VZCZCXRO1891
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPOD #0265/01 2962240
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 222240Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY PODGORICA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0994
INFO RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0089
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA 1082

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PODGORICA 000265 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/RPM AND EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MW
SUBJECT: STATUS OF MONTENEGRO'S NATO-RELATED REFORMS 
 
REF: (A) PODGORICA 240 (B) PODGORICA 251 (C) PODGORICA 254 (D) STATE 83856 
 
PODGORICA 00000265  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
REF:(A) PODGORICA 240 (B) PODGORICA 251 (C) PODGORICA 254, (D) 
STATE 83856 
 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The GoM has continued to make progress on 
fulfilling the USG's NATO-related priorities (Ref D). Most 
significantly, the Parliament recently passed two acts -- a 
resolution endorsing Montenegro's policy of integration with the 
Euro-Atlantic community and a law authorizing deployments to 
international peacekeeping missions.  Among other steps forward, 
the GOM has finished work on a secure communication facility 
designed to comply with NATO standards and is continuing its 
campaign to boost public support and to strengthen judicial 
standards.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) The bilateral Montenegro - U.S. working group (Ref A 
and previous) met on 6 October to review progress towards NATO 
MAP. In the areas identified as the greater challenges (Ref A, 
Paragraph Four), Montenegro had positive developments to report. 
 
 
 
-- Plans for NATO partnership goals: The MoD has developed a 
matrix for all 32 activities planned between 2008 and 2010.  The 
MoD is responsible for 26 of these, including five of the six 
scheduled for 2008.  The five cover Organization of the 
Headquarters, Information Services for Headquarters and Command 
Center, Medical Support, Safe Electronic Email System, Building 
Staff Efficiency.  MoD officials stated they are on track to 
meet these five goals this year.  The sixth goal for 2008 falls 
under the purview of the Information Security Agency (see next 
item).  Most of the goals for the remaining two years come under 
MoD, except four for the Border Police and one for Ministry of 
Interior. 
 
 
 
-- Data Protection and Information Security: Under the 
leadership of a new director, Savo Vucinic (no relation to the 
Minister), the Information Security Agency completed 
construction of its secure communication and storage facility 
within the MoD.  Vucinic transmitted to NATO Headquarters a 
formal request for NATO certification of the facility, and 
NATO's final inspection is scheduled for 12-14 November. At the 
outset, MoD expects to have the necessary clearances and 
training for five of its staff, rising to a total of 14 by late 
¶2009. 
 
 
 
-- Rule of Law: In a separate meeting, Ministry of Justice 
officials told us that the GoM has fulfilled the 2008 goals in 
its Action Plan for judicial reform.  The MoJ highlighted 
legislation to de-politicize selection of judges and 
prosecutors, and to this end a judicial council began 
functioning in early 2008 to monitor standards and impartiality. 
 The GoM has also adopted a code of ethics for government 
officials and is soon presenting to the Parliament stronger 
conflict of interest legislation mandating dismissal and/or 
fines for violations.  In a major change to the criminal justice 
system, the MoJ also expects to submit to the Parliament a 
revised Criminal Procedure Code strengthening its prosecutor-led 
adversarial trial system. The MoJ stressed that all five of 
Montenegro's major war crimes cases are now out of the 
investigation phase and in the courts.  Officials also 
highlighted revisions to the Criminal Code to cover Montenegrin 
military personnel in peacekeeping missions. 
 
 
 
-- Public Support: The Prime Minister's Chief of Staff reviewed 
activities by the Coordination Team for the "Implementation of 
the Communications Strategy on Euro-Atlantic Integrations".  The 
GoM has already completed several planned initiatives targeting 
specific groups, such as journalists, academics and local 
politicians.  To engage mass audiences (an area earlier 
neglected), it has begun airing documentaries about NATO on 
state-run television, placed a PfP brochure in four daily 
newspapers and redesigned a public website on NATO.  The GoM 
likewise plans to contract an outside PR firm to help beef up 
its mass media campaign.  GoM officials have also sought 
guidance from new member countries -- e.g. Poland, Lithuania and 
Croatia -- on how to build public support for membership. The 
televised parliamentary debate over the resolution endorsing 
 
PODGORICA 00000265  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Montenegro's path to NATO and the EU appears to herald a new, 
more intensive effort to woo public opinion (REF B). 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) The GoM has stepped up the pace of its consultations 
with NATO on both military and civilian topics.  Two of the GOM 
participants commented on an October 1 expert session related to 
economic issues, pointing out that NATO officials seemed to lack 
direct information about Montenegro. The GoM intends to address 
this by more frequent briefings and providing written materials, 
such as its various Action Plans for reforms. The GoM 
participants added that NATO officials had read a recent 
Transparency International report on Montenegro, but were not 
aware of the GoM Action Plan against corruption or reports by 
its anti-corruption commission. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) COMMENT: While our GoM interlocutors may have a point 
about lack of awareness in Brussels, they still have difficulty 
distilling their mass of data into succinct talking points. 
This is perhaps most important for the rule of law, the area in 
which they must overcome the greatest international skepticism. 
To this end, it will be important that the GoM continue to show 
practical results.  The GoM's success in pushing through 
Parliament two acts -- a resolution endorsing Montenegro's 
integration with the Euro-Atlantic community and a law 
authorizing participation in international peacekeeping missions 
(REF C) -- clearly reaffirmed the commitment of the Montenegrin 
leadership to a pro-NATO course.  END COMMENT. 
MOORE