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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PODGORICA 000204 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR PGOV MASS MW
SUBJECT: VISIT OF ADM ULRICH TO MONTENEGRO, MAY 21-22 
 
 
PODGORICA 00000204  001.3 OF 003 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  COMMANDER OF JOINT FORCES COMMAND NAPLES 
(COMJFC) AND U.S. NAVAL FORCES EUROPE (COMNAVEUR) ADMIRAL HENRY 
¶G. ULRICH VISITED MONTENEGRO FROM 21-22 MAY 2007.  ADM ULRICH'S 
VISIT COINCIDED WITH THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF MONTENEGRIN 
INDEPENDENCE AND THE U.S. NAVY SHIP VISIT BY THE SUB-TENDER 
EMORY S. LAND (ESL) WITH A CREW OF OVER 1200 OFFICERS AND 
SAILORS.  COMJFC AND COMNAVEUR MET SEPARATELY WITH THE 
MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT AND FOREIGN MINISTER, MINISTER OF DEFENSE 
AND CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF.  ALL INTERLOCUTORS EXPRESSED 
SATISFACTION AT THE PACE OF MONTENEGRO'S EURO-ATLANTIC SECURITY 
INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL DEFENSE RELATIONS WITH 
THE U.S. 
 
 
 
 
 
MESSAGE OF SUPPORT 
 
------------------------- 
 
 
 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  ADM ULRICH OFFERED A CLEAR MESSAGE OF SUPPORT FOR 
MONTENEGRO'S EURO-ATLANTIC SECURITY ASPIRATIONS.  THROUGHOUT HIS 
MEETINGS WITH MONTENEGRO'S SENIOR LEADERSHIP, ADM ULRICH 
UNDERSCORED THE IMPRESSIVE PROGRESS THAT MONTENEGRO HAS MADE IN 
ITS FIRST YEAR AS A SOVEREIGN STATE AND WAS PLEASED TO BE IN 
MONTENEGRO ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE.  ADM ULRICH 
AND PRESIDENT FILIP VUJANOVIC REVIEWED THE LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS 
MADE BY MONTENEGRO FROM ENTRY INTO PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE ON 26 
NOVEMBER 2006 TO THE SIGNING OR THE STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT 
(SOFA) BY THE LATTER IN WASHINGTON ON 1 MAY 2007.  ADM ULRICH 
STRESSED U.S./NATO COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH AND PROVIDE 
ASSISTANCE FOR MONTENEGROS DEFENSE REFORM EFFORTS.  PRESIDENT 
VUJANOVIC EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE TO THE UNITED STATES FOR 
SUPPORT OF MONTENEGRIN EURO-ATLANTIC SECURITY INTEGRATION AND 
ASSISTANCE TO THE MONTENEGRIN ARMED FORCES (MAF).  THE PRESIDENT 
ADDED THAT HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD SOON APPROVE THE NECESSARY 
DEFENSE LAWS AND STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS THAT WOULD FACILITATE 
FURTHER REFORM. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIP 
 
------------------------------ 
 
 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  PRESIDENT VUJANOVIC EMPHASIZED THAT THE STRATEGIC AIM 
OF MONTENEGRO WAS INCLUSION IN TO EURO-ATLANTIC INSTITUTIONS - 
FULL MEMBERSHIP IN NATO AND EU.  FURTHER, PRESIDENT VUJANOVIC 
EXPRESSED HIS SATISFACTION WITH HIS RECENT VISIT TO WASHINGTON 
AND MEETINGS WITH SENIOR U.S. OFFICIALS.  THE PRESIDENT 
HIGHLIGHTED HIS SIGNING OF A STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT WITH 
SECRETARY RICE, BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH SECRETARY GATES AND 
 
