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PAAUZYUW RUEHPOD0058 0661115-UUUU--RHMCSUU.
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P 071115Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY PODGORICA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PODGORICA 000058 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR MW
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT VUJANOVIC 
 
REF: PODGORICA 54 
 
PODGORICA 00000058  001.4 OF 002 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
 
1.(SBU) ON MARCH 6 CHARGE PAID A COURTESY CALL ON PRESIDENT 
FILIP VUJANOVIC. HE EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR PAST AMERICAN 
ASSISTANCE, SAID MONTENEGRO WANTED TO BE A STRATEGIC PARTNER OF 
THE UNITED STATES, PLEDGED COOPERATION IN THE FIGHT AGAINST 
ORGANIZED CRIME, STATED MONTENEGRIN INTEREST IN RAPID CONCLUSION 
OF DEFENSE AGREEMENTS, REITERATED INTEREST IN US INVESTMENT AND 
EXPRESSED HOPE FOR A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION TOT HE PROBLEM OF 
KOSOVO. END SUMMARY 
 
 
 
2.(SBU) CHARGE REQUESTED A MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT AFTER ONE 
OF HIS SENIOR STAFF GENTLY SUGGESTED SHE DO SO.  THE PRESIDENT 
BEGAN, AS APPARENTLY IS HIS HABIT, BY THANKING THE UNITED STATES 
FOR THE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO MONTENEGRO OVER THE LAST SEVERAL 
YEARS.  HE TOLD THE CHARGE HE HAD CAREFULLY READ THE INSCR WHICH 
WAS SUBJECT OF CONSIDERABLE MEDIA ATTENTION.  HE APPRECIATED THE 
FACT THAT IT WASN'T ALL NEGATIVE AND TOOK NOTE OF SOME 
MONTENEGRIN SUCCESSES IN CLOSING DOWN OFFSHORE COMPANIES AND 
ARRESTING MONEY LAUNDERERS.  HE AGREED THAT MORE NEEDED TO BE 
DONE AND PRAISED THE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY USG EXPERTS EMBEDDED 
IN VARIOUS GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES.  MONTENEGRO WOULD WELCOME 
EXPERTS IN ALL AGENCIES ENGAGED IN COMBATING ORGANIZED CRIME. 
VUJANOVIC AGREED THAT THE PERCEPTION OF CORRUPTION WAS HARMING 
MONTENEGROS REPUTATION AND THAT CONCERTED ACTION WOULD BE 
REQUIRED TO COUNTER THIS. 
 
 
 
3.(SBU) TURNING TO THE ISSUE OF THE ECONOMY, VUJANOVIC SAID THE 
GOVERNMENT WAS COMMITTED TO TRYING TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT IN THE 
NORTH AND COMPLIMENTED CHARGE ON HER RECENT VISIT TO PLEVIJA. 
HE LAMENTED THE ABSENCE OF US INVESTMENT, ASKED FOR THE 
EMBASSYS ASSISTANCE IN ENCOURAGING IT, BUT CONCLUDED THAT 
MONTENEGRO NEEDED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MAKING ITS POTENTIAL AND 
OPPORTUNITIES KNOWN TO US INVESTORS. WITH OVER 500 MILLION 
DOLLARS WORTH OF FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN 2005, MONTENEGRO 
WAS CLEARLY DOING A NUMBER OF THINGS RIGHT, BUT WAS STILL 
MISSING A KEY TARGET AUDIENCE.  THE NEW AMBASSADOR TO WASHINGTON 
HAD BEEN TOLD HIS JOB WAS ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY AS THE OTHER 
ASPECTS OF THE RELATIONSHIP WERE WORKING WELL. 
 
 
 
