VZCZCXRO4411
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVB #0465/01 1721503
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201503Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8418
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000465 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA 
OSD FOR POPOVICH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR MASS PHUM PREF EAIR PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - JUNE 19, 2008 
 
¶1.  (U) MINISTER OF DEFENSE TO MINNESOTA, WASHINGTON DC: 
Croatian Minister of Defense Branko Vukelic headed a 
delegation that consisted of State Secretary Zejlko Gorsuc, 
Deputy Chief of Defense LTG Slavko Baric, and Army Commander 
LTG Mladen Kruljac on a visit to Minnesota and Washington DC. 
The delegation visited Camp Ripley, Minnesota to observe the 
annual platoon exchange exercise CROMIN '08 between the 
Croatian Army and its State Partner, the Minnesota National 
Guard. While in Minneapolis, Minister Vukelic met with 
Lieutenant Governor Carol Molnau at the State Capital. The 
visit by the Minister to Minnesota served to further solidify 
the already strong bilateral relationship between the 
Minnesota National Guard and the Ministry of Defense and 
kicked-off the next step of the bilateral relationship 
between Minnesota's civilian agencies and businesses and 
Croatia's civilian and business sectors. The delegation 
traveled to Washington DC afterwards where they met with the 
Deputy Secretary of Defense, The Honorable Gordan England. 
(BMcAloon) 
 
¶2. (SBU) USOSCE AMBASSADOR FINLEY DISCUSSES FUTURE OF OSCE 
OFFICE IN CROATIA: 
US Ambassador to the OSCE Julie Finley visited Zagreb on June 
18-19 and held discussions with GoC officials, key third 
country diplomats and prominent NGO activists about the 
performance of Croatia in addressing the remaining issues 
within the mandate of the OSCE Office (housing for returned 
refugees, and handling of war crimes cases) and the value of 
the OSCE presence in monitoring that performance.  This visit 
was to gather information in advance of discussions expected 
later this year in Vienna about whether to keep the OSCE 
Office open in 2009.  All contacts, including GoC officials, 
praised the OSCE's role in advancing rule of law issues in 
Croatia over the past decade and more, but voiced varied 
opinions on whether an OSCE presence was still needed in 
¶2009.  In her meetings with Foreign Minister Jandrokovic and 
Deputy Prime Minister Uzelac, Amb. Finley stressed the value 
of having a single and clear GoC position on the issue of 
whether or not the OSCE presence should be extended. 
(RHoltzapple) 
 
¶3.  (U) REGIONAL REFUGEE COORDINATOR TRAVELS TO CROATIA: 
Embassy Zagreb was pleased to host Regional Refugee 
Coordinator Branka Jikich during her June 9-13th visit to 
Croatia. Meetings in the capital with GOC officials, UNHCR, 
and Embassy staff, were followed by two days of in-depth 
field visits to returnees, NGOS, a collective center and 
local officials in the Lika and Zadar Hinterlands regions of 
the country. The fact finding visit provided Embassy 
officials and the Regional Refugee Coordinator the 
opportunity to better coordinate policies directly impacting 
returnees, jointly review the GOC Action Plan for the 
accelerated implementation of the housing care program, and 
objectively analyze progress made and steps still to be 
undertaken by the GOC in the months ahead.  A full trip 
report will follow septel. (DFisk) 
 
¶4.  (U) UNAFFECTED BY IRISH "NO" TO LISBON TREATY, CROATIA'S 
ACCESSION PROGRESS CONTINUES: 
On multiple occasions and from various figures among EU 
leadership, Croatia has received assurances that the Irish 
"no" vote on the Lisbon Treaty will not affect Croatia's 
accession negotiations. Some diplomats have even suggested 
that if the treaty is not adopted by the time Croatia 
completes negotiations, Croatia's accession agreement could 
include a new weighting of votes within the Council of the EU 
and a new distribution of EU parliament seats, thereby 
bringing some elements of the Lisbon Treaty into EU practice 
in an indirect way.  On June 17, the EU Accession Conference 
with Croatia opened negotiations on two new chapters: Freedom 
of Movement for Workers and Social Policy and Employment.  To 
close the Social Policy and Employment chapter, Croatia must 
amend its Labor Act and Health Care and Safety at Work Act 
and pass an umbrella anti-discrimination law and a law on 
gender equality. To close the Freedom of Movement for Workers 
chapter, Croatia will have to prove it has the adequate 
administrative structures and enforcement capacity to 
implement relevant legislation.  Acknowledging that Croatia 
opened only four chapters and closed none during the 
Slovenian presidency, Croatian FM Jandrokovic claimed Croatia 
can still complete negotiations by the end of 2009.  He added 
that the Slovenian presidency had in no way slowed Croatia in 
achieving its goals.  In a separate press interview, 
Croatia's chief negotiator, Vladimir Drobnjak noted that 
France--next in line for the EU presidency--is particularly 
committed to negotiations with Croatia. (SLitke) 
 
 
ZAGREB 00000465  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶5.  (U) CROATIA AIRLINES LAUNCHES NEW ROUTES TO PRISTINA AND 
PODGORICA: 
On Monday, June 16, Croatia Airlines launched a new regular 
route between Zagreb and Pristina.  Thirty-seven passengers 
were aboard the first flight.  The airline hopes that the 
route will become more popular and that a larger aircraft 
will be needed soon.  Croatia Airlines boasts that it 
currently has the most favorable prices flying between 
Pristina and any point in Europe.  The current fare for a 
return flight from Zagreb to Pristina is 230 Euro.  On 
Tuesday, June 17, the airline launched a new regular route 
between Zagreb and Podgorica.  Thirty-eight passengers were 
aboard that inaugural flight.  (PMcCabe) 
Bradtke