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INAUGURATION OF THE STATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM WITH THE STATE OF 
MAINE. FURTHER, THE PRESIDENT STRESSED THAT THE RECENT 
CONCLUSION OF AN ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT THROUGH AN EXCHANGE OF 
DIPLOMATIC NOTES WAS IN MONTENEGRO'S INTEREST AND WOULD INCREASE 
THE POSSIBILITIES OF SECURITY COOPERATION.  ALL OUR ACTIONS TO 
DATE, ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT SERVED TO STRENGTHEN THE 
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND MONTENEGRO.  PRESIDENT 
VUJANOVIC VIEWED CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED STATES AS 
ESSENTIAL.  IN PARTICULAR, THE PRESIDENT BELIEVED THAT U.S 
PROGRAMS SUCH AS INTERNATIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING 
WERE KEY TO MAF TRANSFORMATION AND ABILITY TO SECURE 
INTEROPERABILITY AND ATTAIN NATO STANDARDS.  ADM ULRICH 
RESPONDED THAT FROM A U.S. NAVY PERSPECTIVE STRENGTHENING OUR 
MILITARY RELATIONSHIP WILL CONTRIBUTE TO FUTURE MARITIME 
SECURITY.  THE ADM ADDED THAT MARITIME SECURITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THIS REGION.  REFERRING TO PERCEPTIONS 
OF NATO, PRESIDENT VUJANOVIC STATED THAT IT WAS UP TO THE 
MONTENEGRIN LEADERSHIP TO CONDUCT AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN. 
 
 
 
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PODGORICA 00000204  002.3 OF 003 
 
 
 
