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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNO #0716/01 3481702
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O 141702Z DEC 06
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0307
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000716 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR, EUR/RPM, EUR/SCE, PM, IO, 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2016 
TAGS: NATO PREL MARR XB
SUBJECT: ACCESSION OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, MONTENEGRO, 
SERBIA TO NATO,S PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE, DECEMBER 14, 2006 
 
REF: SECSTATE 198801 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland for reasons 1.4 (b/d) 
 
SUMMARY: 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) In a historic and emotional morning at NATO HQ on 
December 14, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia 
joined the Partnership for Peace by signing the PfP Framework 
Document in back-to-back meetings with the North Atlantic 
Council (NAC).  BiH trilateral Presidency Chairman Nebosjsha 
Radmanovic, Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic, and 
Serbian President Boris Tadic headed the three delegations to 
NATO.  Ambassador Nuland met separately with Tadic to stress 
the importance the U.S. places on Serbia,s commitment to 
ICTY cooperation, regional stability, and continuing domestic 
reforms.  Tadic forcefully acknowledged his support for those 
goals, both to the Ambassador and to the NAC, but showed 
clear ambivalence about how Kosovo,s final status would play 
out.  UK, Norwegian, and other delegations made strong 
interventions emphasizing the importance of ICTY compliance, 
and the UK called for a cooperative approach to Kosovo final 
status.  Radmanovic and Vujanovic stressed the positive role 
that accession to Partnership would play in their own 
nations, reforms and future domestic development.  See text 
of Tadic address in para 12.  End Summary. 
 
A PULL-ASIDE WITH TADIC 
----------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Ambassador Nuland met privately with Serbian President 
Tadic before his session with the NAC.  Drawing on reftel, 
she made clear that President Bush,s decision to support PfP 
for Serbia at Riga was intended to boost democratic elements 
in the nation, responding to Tadic's personal appeal.  In 
betting on a positive democratic future for Serbia, the 
President expected President Tadic to live up to his public 
and private assurances regarding ICTY compliance and a 
constructive approach to Kosovo status.  Tadic responded that 
he understood the President's intent and his expectations in 
supporting PfP, particularly regarding ICTY compliance.  He 
assured Ambassador Nuland that he shared U.S. goals and would 
work to achieve them in Serbia,s own interests.  He also 
highlighted the benefits that Serbia had obtained from 
bilateral defense ties, noting specifically 
military-to-military cooperation with the Ohio National 
Guard, and introduced his new CHOD as a "new broom." 
 
¶3. (C) In separate meetings with the NAC, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina (BiH), Montenegro, and Serbia acceded to NATO,s 
Partnership for Peace (PfP) on December 14.  BiH Chairman of 
the Trilateral Presidency Radmanovic, Montenegrin President 
Vujanovic, and Serbian President Tadic signed the Partnership 
Framework Document at one-hour intervals in the presence of 
NATO PermReps and the press, with each signing followed by 
individual "26 1" meetings with Allies. 
 
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA:  PARTNERSHIP OF ENTITIES 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶4. (C) President Radmanovic, accompanied by DefMin Nikola 
Radovanovic and CHOD LtGen Sifet Podzic, acknowledged 
Bosnia,s debt to the Alliance for providing a "security 
umbrella" at its founding.  Coming from the Republika Srpska 
member of the Presidency, his promises of full compliance 
with ICTY the International Criminal Tribunal for the former 
Yugoslavia (ICTY) had added significance.  Radmanovic said 
this "great day for the citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina" would 
further stimulate economic and defense reforms, and 
represented "the first step on a long path toward full 
membership in the Alliance and the EU." 
 
¶5. (C) Greece (NATO,s Contact Point Embassy in Sarajevo) 
voiced confidence that Bosnia,s Partnership would further 
strengthen its domestic reform efforts ) citing police 
reform and political dialogue on the constitution as well as 
ICTY compliance.  Netherlands (lead nation for the NATO/PfP 
Trust Fund to resettle redundant military personnel in 
Bosnia) pointed to the Partnership tools that could help the 
reform process through development of an Individual 
Partnership Program (IPP) and eventually a much more 
ambitious Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP).  Canada 
called on BiH to serve as a model for building a multi-ethnic 
society, to respect its commitments to the ICTY, and to 
contribute to stability in the Balkans as Kosovo attained its 
final status early the next year.  Radmanovic responded that 
none of Bosnia,s entities had any doubt about the need for 
ICTY compliance. 
 
