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PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
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DE RUEHVB #0271/01 0811019
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211019Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8775
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000271 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA 
OSD FOR WINTERNITZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MARCH 20, 2008 
 
¶1. (U) A/S SILVERBERG VISITS CROATIA 
The U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Organizations 
Kristen Silverberg visited Croatia 17-18 March to discuss 
United Nations Security Council issues.  The A/S met with 
senior officials from the MFA and the Offices of the 
President and Prime Minister, as well as representatives from 
Croatia's academic community.  The visit highlighted the 
strong cooperation thus far between the U.S. and the GoC, and 
Croatian officials expressed their commitment to work closely 
with the U.S. and EU to address the difficult issues facing 
the Council in the coming months.  The GoC identified Kosovo 
and Iran as among the most pressing issues on the Council's 
agenda.  Both countries also hope to re-energize the UN's 
Counterterrorism Committee, which Croatia currently leads. 
The A/S concluded her visit by hosting a roundtable with 
students from Croatia's Diplomatic Academy.  Approximately 45 
young diplomats participated in the presentation/Q-and-A 
session focused on U.S. foreign policy and priorities at the 
UN.  A more detailed report will be sent septel. (CRhoton) 
 
¶2. (U) U.S. DOJ ABLE TO FACILITATE TESTIMONY IN CROATIAN WAR 
CRIMES TRIAL 
Recently, a Croatian County Court Judge requested US 
Department of Justice assistance in obtaining testimony from 
four witnesses in the United States for the high profile war 
crimes trial of two Croatian generals, Rahim Ademi and Mirko 
Norac.  U.S. authorities were able to locate the witnesses. 
The first testified via videolink on March 18.  The second is 
scheduled to testify on March 28, while the third has yet to 
be contacted, but is expected to testify on March 27.  The 
final witness located by U.S. authorities is unwilling to 
testify and has been deemed an endangered witness.  Given the 
witness' protected status and safety concerns, Croatian and 
U.S. authorities agreed that it is not necessary, nor 
appropriate, to attempt further compulsory measures to obtain 
his testimony.  This case illustrates the excellent 
cooperation and successful international legal assistance 
between the Croatian judiciary and the U.S. Department of 
Justice.  (VDjukic) 
 
¶3. (U) ZAGREB CONTINUES VISA PROCESSING FOR SERBIANS AND 
MONTENEGRINS 
The Consular Section continues to process visa applications 
for Serbian and Montenegrin citizens on behalf of Embassy 
Belgrade.  Since the closure of Embassy Belgrade's consular 
section on February 21 after the attack on the Embassy by 
Serbians protesting Kosovo's declaration of independence, 
Zagreb has processed nearly 500 nonimmigrant visa 
applications for Serbians and Montegrins, as well as a number 
of immigrant visas and U.S. passports for customers normally 
served by Belgrade.  The consular section continues to 
provide its normal level of service to Croatian citizens 
while handling this additional caseload.  Visa appointment 
wait times remain under three days.  Embassy Zagreb's prompt 
designation as an alternative visa processing site during 
Embassy Belgrade's closure was noted favorably by both the 
Serbian and Montenegrin press, which both credit the USG for 
pushing the German Embassy in Belgrade, also damaged during 
the protests, to make similar arrangements for emergency 
service.  Embassy Belgrade's consular section is expected to 
reopen in early April.  (RElvikis) 
 
¶4.  (U) NEW SYNAGOGUE OPENS IN ZAGREB - 67 YEARS AFTER WWII 
On Sunday, March 16, Croatia's Bet Israel Jewish community 
celebrated the opening of Zagreb's new synagogue.  With 
speeches by Bet Israel's Rabbi Kotel Dadon, Dr. Ivo Goldstein 
(president of Bet Israel), and numerous rabbis from across 
Europe and the United States, the event was a major step for 
the Bet Israel community, which was registered in 2006 after 
splitting from the larger and older Jewish Community of 
Zagreb (or ZOZ - Zidovska Opcina Zagreba).  The donation of 
the synagogue's Torah by Jewish communities based in both 
Chicago and Los Angeles continued unofficial ties between 
Jewish religious communities on both sides of the Atlantic. 
In attendance at the event were President Mesic, Deputy-Prime 
Minister Jadranka Kosor, Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic, and 
Ministers from the GOC Ministry of Culture and the Ministry 
of Science, Education, and Sport, reflecting the strong 
political will to promote religious tolerance in Croatia. 
Although the reconstruction of the central synagogue on the 
original 1941 site is still a key goal for the ZOZ, the 
opening of the new Bet Israel temple is a step in the right 
direction towards continuing the promotion of international 
religious freedom in Croatia. (DFisk) 
 
¶5.  (U) U.S. AND CROATIA REACH OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT 
A State-DOT delegation initialed an Open Skies agreement with 
Croatia on March 13 after two days of talks in Zagreb.  This 
 
ZAGREB 00000271  002 OF 002 
 
 
was the second round of negotiations on Open Skies, the first 
being held in 
Washington from Sept 27-28, 2007.  Conclusion of this 
agreement caps two years of steady efforts to secure GOC 
support and achieves a key goal of post's Mission Strategic 
Plan.  This agreement lays the 
foundation for the further development of our civil aviation 
relationship with Croatia.  Post will remain actively engaged 
in these issues with the GOC to help make sure that the 
traveling 
publics of both of our countries can reap the benefits of 
this agreement.  (See Zagreb 254 for more details) (NBerliner) 
Bradtke