  He predicted that the parliamentary 
committee would finish its work by mid-January 2009 with a 
debate and vote on the topic a few weeks later.  He then 
stated that while ratification of this protocol was not seen 
as problematic a few months ago, things were different now. 
Slovenian Prime Minister Barut Pahor would have to be very 
cautious, as the debate on Croatia would likely be "very 
difficult" and "intense."  Krmelj noted that there were 
several strong parliamentarians from "liberal" parties that 
had the "wrong" thinking about NATO and Croatia's membership 
in NATO.  He surmised that Pahor would need external help, 
primarily from Croatia, in terms of positive press and a 
diffusion of bilateral tension in the run-up to the NATO 
vote, to secure a positive result. 
 
8. (C) Krmelj acknowledged that Slovenia was under a lot of 
pressure in the EU to back down on the border issue and allow 
Croatia's EU accession process to move forward.  This 
pressure, however, made it more difficult for the government 
to deal with the border dispute and bolstered those that want 
to see the issue brought to a public referendum.  He 
suggested that Brussels only eases its pressure on Ljubljana 
when Slovene officials raise the prospect of a referendum 
regarding Croatia's eventual EU membership.  He noted that an 
Irish referendum blocked the Lisbon treaty, and now the Irish 
are getting concessions from Brussels.  He added that nobody 
wants Croatia's NATO membership to be brought to a public 
referendum, but claimed that under Slovene law, demands from 
just ten parliamentarians could force a referendum on the 
issue. 
 
ARBITRATION EFFORTS STALLED 
--------------------- 
 
9. (SBU) Krmelj also stated that efforts to take the border 
dispute to arbitration had largely stalled over the terms of 
the arbitration.  He indicated that there was still no 
agreement as to the venue, notwithstanding the Lake Bled 
agreement to take the issue to the International Court of 
Justice, nor on the legal framework for deciding the case. 
Slovenia continues to insist that the concept of equity and 
fairness, or "ex aequo et bono" (REF H), be the primary 
factor in deciding the case.  Zagreb argues the standard 
rules of international law should be applied to the dispute. 
The Croatian government has made some private inquiries to 
international legal experts on how the concept of ex aequo et 
bono could be applied in this case, but the paucity of 
rulings employing this principle in international legal fora 
precluded Zagreb from reaching a firm conclusion. 
 
COMMENT 
------ 
 
10. (C//NF) The Croatians are stuck.  A senior Croatian 
official acknowledged to PolCouns in early November that the 
GoC has no real strategy for resolving the ongoing border 
dispute beyond the effort to get it to arbitration, and that 
 
Zagreb was surprised by Ljubljana's hardball negotiating 
tactics over the EU chapters.  A few months ago, Zagreb hoped 
that the new Pahor government would drop what Croatia saw as 
former FM Rupel's tactic of trying to use the EU process to 
pressure Zagreb on the border, but this hope has quickly 
evaporated.  Croatian officials appear sensitive to the risks 
should public rhetoric escalate further, but Slovenia's 
decision to block so many accession chapters has become the 
number one topic of discussion here.  The issue is not going 
away since eventually Croatia has to figure out a way to get 
these chapters open.  Now that the Dec. 19 deadline is 
passed, the GoC must consider what actions it might take to 
persuade Slovenia to put Croatia's EU accession process back 
on track.  END COMMENT. 
WALKER