Wikileaks - LXXI

750 7/3/1995 17:39 95ZAGREB2493 Embassy Zagreb CONFIDENTIAL This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 002493

SIPDIS

BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE

E.O. 12356: DECL: 7/3/05 TAGS: War Crimes SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL CHIEF OF STAFF ON 6/30 SAYS \"NO PRECONDITIONS\" FOR NEGOTIATIONS; TUDJMAN ON 7/2 GIVES ICFY A LIST OF PRECONDITIONS

1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
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SUMMARY
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2. TWO DAYS AFTER THE PRESIDENT\'S CHIEF OF STAFF, HRVOJE SARINIC, TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT THE GOC HAD (ALMOST) \"NO PRECONDITIONS\" FOR TALKS WITH THE KRAJINA SERBS, PRESIDENT TUDJMAN PUBLICLY LAID OUT SIX CONDITIONS FOR CROATIAN PARTICIPATION. SARINIC COMPLAINED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY\'S FOCUS ON GAINING RECOGNITION OF BOSNIAN HERZEGOVINA WAS POINTLESS, AND CREATED A \"DANGEROUS\" SITUATION IN CROATIA. AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH URGED THE GOC TO OPEN A \"SECOND TRACK\" OF NEGOTIATIONS: TO HOLD TALKS WITH SERBS FROM GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED TERRITORY ON HOW TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL STATUS OF SERBS IN CROATIA. END SUMMARY.

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SARINIC: GOC WILLING TO NEGOTIATE WITH KRAJINA SERBS
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3. AT LUNCH ON JUNE 30, PRESIDENTIAL CHIEF OF STAFF HRVOJE SARINIC TOLD AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH THAT THE GOC WAS WILLING TO BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE KNIN SERBS. SARINIC, SAYING HE WAS REPEATING A STATEMENT HE MADE TO UN SRSG AKASHI, SAID \"THE ONLY PRECONDITION IS THAT THERE BE NO PRECONDITIONS.\" HE NOTED IN PARTICULAR THAT SERB PRECONDITIONS, SUCH AS A CROATIAN WITHDRAWAL FROM MOUNT DINARA IN SECTOR SOUTH, WERE NOT CONSTRUCTIVE. NOTING THAT THE EU AMBASSADORS HAD PRESENTED A DEMARCHE URGING WITHDRAWAL FROM MOUNT DINARA, SARINIC SAID THE GOC OFFERED \"NO APOLOGIES\" FOR THE SITUATION: FOR A LONG TIME, THE SITUATION FOR CROATIA HAD BEEN \"VERY BAD,\" NOW IT WAS ONLY CROATIAN MILITARY STEPS WHICH HAD MADE THINGS \"A BIT BETTER.\"

4. SARINIC HEDGED THE GOC\'S LACK OF PRECONDITIONS ON NEGOTIATIONS. THE GOC \"OBVIOUSLY\" WAS NOT PREPARED TO NEGOTIATE WITH \"RSK PRESIDENT\" MARTIC. SARINIC ALSO CLAIMED THE GOC WAS STILL WILLING TO MEET IN GENEVA, BUT THAT THIS \"FLEXIBILITY\" WOULD \"NOT LAST LONG.\" TUDJMAN WAS AGAINST HOLDING THE MEETING IN GENEVA, AND \"SOON\" THE GOC WOULD RETURN TO ITS INSISTENCE THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS BE HELD IN CROATIA.
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TUDJMAN: BUT ONLY UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS
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5. \"SOON\" ARRIVED EARLIER THAN EVEN SARINIC HAD EXPECTED. ON JULY 2, PRESIDENT TUDJMAN TOLD ICFY CO-CHAIRMEN BILDT AND STOLTENBERG THAT CROATIA WOULD SEEK PRECONDITIONS TO ANY NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE KNIN SERBS. UNDER THE HEADLINE \"THREE PRECONDITIONS FOR TALKS\" THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY \"VJESNIK\" REPORTED SIX (BY OUR COUNT) CONDITIONS: 1) THAT MILAN MARTIC NOT PARTICIPATE, AS HE WAS A \"WAR CRIMINAL\" WHO ORDERED THE MAY 2-3 SHELLING OF ZAGREB; 2) THAT THE TALKS BE HELD \"ON THE TERRITORY OF CROATIA;\" 3) THAT ANY POLITICAL NEGOTIATIONS WHICH MIGHT TAKE PLACE MUST \"SUBMIT TO THE SPIRIT OF THE CROATIAN CONSTITUTIONAL ACT ON MINORITIES AND ETHNIC COMMUNITIES;\" 4) THE RIJEKA- SISAK OIL PIPELINE BE REOPENED, AS AGREED IN THE DECEMBER 1994 ECONOMIC AND CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES AGREEMENT (ECBMA); 5) THE EU ASSIST IN OPENING OF THE ZAGREB-KNIN- SPLIT RAILWAY; AND 6) THE UNCRO MANDATE BE IMPLEMENTED \"A S ENVISAGED IN THE UN RESOLUTIONS.\" (NOTE: THE PRESS RELEASE FROM TUDJMAN\'S OFFICE SOUGHT TO PORTRAY ONLY THE LATTER THREE DEMANDS AS GOC \"PRECONDITIONS.\" END NOTE.)

-- DESPITE SOME CHANGES AT THE SUBMINISTERIAL LEVEL, THE FOREIGN AND DEFENSE MINISTRIES CAN BE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE PROMOTING RAPPROCHEMENT WITH TURKEY, AN INCREASED GREEK ROLE IN THE BALKANS AND A PRODUCTIVE, COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S.