 
REGIONAL ISSUES 
 
------------------- 
 
 
 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  ADM ULRICH EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE MONTENEGRIN 
LEADERSHIP'S VIEWS ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN BELGRADE AS 
WELL AS THE ISSUE OF KOSOVO FINAL STATUS.  PRESIDENT VUJANOVIC 
COMMENTED THAT THE RECENT FORMATION OF A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT 
IN BELGRADE, SERBIA BY PRESIDENT BORIS TADIC AND PRIME MINISTER 
VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA WAS A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND THAT ANOTHER 
ELECTION CYCLE WOULD NOT BE IN THE INTEREST OF  SERBIAS 
DEMOCRATIC FORCES OR THE REGION.  THE PRESIDENT OFFERED THAT 
MONTENEGRO HAS AND WOULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT DEMOCRATIC FORCES 
IN BELGRADE AND SOUGHT TO STRENGTHEN BOTH POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC 
TIES.  FOREIGN MINISTER (FOMIN) MILAN ROCEN EXPRESSED A SIMILAR 
VIEW THAT A DEMOCRATIC AND PROSPEROUS SERBIA COULD SERVE AS AN 
ECONOMIC ENGINE IN THE REGION AND INCREASE THE WESTERN BALKANS 
OVERALL ABILITY TO ENTER THE EUROPEAN UNION. REFERENCE KOSOVO, 
THE FOMIN ARTICULATED THE POSITION THAT ONLY A STABLE AND SECURE 
MONTENEGRO COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE RESOLUTION OF KOSOVO.  WITH 
SIZEABLE SERB 32% AND ALBANIAN 7% MINORITIES, KOSOVO COULD 
BECOME A POLARIZING ISSUE FOR MULTI-ETHNIC MONTENEGRO AND 
THEREFORE THE FOMIN STRESSED THAT THE BEST POLICY MONTENEGRO 
COULD PURSUE WAS TO KEEP POSITIVE RELATIONS WITH BOTH BELGRADE 
AND PRISTINA.  THE FOMIN HOPED FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT MONTENEGRO 
WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST IN THE REGION TO RECOGNIZE AN INDEPENDENT 
KOSOVO. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MILITARY COOPERATION 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  DEFENSE MINISTER (DEFMIN) BORO VUCINIC EMPHASIZED THE 
"STRATEGIC" PARTNERSHIP THAT THE MONTENEGRIN ARMED FORCES SEEKS 
WITH THE U.S. MILITARY.  THE DEFMIN VIEWED MILITARY COOPERATION 
WITH THE U.S. AS VITAL TO THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE MAF AND 
APPRECIATED ADM ULRICH'S CONSISTENT AND VALUABLE SUPPORT. 
DEFMIN VUCINIC ARTICULATED HIS OWN PLANS TO MOVE FORWARD ON KEY 
DEFENSE LAWS AND DOCUMENTS.  THE DEFMIN RECAPPED PROGRESS TO 
DATE SINCE PFP MEMBERSHIP IN NOV 2006 AS MONTENEGRO SUBMITTED 
ITS PRESENTATION AND SECURITY DOCUMENTS AND WAS PREPARED TO 
SHORTLY OPEN ITS MILITARY OFFICE IN BRUSSELS.  LTC GEN JOVAN 
LAKCEVIC THE MONTENEGRIN CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF (CGS) 
SUMMARIZED HIS EFFORTS TO CONTINUE MOVING MONTENEGRIN DEFENSE 
FORCES IN THE DIRECTION OF THE U.S AND NATO MEMBERSHIP. LAKCEVIC 
ASSESSED THAT THE MAF HAD TO DEVELOP NICHE CAPABILITIES, 
MODERNIZE THE FORCE, AND PREPARE A SECURITY CONTRIBUTION TO 
ON-GOING NATO/U.S. OPERATIONS.  ACCORDING TO THE CGS, ENGLISH 
LANGUAGE TRAINING WAS FUNDAMENTAL AND ANY ASSISTANCE THAT ADM 
ULRICH COULD PROVIDE WOULD BE WELCOME.  (NOTE- MONTENEGRO WILL 
RECEIVE $200,000 IN IMET X-YEAR FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED 
TO A MULTI-MEDIA ENGLISH LANGUAGE LAB).  THE CGS VIEWED THE 
DEVELOPMENT OF HIS JUNIOR OFFICERS AND NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS 
AS KEY TO THE MAF'S TRANSFORMATION AND LOOKED FORWARD TO U.S. 
SECURITY ASSISTANCE.  THE CGS ALSO STRESSED THE NEED FOR 
MONTENEGRO TO ACQUIRE NEW COMBAT UNIFORMS NOT ONLY FOR FUTURE 
OPERATIONS AND TRAINING BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TO PROVIDE MAF 
MEMBERS A SENSE OF MONTENEGRIN IDENTITY AND RAISE MORALE. 
(NOTE- THE MONTENEGRIN DEFMIN INITIATED A REQUEST TO PURCHASE 
U.S. COMBAT UNIFORMS THROUGH THE FOREIGN MILITARY SALES 
PROGRAM.)  GEN LAKCEVIC STATED THAT HE WOULD SOON SEND A 
MONTENEGRIN OFFICER TO SERVE AS A LIAISON OFFICER AT COMJFC 
NAPLES AND THAT HE LOOKED FORWARD TO GREATER MILITARY 
COOPERATION WITH THE U.S AND NATO.  THE CGS BELIEVED THAT THE 
MAF WOULD INCREASE ITS PARTICIPATION IN FUTURE PFP EXERCISES 
NEXT YEAR AND SEND OBSERVERS TO NATO OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN. 
ADDRESSING THE GATHERED GUESTS DURING THE RECEPTION ON BOARD THE 
ESL, ADM ULRICH STATED THAT MONTENEGRO'S LEADERS SHOULD BE 
COMMENDED FOR THE IMPRESSIVE RESULTS ACHIEVED TOWARDS 
EURO-ATLANTIC SECURITY INTEGRATION.  ADM ULRICH PARTICULARLY 
HIGHLIGHTED HIS SATISFACTION AND CLOSE COOPERATION WITH LTC GEN 
LAKCEVIC WHOM HE CALLED A TRUE PATRIOT, REAL LEADER, AND A MAN 
OF VISION.  ADM ULRICH ADDED THAT THE MONTENEGRIN PEOPLE ARE 
LUCKY TO HAVE THIS MAN IN CHARGE OF ITS MILITARY AT THE RIGHT 
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PODGORICA 00000204  003.3 OF 003 
 
 
MOMENT IN HISTORY. 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) OTHER REQUESTS RAISED BY GENERAL LAKCEVIC INCLUDED NATO 
NCO TRAINING, ASSISTANCE IN INSTALLING COSTAL RADARS, EVALUATION 
OF EXISTING NAVAL FACILITIES, DESIGN ASSISTANCE FOR THE NEW 
NAVAL BASE AT BAR, AND DIVER TRAINING. ADMIRAL ULRICH AND GEN 
LAKCEVIC ALSO DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF HOSTING A REGIONAL 
MARSHALL CENTER SEMINAR IN PODGORICA ON DEFENSE REFORM THAT 
WOULD BE CONDUCTED IN SERBO-CROATIAN. 
 
