VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVB #0121/01 0571308
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 261308Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9936
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000121 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2020 
TAGS: PREL PVOV HR
SUBJECT: DS LEW IN ZAGREB: NATO PARTNERSHIP, EU ACCESSION 
AND CROATIA'S REGIONAL ROLE 
 
Classified By: Vivian S. Walker, Deputy Chief of Mission, for reasons 1 
.4 (b) & (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: Deputy Secretary Jacob Lew traveled to 
Zagreb February 17-18 as head of the presidential delegation 
to the inauguration of Croatia's third president, Ivo 
Josipovic.  Croatia's ISAF contributions, EU accession and 
role in the region emerged as key themes of the visit. In 
addition to his attendance at the Feb. 18 inauguration event, 
Deputy Secretary Lew met with President elect Josipovic on 
the evening of the 17th, and, in the margins of the 
inauguration, held bilateral meetings with the Croatian 
Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Presidents of Slovenia 
and Albania.  During an official dinner, Deputy Secretary Lew 
also had the opportunity to discuss Croatia's key foreign and 
domestic policy challenges with senior GoC officials and 
advisors.  The GoC expressed deep appreciation for Deputy 
Secretary Lew's visit, which served to reinforce the 
excellent bilateral relationship between Croatia and the US 
and to advance key issues on the bilateral agenda.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) During a meeting with President Ivo Josipovic on the 
eve of his inauguration as Croatia,s third president, Deputy 
Secretary Lew congratulated Josipovic on the deepening of 
democracy and democratic institutions in Croatia over the 
last ten years.  Josipovic responded by thanking the USG for 
its continued support and friendship.  The Deputy Secretary 
noted that the USG and the GoC share a number of multilateral 
priorities, particularly in Afghanistan, adding that the USG 
hopes that Croatia will be able to join with the US in 
increasing its contribution to ISAF.   Having flown in and 
out of the air base at Mazar-al-Sharif, which is secured by 
Croatian forces, Deputy Secretary Lew said that he could 
personally attest to the importance of Croatia's 
contribution.  The Deputy Secretary noted that training of 
Afghan National security forces is essential in securing 
Afghanistan's future and particularly thanked Croatia for its 
role in this area.  He also asked both President Josipovic 
and later FM Jandrokovic to consider providing more trainers 
for police (ANP) and military (ANA). 
 
¶3.  (C) Josipovic said that the two foreign policy priorities 
for his administration are EU accession and the development 
of good relations within the region.  With respect to EU 
accession, Josipovic noted that many challenges have been 
met, such as the forthcoming opening of Chapter 23, but that 
significant reforms remain, particularly in the realm of 
public administration.    Josipovic said that it is essential 
for Croatia to build good relationships with its neighbors, 
adding that there are "unresolved consequences of the war (of 
the 1990s) that must be addressed now.   The current 
generation has the responsibility to address and resolve 
these issues."   Turning to domestic priorities, Josipovic -- 
a legal expert -- cited the fight against corruption and 
judicial reform as two essential and interrelated priorities 
for his mandate.  He commended efforts carried out by the 
state prosecutor's office to deal with local and regional 
mafia elements, and said that improved sentencing laws and 
proposed changes to the constitution will help to assure that 
extradition procedures will be implemented when appropriate: 
"citizenship cannot be used to avoid prosecution." 
 
¶4.  (C) On the issue of economic reform, Josipovic noted that 
"not enough" has been done.  He cited the high rate of 
unemployment and the growing number of poor people as 
particular concerns: "We need to control the social 
situation," he said, or "disorder and chaos" may follow, 
which would be "potentially destabilizing" for a small 
country like Croatia.  He agreed with the Deputy Secretary's 
observation that "this is the time to improve the trade and 
investment environment," adding that he will work with Prime 
Minister Jandranka Kosor to deliver on the promise oQeform. 
 Josipovic said he was "very optimistic" about the potential 
for cooperation between himself and Kosor and said he hoped 
they could promote a common approach between the HDZ 
(Kosor,s party) and his former party, the Social Democrats 
(SDP).  "No party affiliation can dominate" in the effort to 
find a solution to the economic challenge.  The Deputy 
Secretary agreed, saying that getting leaders of opposing 
parties to work together on difficult issues yields joint 
ownership and new opportunities. 
 