3. (C) PM SIMITIS WILL BE PRESENTING THE NEW GOVERNMENT\'S PROGRAM TO THE PARLIAMENT ON APRIL 21. GREECE WILL JOIN THE EUROPEAN AND ECONOMIC MONETARY UNION (EMU) IN JANUARY AND MUCH OF SIMITIS\'S PROGRAM WILL BE DEVOTED TO STRIKING A BALANCE BETWEEN THE REQUIRED MACROECONOMIC DISCIPLINE IMPOSED BY EMU AND A RESTRUCTURING OF GOVERNMENT SOCIAL PROGRAMS IMPORTANT TO MOST GREEKS AND ESPECIALLY PASOK\'S CONSTITUENCY. SIMITIS BELIEVES IN CABINET GOVERNMENT AND FM PAPANDREOU WILL TAKE THE LEAD IN SHAPING GREECE\'S FOREIGN POLICY. AS IN THE LAST GOVERNMENT, IMLEMENTATION OF ANY NEW INITIATIVES ARE LIKELY TO BE SLOWED BY AN INEFFICIENT AND UNCOORDINATED GREEK FOREIGN MINISTRY BUREAUCRACY.

4. (C) IN YOUR MEETINGS WITH PAPANDREOU AND DEFENSE MINISTER TSOHATZOPOULOS, YOUR OBJECTIVE SHOULD BE TO ENCOURAGE GREECE TO TAKE ON A GREATER LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSFORMING SOUTHEAST EUROPE. WHILE RECOGNIZING GREECE\'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO STABILITY IN THE REGION, YOU MAY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR GREATER FOLLOW THROUGH BY THE FOREIGN MINISTRY TO ENSURE THAT PERFORMANCE MATCHES PUBLIC RHETORIC. THE FOLLOWING POINTS COVER SOME OF THE SPECIFIC BALKAN ISSUES YOU MAY WANT TO RAISE:

-- APPRECIATE GREECE\'S CONTRIBUTION OF TROOPS TO KFOR AND SFOR. GREEK SUPPORT FOR MODERATE SERB KOSOVARS CAN PROVE VITAL IN BUILDING A MULTI-ETHNIC SOCIETY IN KOSOVO.

-- REITERATE U.S. POLICY ON NO CHANGE OF BORDERS IN THE BALKANS.

-- IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE ON MILOSEVIC REGIME THROUGH STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS. MUST ISOLATE BELGRADE AND CUT-OFF HARD CURRENCY EARNINGS USED TO PROP UP THE REGIME.

-- HIGHLIGHT NEED FOR SUPPORT IN EU TO ACCELERATE ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO MONTENEGRO.

-- ENCOURAGE GREATER PUBLIC SUPPORT BY GREECE FOR SERB OPPOSITION, INCLUDING NGOS AND OTHER CIVIL GROUPS AS WELL AS PUBLIC DIPLOMACY CAMPAIGN TO HIGHLIGHT MILOSEVIC\'S REPRESSIVE TACTICS AGAINST MEDIA AND CRITICS.

-- NOTE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF MEETINGS WITH LEADERS OF GREECE\'S NEIGHBORS (ALBANIA, FYROM AND BULGARIA) AND PROSPECTS FOR GREATER COOPERATION ARISING FROM THESE IMPROVED RELATIONS.

-- SUGGEST INCREASED GREEK ROLE IN REGIONAL INITIATIVES SUCH AS SECI (BUCHAREST ANTI-CRIME CENTER), STABILITY PACT (TABLE ONE ON HUMAN RIGHTS) AND SEDM.

5. (C) OVER THE HORIZON, PAPANDREOU AND TSOHATZOPOULOS WILL BE LOOKING TO HEAR A BRIEF ARTICULATION OF YOUR VIEWS ON THE U.S.- GREECE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. WE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

-- IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE THE ANNUAL BILATERAL CONSULATIONS BEGUN BY A/S GROSSMAN.

-- SEEK COMMITMENT FOR MORE FREQUENT VISITS AT DAS LEVEL TO FOLLOW-UP ON POLICY INITIATIVES.

-- ENCOURAGE GREEKS TO ADD SUBSTANCE TO, DEFEND, AND PROMOTE THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP.

-- NOTE UPCOMING REPORTS (NEXT WEEK) ON IPR AND TERRORISM; GREECE NEEDS TO RESOLVE THE WTO IPR CASE AND MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON COUNTER-TERRORISM TO MOVE OUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP FORWARD. A COUNTER-TERRORISM BREAKTHROUGH IS IMPORTANT FOR AMERICANS\' SECURITY IN GREECE.

-- STRESS NEED TO NAIL DOWN DECISION ON F-16 ENGINES; PUSH FOR GREEK DECISION TO PURCHASE U.S. M1-A2 TANKS - THE BEST IN THE WORLD (WITH TSOHATZOPOULOS ONLY).

-- SUPPORT CONTINUED GREEK RISK-TAKING TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH TURKEY AND REACH POLITICAL SETTLEMENT ON CYPRUS. STRESS WILLINGNESS OF U.S. TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO MAKE FURTHER PROGRESS POSSIBLE. EMPHASIZE THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH ANKARA FOR A CONCRETE TURKISH STEP TO IMPROVE GREEK-TURKEY RELATIONS AND PUSH FORWARD CYPRUS TALKS.

-- ENCOURAGE GREECE TO FACILITATE FULL TURKISH PARTICIPATION IN NATO EXERCISE \"DYNAMIC MIX;\" WOULD REBOUND TO GREECE\'S CREDIT.

-- PREVIEW OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED BY PAPANDREOU-CEM-ALBRIGHT MEETINGS IN TWO WEEKS IN NEW YORK TO MAKE FURTHER PROGRESS ON GREECE-TURKEY-CYPRUS ISSUES.

BURNS