 
MONTENEGRO:  A FAST TRACK FROM INDEPENDENCE 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer lauded 
Montenegro,s quick progress since independence in June 2006 
to membership in PfP.  President Vujanovic described 
Montenegro,s progress in more detail, focusing on building 
defense institutions under democratic civilian control and 
achieving interoperability with NATO to allow participation 
in NATO-led peacekeeping operations.  He also alluded to the 
need for economic development, hoped that joining PfP would 
encourage international investors, and that EU and NATO 
membership would follow. 
 
¶7. (C) Allies Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Belgium responded, 
pointing to the need for further work on strengthening the 
rule of law, building an efficient government administration, 
fighting corruption, instituting economic reform, and 
bolstering regional cooperation in the critical period 
following the determination of Kosovo,s final status. 
Slovenia stressed that the values and principles enshrined in 
the PfP Framework Document were strongly shared by all Allies 
and that PfP tools would help Montenegro to achieve its 
reform and interoperability goals.  Belgium applauded 
Montenegro,s speedy accession to the UN and OSCE, as well as 
PfP, and endorsed its aspirations to join NATO and the EU. 
 
SERBIA: COMMITMENT TO ICTY... 
----------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) President Tadic was accompanied by MGen Ponos, 
Presidential Counselors Jerenic, Ratkovic, and Krspic, and 
Special Envoy to NATO Milinkovic.  His meeting with PermReps 
was the most anticipated and dramatic of the three.  (The 
SYG,s Private Office sought in advance to limit the number 
of Allied interventions, and settled on Serbia,s 
alphabetical third-place appearance to allow more time for 
the session if needed.)  At the launch of the meeting, in 
front of the press, the SYG drew on Riga Summit language to 
emphasize NATO's expectation that Serbia would cooperate 
fully with ICTY, and that the Alliance would closely monitor 
its actions.  Still before the cameras, Tadic promised that 
"Serbia is going to cooperate with the ICTY fully, arrest all 
indictees, and finalize this process."  He described Serbia's 
Partnership as "the end of isolation." 
 
¶9. (C) Tadic,s presentation in closed session was even more 
emphatic.  He insisted that arresting war criminals was a 
"moral imperative" and reflected Serbia's own values.  It 
would show not "weakness or cowardice, but facing up to the 
dark days of the 1990s when crimes were committed in the name 
of our nation."  He said Serbia had to take this values-based 
stand "for the sake of our children."  On Kosovo, he was more 
nuanced.  He first called for a compromise solution that 
accommodated "Serbia,s legitimate demands."  But he went on 
to promise that "whatever the outcome, Serbia is committed to 
help keep the peace in this region."  He termed Serbia,s 
Partnership as the culmination of his personal efforts since 
serving as Defense Minister in 2003. 
 
... BUT AMBIVALENCE ON KOSOVO 
----------------------------- 
 
¶10. (C) Norway, Italy, the UK, Germany, Hungary, Romania, and 
Spain responded to Tadic,s inspiring presentation.  Each of 
them saluted his commitment to bring war criminals to 
account, and reiterated that this was essential for Serbia to 
join what Spain called the Euro-Atlantic family.  Norway 
celebrated the "landmark day" for both the Balkans and for 
the Alliance, stating that with ICTY compliance, "there is no 
limit how far NATO-Serbian relations can go."  The UK took 
the most uncompromising stand, addressing Serbia,s 
responsibility to contribute to regional stability (e.g. 
Kosovo settlement) and to ICTY obligations (calling for this 
to be acknowledged in Serbia,s PfP Presentation Document). 
Hungary stressed that Partnership "is not a reward, but a 
tool" for domestic reform. 
 
¶11. (C) An emotional Tadic responded by pointing to the 
"unbelievable changes" in Serbian attitudes toward NATO since 
the low point of NATO's 1999 Operation Allied Force bombing 
campaign to today, when 60% of Serbians support PfP and 40% 
support NATO membership.  He reiterated that he would do "all 
in my power to implement" further reform and the apprehension 
of fugitives.  Regarding Kosovo, he insisted that Serbia 
would "defend our interests" while at the same time thinking 
about regional stability.  He said that a "compromise 
settlement" was the best hope for regional stability, and 
 
opposed "new fragmentation of borders in the Balkans" which 
could become a broader regional problem. 
 
