VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVJ #0801/01 1031322
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131322Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO
TO RUFDAMS/USEUCOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5876
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/COMUSNAVEUR NAPLES IT PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0125
RUFOAOA/USNIC SARAJEVO PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SARAJEVO 000801 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
SECDEF FOR FATA AND BEIN, DEPT FOR EUR (DICARLO), D 
(SMITH), P (BAME), EUR/SCE (HOH, SAINZ, FOOKS), AND EUR/RPM 
(BROTZEN), NSC FOR BRAUN, USNIC FOR WIGHTMAN AND MCLANE, 
USNATO FOR REID, UNDERWOOD, SHAFFER, NAPLES FOR ADMIRAL 
ULRICH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA OFFERS TO HOST COMBINED ENDEAVOR 2008 
EXERCISE 
 
¶1. (SBU) Post received a diplomatic note from Acting Minister 
of Defense Marina Pendes offering Bosnia as the host and 
organizer of the Combined Endeavor 2008 (CE 08) military 
exercise. The Ministry of Defense is offering the barracks in 
Banja Luka and the nearby training center in Manjaca as the 
sites for the exercise. 
 
Begin Text of Diplomatic Note. 
 
SUBJECT: Nomination for Organizing the Combined Endeavor 
Exercise 
 
The Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina presents 
its compliments to the Embassy of the United States and the 
Office of the Defense Attache in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 
would like to thank them for the information about the 
possibility of submitting an official offer for accepting the 
role of host country in organizing the COMBINED ENDEAVOR 
exercise. 
 
The Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina would like 
to inform you that in accordance with our commitment, and 
having in mind that the objective of the exercise is "to test 
the interoperability of communication systems and procedures 
of countries members of NATO and PfP and to practice certain 
scenarios for supporting the systems of command and control," 
it will gladly accept the role of host country for organizing 
the COMBINED ENDEAVOR exercise. 
 
We believe that Bosnia and Herzegovina has satisfactory 
infrastructure and can be a host country for the main 
destination for the said exercise starting in 2008.  Allow us 
to ask you to focus on the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina 
has not yet signed the Status of Forces Agreement (PfP SOFA). 
 The BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched the legal 
procedure for the conclusion of this agreement and we hope 
that this process will be finalized in the coming months. 
The conclusion of this agreement will significantly 
facilitate the decision-making procedure, and it will 
regulate the status of participants and guests of the 
exercise. 
 
You are aware of our limitations when it comes to finances. 
Therefore, we will need significant assistance from the US 
and other allies and partners, and we take the liberty to 
count on your support in equipping the potentially acceptable 
main destination of the COMBINED ENDEAVOR exercise. 
 
For all further coordination, the following individuals will 
be persons of contact for the responsible organizers: 
 
-     Mr. Ahmet H. Omerovic, acting assistant minister for 
policy and planning, tel. 033 285540; 
-     Mr. Adem Mustafic, acting assistant minister for K-4, 
tel. 033 285560; 
-     Brigadier Mihajlo Vujovic, head of administration for 
communications and information systems of the Joint Staff of 
BiH Armed Forces, tel. 033 285980. 
 
The Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina would like 
to use this opportunity to thank the Embassy of the United 
States in Bosnia and Herzegovina for supporting the defense 
reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
 
With respect, 
Marina Pendes 
Acting Minister 
 
End Text of Diplomatic Note. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Though Bosnia has not yet signed and ratified the 
NATO PfP Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) which would cover 
all participants in CE 08, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
expects to have the agreement concluded this summer, well in 
advance of the exercise.  NATO HQ Sarajevo tells us that this 
timetable is realistic, and does not expect any political 
roadblocks that would slow parliamentary ratification.  After 
 
the agreement enters into force, Bosnia plans to stand up a 
NATO Legal Secretariat that will coordinate the 
implementation of the agreement across ministries.  Officials 
at NATO HQ Sarajevo told us that CE 08 would prove an impetus 
to the Bosnian government to fully implement the SOFA in the 
near term.  NATO HQ Sarajevo can also focus attention on the 
areas of implementation important for CE 08 in advance of the 
exercise.  Regardless of the state of ministerial 
implementation, a ratified SOFA will cover all participants 
in the exercise. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Comment. We believe that the benefits to USG policy 
interests of holding CE 08 in Bosnia are substantial.  One of 
our newest NATO partners has pro-actively approached us about 
the possibility of hosting the exercise and doing so would 
certainly focus elite and public attention on the path 
towards continued NATO integration.  CE 08 would also serve 
to drive the Bosnian defense reform agenda forward, and 
provide further rationale for Bosnia to speedily but 
efficiently meet its PfP requirements.  Finally, Bosnia's 
hosting of CE 08, which would include the participation of 
other countries in the region, would be a substantive and 
important demonstration that the security sphere here has 
stabilized and that Bosnia and the region as a whole are 
moving past the legacy of the 1990s wars.  We are confident 
that EUCOM will evaluate Bosnia's offer to host the exercise 
in light of the above. 
MCELHANEY