VZCZCXYZ0018
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVB #1032 3271503
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231503Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8359
INFO RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 3465
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001032 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD AND EUR/RPM 
OSD FOR WINTERNITZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR NATO HR
SUBJECT: CROATIAN RESPONSE ON BILATERAL SOFA LANGUAGE 
 
REF: A. STATE 142607 (OCT 11 2007) 
 
     ¶B. EUR/SCE-WALKER EMAILS 
 
¶1. (U) Croatian FM Grabar-Kitarovic on November 22 sent a 
letter to the Ambassador stating her "belief" that the 
language regarding "other appropriate US control" of US 
personnel (proposed in reftel) and the subsequent 
explanations (provided in ref emails), is "appropriate...thus 
contributing to the finalization of the negotiating process" 
of the SOFA.  Full text of the letter is in para 3. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The letter is not the final approval from the GoC on 
the SOFA texts (English and Croatian).  Acceptance by GoC 
officials of the revised SOFA language and accompanying 
explanations has come too late for the text to be put before 
the full GoC's weekly meeting prior to this Sunday's (Nov. 
25) elections.  Our understanding is that this letter is the 
MFA's effort to put the GoC's officials and lawyers who have 
been negotiating the provisions on record as accepting the 
language prior to this weekend's election.  This in turn 
should make it easier to secure adoption of the SOFA text 
shortly after a new government is formed (which could take 
several weeks after the election).  If the HDZ is returned to 
power, we believe the SOFA would be adopted without need of 
any further discussion.  If an SDP-led government is voted 
into office, we will likely need to explain the SOFA text to 
the new government, but this agreement to the text should 
make success in that task easier. 
 
¶3. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER (in the original English) 
 
Zagreb, November 22, 2007 
 
Dear Excellency, 
 
I would like to thank you for your letter of November 13, 
2007 including two explanatory documents attached thereto, 
with regard to the provision of Article IX of the negotiating 
text of the Status of Forces Agreement between the Republic 
Croatia and United States of America. 
 
I would like to convey to you my belief that the information 
provided therein with regard to the various forms of pretrial 
restraint to which a member of the U.S. military may be 
subject to and "other appropriate US control" which could be 
imposed upon civilian component personnel, as well as the 
position of the US side on the possibilities that pertain in 
case pretrial confinement of a member of the civilian 
component is appropriate, would provide for a better 
understanding, thus contributing to the finalization of the 
negotiating process of the said Agreement. 
 
Please accept, Excellency, the assurance of my highest 
consideration. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
/s/ 
 
Mr.sc. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic 
 
END TEXT OF LETTER 
BRADTKE