TEXT OF TADIC ADDRESS TO THE NAC 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶12. (C) Begin text of Tadic address: 
 
Your Excellencies, 
Ladies and Gentlemen, 
Dear Friends, 
 
It is my honor to address the North Atlantic Council on the 
day the Republic of Serbia formally enters NATO's Partnership 
for Peace program. The decision to invite us to join is of 
great historical importance not only for my country and our 
region, but -- I believe -- for all the countries represented 
in this room. 
 
For me, this date will mark the day the Euro-Atlantic 
community of nations actualized Sir Winston Churchill's call 
at Fulton for "a new unity in Europe from which no nation 
should be pennanently outcast." Today, the soul of Europe has 
grown stronger: the values we share with passion and 
conviction have triumphed anew. Today, a fresh chapter in the 
history of democratic freedom in South East Europe begins. 
 
Of course, today marks just a beginning, not an end. Our 
joining the PfP family is only the first step in the process 
that will culinate in the region's full integration into te 
Alliance. 
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, 
 
Serbian Armed Forces have come far since the day when, as my 
country's Minister of Defense, I addressed this same chamber. 
On that day in 2003, I spoke of my intention to begin the 
process of defense reform. On this day, I speak to you with a 
happy sincerity that comes from knowing that the recognition 
of our achievements has arrived at last. 
 
On behalf of the democratic forces of Serbia, I want to 
express my gratitude for the support you have extended to my 
country. You have emboldened those who believe that together 
more can be attained than separately. You have encouraged 
those who insist that traumas of the past cannot stand in the 
way of the promise of a better tomorrow. And you have 
strengthened our resolve to fight at home with renewed vigor 
against the notion that our desire to integrate into the 
Euro-Atlantic family of nations is a sign of weakness and 
cowardice. 
 
I firmly believe that to be courageous in the Western Balkans 
means to face up to the awful deeds committed during the dark 
decade of the 1990s. It takes the courage that comes with 
responsible leadership to say that crimes were committed in 
the name of one's nation. Failure to do so dishonors us in 
the eyes of our children. 
 
I therefore consider it a moral imperative that all fugitives 
from justice, Ratko Miadic in particular, be located, 
arrested, and extradited to the Hague. 
 
Serbia goes to the polls on January 21St. I am greatly 
optimistic that the new democratic government will be fully 
committed to extraditing all the indicted war criminals. I 
have pledged to commit all relevant resources to that end, 
and I intend to keep my promise. 
 
Membership in the community of values that is the Partnership 
for Peace only increases my determination to see them brought 
I before the Tribunal. 
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, 
 
It is likely that very soon a proposal on the future status 
of the province of Kosovo and Metohija will be recommended by 
President Ahtisaari to the Contact Group and the Security 
Council of the United Nations. 
 
The Republic of Serbia has consistently argued for a 
compromise solution that seeks to reconcile Belgrade,s 
legitimate demands with those of the Kosovo Albanians.  We 
continue to believe that a negotiated, mutually-acceptable 
solution is the best way forward and presents the best hope 
for regional stability. 
 
Others champion a more one-sided solution. But whatever the 
outcome, the Republic of Serbia remains fully committed to 
 
 
help keeping the peace in our region. Our membership in 
Partnership for Peace only enhances this commitment, for it 
provides us with mechanisms to respond to security challenges 
in a constructive way, jointly with our allies. 
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, 
 
I will end with a few old words that are in my opinion very 
pertinent to the meaning of the new unity of Europe. The 
preamble to the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty reads, in part, 
that the parties to the treaty "are determined to safeguard 
the freedom, common heritage and civilization of their 
peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual 
liberty and the rule of law." 
 
For me today, those words are as powerful as on the day they 
were written.  I believe that never before in the history of 
South East Europe has such a concrete opportunity to overcome 
regional strife and conflict, as the one before us now, 
presented itself to those willing to grasp its promise of 
prosperity. 
 
Thank you very much for extending the Partnership for Peace 
to the Republic of Serbia. 
 
NULAND