VZCZCXRO7300
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPOD #0244/01 2632121
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 192121Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY PODGORICA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0958
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA 1045

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PODGORICA 000244 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SCE AND EUR/RPM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR MW
SUBJECT: VISIT OF JOINT FORCES COMMANDER HIGHLIGHTS MONTENEGRO'S FIRM 
COMMITMENT TO JOINING NATO 
 
PODGORICA 00000244  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On his first visit to Montenegro, NATO Joint 
Forces Commander Admiral Fitzgerald highlighted publicly the 
strong partnership between NATO and Montenegro. The GoM 
confirmed its commitment to pursuing NATO membership as its top 
foreign policy objective. The Admiral's visit also stimulated 
discussion with the GoM, as well as opposition and media 
representatives, about the currently low public support in 
Montenegro for membership in the Alliance. GOM officials also 
made a strong pitch for a NATO office to be opened in Podgorica 
as soon as possible.  End summary. 
 
 
 
High Level GoM Meetings: NATO is Our Priority 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Admiral Fitzgerald, Commander of NATO Allied Joint Forces 
Command in Naples and Commander of US Naval Forces Europe and 
Africa, visited Montenegro 9-10 September.  Admiral Fitzgerald's 
delegation included senior staff members from Slovenia, Germany, 
and France. The Admiral met with President Filip Vujanovic, 
Speaker of Parliament Ranko Krivokapic, Defense Minister Boro 
Vucinic, and Acting Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Dragan 
Samardzic.  The Admiral also spoke with FM Rocen at a reception 
hosted by the Ambassador. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Admiral Fitzgerald highlighted the strong security 
partnership between NATO and Montenegro, adding that this has 
contributed to safety and security of the Adriatic Sea, 
maintaining peace and security in the region; and better 
interoperability of Montenegrin and NATO forces. He thanked the 
Montenegrin leadership for visible signs of this partnership, 
including sharing radar pictures of the Adriatic with NATO 
Command in Naples, destroying Montenegro's obsolete weaponry and 
ammunition, donating its excess equipment to Afghanistan, and 
signing a NATO Transit Agreement. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) President Vujanovic reaffirmed Montenegro's commitment 
to Euro-Atlantic integration and stressed that the GoM's most 
important foreign policy goal now is joining NATO. With a second 
vote on a law authorizing participation in international 
peacekeeping missions expected later this month, both the 
President and Speaker of Parliament expressed hope that at least 
some opposition parties would support the proposal. The 
President also added that a successful deployment of Montenegrin 
military personnel abroad could help solidify public support for 
Montenegro joining NATO.  Conversely, he expressed concern that 
a failed mission could undercut public support. 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  DefMin Vucinic made a strong pitch for the opening of 
a NATO office in Podgorica, recalling that the GOM had sent two 
requests to NATO to do so.  The DefMin argued that a NATO 
presence in Montenegro would help the GOM navigate the complex 
NATO accession process, while also facilitating implementation 
of the Lines of Communication and security of information 
agreements.  A NATO office would also help build public support 
for NATO, he argued. 
 
 
 
Essential to Improve Public Support for Membership 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶6. (SBU) A major theme in all of the Admiral's meetings was the 
relatively low public support among the Montenegrin public for 
joining NATO.  (Note:  Most GOM interlocutors described the 
electorate as split three ways -- with one-third supporting 
NATO, one-third opposed, and one-third undecided.)  Speaker 
Krivokapic explained that it is now up to the Montenegrin 
political leadership to lead its citizens in the right 
direction.  The Speaker stated that a better knowledge of NATO 
-- highlighting the benefits to Montenegro as well as the 
responsibilities that come with membership -- will help to win 
over the large segment of the population that is undecided. He 
added that promoting NATO membership as a "practical" condition 
for EU accession would be equally helpful in swaying public 
opinion. 
 
 
 
 
PODGORICA 00000244  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Roundtable Encourages Positive Debate on NATO 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Admiral and the Ambassador also held a roundtable 
discussion with a group of Montenegrins representing pro, con, 
and neutral views of NATO membership.  Those on the "con" side 
laid out several arguments against membership.  One leader from 
a pro-Serb party said that his party would follow the views of 
Belgrade and Banja Luka.  Another said that she is not 
philosophically opposed to NATO, but merely believes that now is 
not the time for Montenegro to seek membership.  She claimed 
that NATO must first reestablish trust with Serbs and, unless 
that is done, NATO membership would represent a humiliation to 
the Serb people.  The "cons" also argued that joining NATO would 
be expensive, would make Montenegro a target for terrorism, and 
would possibly jeopardize relations with Russia. 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Nebojsa Medojevic, leader of the opposition party 
Movement for Change (PzP), asserted that Montenegro cannot meet 
the main prerequisite for NATO membership because "it currently 
does not have a democratic government."  He generally supported 
all avenues of Euro-Atlantic integration for Montenegro, but he 
avoided articulating his party's official stance on Montenegro's 
membership in NATO.  One observer described him as being in 
favor of NATO, but not willing to support NATO accession because 
this was the policy of the governing parties, his arch-enemies. 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) Comment: This was a very successful visit, and the GOM 
did a good job of emphasizing the importance of NATO membership 
as a top strategic goal for Montenegro. The Admiral also 
stressed the Alliance's expectations of Montenegro, noting that 
"collective security does not come free."  Much of the Admiral's 
dialogue with Montenegrins -- official and private alike -- also 
pointed to the need for a stronger campaign to build public 
support for NATO membership.  This will likely require 
Montenegro's leadership to engage the public more vigorously in 
explaining the why's of NATO membership.  End comment. 
 
 
 
¶10. (U) Admiral Fitzgerald cleared this message. 
MOORE