¶5.  (C) The Deputy Secretary had dinner with a range of high 
level Croatian government officials and advisors, in the 
areas of foreign policy, defense, economics, culture and 
education.  Discussion focused on the current lack of 
competitiveness of the Croatian economy and Croatia's future 
within the European Union.  The Croatian guests spoke at 
length about the challenge of developing normal relations 
 
with Serbia, with this challenge amply illustrated as the 
dinner guests received text message notification that the 
Serb government had decided not to send a representative to 
the next morning's inauguration. 
 
 
¶6.  (C) During his meeting with Foreign Minister Jandrokovic, 
the Deputy Secretary raised the GoC pledge made to Secretary 
Clinton in December to increase its ISAF contribution, and 
briefed Jandrokovic on the conversation with Josipovic, 
especially with regard to OMLTs and POMLTs.  Jandrokovic 
responded that the government was now ready to implement this 
pledge; following internal government deliberations, the next 
step would be to seek approval from the new president and 
then from the parliament.  The Foreign Minister was 
cautiously optimistic that this effort would be successful. 
He said the army is prepared to increase the number of 
training missions "very soon."  He noted all the assistance 
Croatia had received from international friends in the 1990s 
and said he viewed it as a moral obligation to do the same 
for Afghanistan.  NOTE: On February 22,just four days after 
the visit, the Croatian government reaffirmed, with President 
Josipovich's support, its intent to increase its troop 
contribution from 300 to 320. 
 
¶7.  (C) The Foreign Minister then outlined the status of 
Croatia's EU accession and said all negotiating chapters 
should be opened and more than 20 closed by mid 2010.  He 
noted the positive moves of the British and Dutch on Chapter 
23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and said the GoC will 
continue all efforts to locate documents sought by the ICTY. 
Jandrokovic noted the importance of Croatia's EU accession to 
others in the region, who say that if Croatia is not 
successful then there is no hope for themselves. He also said 
that Croatia wants to help others in the region, but will be 
in a much stronger position from a resource perspective to do 
so once it joins the EU.  The Deputy Secretary welcomed 
Croatia's progress with Slovenia, but said improving 
relations with Serbia is very important going forward. 
Jandrokovic said the GoC wants to improve relations, but that 
the Serbs need to come to terms psychologically with their 
changed circumstances in the region and to adopt a genuine 
Euro-Atlantic perspective.   Jandrokovic and the Deputy 
Secretary also discussed both countries' efforts to reform 
the diplomatic corps and redistribute resources to meet 
current and future, rather than past, priorities.  The 
Foreign Minister also asked the status of an initiative he 
discussed with the Secretary to post a U.S. diplomat at the 
Croatian Foreign Ministry.  The Deputy Secretary undertook to 
check on developments. 
 
¶8.  (C) In a pre-inauguration bilateral meeting, Albanian 
President Topi thanked the Deputy Secretary for the USG's 
assistance and friendship, particularly with Kosovo.  They 
noted that the second anniversary of Kosovo's independence 
was the prior day.   The president briefly touched on 
relations with Albania's neighbors.  He said that there is a 
great deal of ambiguity in Serbia's foreign policy, with 
moves to orient the country on an EU path while still 
contesting the independence of Kosovo.  Topi said  Kosovo's 
status is irreversible.  He said that Macedonia has many 
problems but good relations with Albania, and Albania's 
relations with Croatia and Montenegro are at "the best level 
ever."  Topi briefed the Deputy Secretary on the opposition's 
boycott of parliament and said he is attempting to facilitate 
a dialogue between the government and opposition.  The Deputy 
Secretary thanked the president for Albania's assistance 
resettling Guantanamo detainees and for its important ISAF 
contribution.  He noted that the USG will soon open a 
consulate in Herat where Albanian forces are deployed and 
expressed appreciation for the GoA's consideration to 
increase its ISAF commitment.  The Deputy Secretary expressed 
some concern to Topi regarding recent developments with 
Albania's intelligence services.  Deputy Secretary Lew's 
meeting with Slovenian President Turk is reported septel. 
 
¶9.  (C) Comment: Croatian officials expressed deep 
appreciation for Deputy Secretary Lew's visit, which they 
said underscored the critical role the U.S. has played in 
support of Croatia's NATO membership and EU accession path. 
(It is noteworthy in this regard that the U.S. was the only 
bilateral relationship highlighted by Josipovic in his 
inauguration speech.)  Embassy believes the Deputy 
Secretary's demarches on Croatia's ISAF contribution, 
relations with Serbia and economic reform will have a 
positive impact. 
FOLEY