4.(SBU) VUJANOVIC SAID MONTENEGRO HAD BENEFITED FROM A NUMBER 
VISITS BY HIGH-LEVEL DEFENSE OFFICIALS.  HE CITED IN PARTICULAR 
THE SEPTEMBER VISIT OF THEN SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFELD, WHOM 
HE DESCRIBED AS DELIVERING ON HIS THREE PROMISES: INVITATION TO 
MONTENEGRO TO JOIN PFP; ACCREDITING OF A DATT; LINKAGE WITH 
MAINE IN A STATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.  THE PRESIDENT SAID HE HAD 
PERSONALLY REVIEWED THE DRAFT SOFA AGREEMENT AND HIS COMMENTS 
WOULD BE INCLUDED IN CONSOLIDATED GOM RESPONSE (SEE REF) HE 
EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE AGREEMENT COULD BE CONCLUDED SWIFTLY 
AND "...IN KEEPING WITH AMERICAN PRACTICE" SIGNED IN WASHINGTON. 
 CHARGE NOTED TO THE PRESIDENT'S SATISFACTION THAT THERE WOULD A 
DATT RESIDENT IN PODGORICA BY THE END OF SUMMER.  SHE CONFIRMED 
THAT THINGS WERE MOVING FORWARD ON THE SOFA AND OBSERVED THAT 
THERE WAS NO SET PRACTICE FOR SIGNING CEREMONIES AND PROMISED TO 
WORK WITH THE GOM ON ARRANGEMENTS WHEN THE TIME CAME.  ONCE THE 
SOFA WAS SIGNED AND DIPLOMATIC NOTES HAD BEEN EXCHANGED ON AN 
ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT, THE US WOULD WANT TO INITIATE A NUMBER OF 
TRAINING PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ONE FOR THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH TO 
MILITARY PERSONNEL.  THE PRESIDENT WHOLE HEARTEDLY ENDORSED THIS 
IDEA. 
 
 
 
5.(SBU) CHARGE RAISED THE ISSUE OF REGIONAL RELATIONS AND IN 
PARTICULAR KOSOVO. VUJANOVIC SAID AS THE SMALLEST OF THE FORMER 
YUGOSLAV REPUBLICS, MONTENEGRO WAS SEEN AS NON-THREATENING WHEN 
IT SOUGHT TO FOSTER GREATER REGIONAL COOPERATION.  GOOD 
RELATIONS WITH ALL NEIGHBORS WAS MONTENEGROS GOAL.  EMBASSY HAD 
HEARD FROM A WELL PLACED SOURCE THAT VUJANOVIC PLANS OFFICIAL 
TRAVEL TO ZAGREB IN THE NEXT WEEK, BUT THE PRESIDENT MADE NO 
MENTION OF THIS.  ECONOMIC COOPERATION IN THE REGION WAS, 
ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT, LOGICAL, GIVEN THE FORMER 
COMPLIMENTARY RELATIONSHIP OF THE CONSTITUENT YUGOSLAV 
REPUBLICS.  THERE WERE STILL ISSUES SUCH AS PREVLAKA PENINSULA 
TO BE WORKED OUT WITH CROATIA.  ON THE SUBJECT OF KOSOVO, 
MONTENEGRO WOULD NOT OFFER SUGGESTIONS OR TAKE A POSITION.  IT 
HAS BEEN RIGHT AND PROPER TO INVITE CEKU TO PODGROICA IN 
NOVEMBER LAST YEAR, JUST AS IT HAD BEEN RIGHT TO INVITE THE 
OTHER KOSOVAR MINISTERS, BUT THE GOVERNMENT HAD TO BE MINDFUL OF 
BELGRADE'S REACTION TO THE CEKU VISIT AS WELL AS DOMESTIC 
REACTION.  HE REGRETTED THAT IN THE IMMEDIATE POST MILOSOVIC 
PERIOD BOTH SIDES HAD LOST VALUABLE TIME BEING UNWILLING TO 
ENGAGE IN ANY DISCUSSION.  THE INTERVENTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL 
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PODGORICA 00000058  002.4 OF 002 
 
 
COMMUNITY HAD BEEN REQUIRED AND WOULD CONTINUE TO BE REQUIRED TO 
FIND A SUSTAINABLE SETTLEMENT IN KOSOVO WHICH ASSURED ADEQUATE 
PROTECTIONS FOR THE SERBS AND RETURN OF REFUGEES.  HE WAS VERY 
CLEAR THAT KOSOVO'S FUTURE WAS ONLY AS A MULTI-ETHNIC STATE. 
 
 
 
6.(SBU) COMMENT: THE MEETING, A COURTESY CALL, PROVIDED LITTLE 
OF SUBSTANCE.  IT WAS INTERESTING  THAT A MEMBER OF THE 
PRESIDENTS PERSONAL STAFF HAD SOUGHT CHARGE OUT AT A RECEPTION 
AND SUGGESTED SHE SEEK A MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT. HE WAS 
RELAXED AND ENGAGING DURING THE HOUR LONG MEETING, HIS DEMEANOR 
CHANGING ONLY WHEN KOSOVO WAS RAISED.  HE SPOKE IN SERBIAN WITH 
OCCASIONAL COMMENTS IN ENGLISH, BUT DID NOT REQUIRE TRANSLATION 
FROM THE ENGLISH. LIKE MANY MONTENEGRIN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HE 
SEEMS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ATTRACTING US INVESTMENT. UNLIKE MANY 
OTHERS, HE SEEMS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS A SELLING 
JOB TO DO. 
BARNES 
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