 
 
U.S. NAVY SHIP VISITS 
 
---------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  IN THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS, U.S. NAVY SHIPS - THE USS 
ANZIO AND USS EMORY S. LAND - VISITED TIVAT, MONTENEGRO; AS WELL 
AS THE USS ROOSEVELT AS PART OF A FOUR-NATION NATO GROUP VISIT. 
THE USS EMORY S. LAND (ESL) SHIP VISITED LASTED FROM 17 MAY 2007 
TO 25 MAY 2007.  TO THE CREDIT OF U.S. NAVY PERSONNEL THERE WERE 
NO INCIDENTS DURING THE PORT VISIT.  ADDITIONALLY, U.S. SAILORS 
INJECTED APPROXIMATELY A ONE MILLION EUROS INTO THE LOCAL 
ECONOMY DURING LIBERTY.  MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE ESL VISIT SENT A 
STRONG PUBLIC DIPLOMACY MESSAGE OF PARTNERSHIP AND GOOD WILL TO 
THE MONTENEGRIN LEADERSHIP, NAVY, LOCAL OFFICIALS AND 
COMMUNITIES.  OF NOTE, ESL COMMUNITY RELATIONS EFFORTS UNDER THE 
LEADERSHIP OF THE U.S. EMBASSY PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OFFICER REACHED 
OUT TO MINORITY AND UNDERPRIVILEGED COMMUNITIES.  THE SIXTH 
FLEET BAND PERFORMED IN ULCINJ, A MAJORITY ALBANIAN COMMUNITY, 
FOR THE FIRST-TIME. SAILORS CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE REPAIRS AND 
IMPROVEMENTS TO AN ORPHANAGE IN BIJELA.  FURTHER, THE ESL HELD A 
FORMAL RECEPTION ATTENDED BY THE MONTENEGRIN DEFMIN, CHOD AND 
MILITARY MEMBERS, DIPLOMATIC CORPS, LOCAL OFFICIALS AS WELL AS 
LEADING OPPOSITION FIGURES, IN PARTICULAR, ANDRIJA MANDIC OF THE 
SERB NATIONAL PARTY (SNS).   THE PRESENCE OF SNS LEADER MANDIC 
WAS SIGNIFICANT ONLY A FEW MONTHS AGO HE PROUDLY BOASTED OF HIS 
ROLE AS AN AIR DEFENSE OFFICER AND ATTEMPTS TO SHOOT DOWN 
U.S/NATO AIRCRAFT DURING OPERATION ALLIED FORCE. 
 
 
 
 
 
COMMENT 
 
------------ 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU)   THIS WAS THE SECOND VISIT BY ADM ULRICH TO MONTENEGRO 
IN THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS AND ONE OF A SERIES OF SENIOR LEVEL 
U.S. DEFENSE VISITS THAT BEGAN WITH FORMER SECRETARY RUMSFELD IN 
SEPTEMBER 2006.  THESE VISITS HAVE PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN 
ESTABLISHING OUR NASCENT DEFENSE RELATIONSHIP WITH MONTENEGRO 
AND AIDED THE CONCLUSION OF KEY BILATERAL DEFENSE AGREEMENTS. 
ALL THESE VISIBLE SIGNS OF SUPPORT, FROM SHIP VISITS TO THE 
INAUGURATION OF A STATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, HAVE FUELED 
MONTENEGRIN EXPECTATIONS ABOUT FUTURE LEVELS OF ASSISTANCE. THE 
EMBASSY AND VISITING DOD AND MILITARY OFFICIALS HAVE 
CONSISTENTLY SOUGHT TO TEMPER THOSE EXPECTATIONS POINTING OUT 
THAT U..S. SECURITY ASSISTANCE COMPLEMENTS BUT CAN NOT REPLACE 
MONTENGRIN DEFENSE COMMITMENTS.  MONTENEGRO WILL IN THE END 
DETERMINE ITS OWN PACE OF EURO-ATLANTIC SECURITY INTEGRATION. 
THE PACE IN MONTENEGRO'S FIRST YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE HOLDS 
PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE. 
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