Cablegate: Sabor President Pavletic Says No Peace Without

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 005177

SIPDIS

USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A
TAGS:
SUBJECT: SABOR PRESIDENT PAVLETIC SAYS NO PEACE WITHOUT
U.S. ASSISTANCE

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PAGE 02 ZAGREB 05177 01 OF 02 181254Z
l.SUMMARY: ON DECEMBER 14 AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH PAID A
COURTESY CALL ON THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES VLATKO PAVLETIC. DISCUSSION FOCUSED ON
THE BALKANS PEACE AGREEMENT AND THE DIFFICULTIES OF
IMPLEMENTATION. PAVLETIC SAID THAT THE AGREEMENT OFFERS
THE BASIS FOR ALL THREE ETHNIC GROUPS TO RESOLVE THEIR
DIFFERENCES. BECAUSE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN NO PEACE
WITHOUT THE U.S. INITIATIVE, PAVLETIC STRESSED THAT IT IS
VITAL FOR CONTINUED U.S. ASSISTANCE IN IMPLEMENTATION.
THE AMBASSADOR AGREED THAT THERE IS MUCH UNFINISHED
BUSINESS, INCLUDING CREATING A CIVIL SOCIETY, THE RETURN
OF A MULTI-ETHNIC SOCIETY, AND A RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM
OF THOSE WHO HAVE DISAPPEARED. THE AMBASSADOR STRESSED
THAT PEACE WILL NOT BE REAL AND HEALING CANNOT BEGIN UNTIL
A FINAL ACCOUNTING IS DONE AND THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR WAR
CRIMES -- ON ALL SIDES -- HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.
END SUMMARY.

2.0N DECEMBER 14 AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH PAID A COURTESY
CALL ON THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
VLATKO PAVLETIC (CROATIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION -- HDZ).
PAVLETIC FOCUSED HIS COMMENTS ON THE SIGNING OF THE
BALKANS PEACE AGREEMENT IN PARIS AND NOTED THAT, AS
DIFFICULT AS THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS WAS, IMPLEMENTATION
WILL BE HARDER. HE SAID THAT THE CRUEL WAR OF THE LAST
FIVE YEARS HAS BROUGHT A PEACE THAT THAT IS ALMOST AS
CRUEL TO ITS VICTIMS. HE LAMENTED THAT WHILE THE VIOLENCE
HAS ENDED, HATRED AND INTOLERANCE PERSIST. A DIFFICULT
JOB LIES AHEAD TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS FOR CROATS, SERBS,
AND MUSLIMS TO LIVE TOGETHER AGAIN. HE NOTED, HOWEVER,
THAT FINDING A FORMULA TO BUILD TRUST WILL BE MORE
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DIFFICULT THAN FINDING THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO REBUILD
VUKOVAR.

3.PAVLETIC ADDED THAT THE PEACE AGREEMENT OFFERS THE
BASIS FOR ALL THREE ETHNIC GROUPS TO RESOLVE THEIR
DIFFERENCES. HOWEVER, THE ENTIRE FORMULA COULD PROVE
UNWORKABLE IF ONE PARTY VIOLATES IT. HE SAID THIS WAS A
SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO LEADERS IN SECTOR EAST WHO HAVE
PUBLICLY INTERPRETED THE AGREEMENT DIFFERENTLY THAN THE
GOC (NOTE: LEADERS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA HAVE SAID THAT
CROATIAN DISPLACED PERSONS WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED TO RETURN
WHEN SERBS BEGIN TO COME BACK TO FORMER SECTORS NORTH AND
SOUTH). PAVLETIC WARNED THAT IF SUCH ATTITUDES PERSIST,
THE GOVERNMENT AND HDZ WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN
CONTINUED PUBLIC OR PARLIAMENTARY SUPPORT FOR THE
AGREEMENT. (PAVLETIC ALSO UNDERLINED THAT THE OPPOSITION
PARTIES' WERE SEEKING AN IDEAL SOLUTION AND SAID THAT ONLY
THE HDZ, WITH A REALISTIC VIEW OF THE PROBLEM AT HAND,
CARRIED THE VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE AGREEMENT.) EVEN WITHOUT
THE UNHELPFUL STANCE OF SOME EASTERN SLAVONIAN LEADERS,
IMPLEMENTATION WILL NOT BE EASY OR SWIFT. THERE COULD
HAVE BEEN NO PEACE WITHOUT THE U.S. INITIATIVE AND BECAUSE
OF ITS INFLUENCE, PAVLETIC STRESSED, IT IS VITAL FOR
CONTINUED U.S. ASSISTANCE IN IMPLEMENTATION. PAVLETIC
SAID IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO REINTRODUCE LAW AND ORDER,
SINCE FORMER INSTITUTIONS HAVE VANISHED WITH THE MASS
MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND LOSS OF PROPERTY.

4.THE AMBASSADOR AGREED THAT THERE IS MUCH UNFINISHED
BUSINESS, INCLUDING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT,
CREATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY, THE RETURN OF MULTI-ETHNIC
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PAGE 04 ZAGREB 05177 01 OF 02 181254Z
SOCIETY, AND A RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF THOSE WHO HAVE
DISAPPEARED. HE STRESSED THAT PEACE WILL NOT BE REAL AND
HEALING CANNOT BEGIN UNTIL A FINAL ACCOUNTING IS DONE AND
THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR WAR CRIMES -- ON ALL SIDES -- HAVE
BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE. THE AMBASSADOR THANKE
D PAVLETIC
FOR HIS SUPPORT OF THE DAYTON AGREEMENT AND SAID THAT
WHILE IT DID NOT GIVE CROATIA EVERYTHING IT WANTED,
CROATIA MET MORE OF ITS GOALS THAN THE OTHER PARTIES IN
THE CONFLICT. THE AGREEMENT GUARANTEES CROATIA'S
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY WITHIN ITS INTERNATIONALLY
RECOGNIZED BORDERS AND, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BOSANSKA
POSAVINA, ALMOST ALL BOSNIAN CROATS LIVE IN THE
FEDERATION. HE NOTED THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE AN
AGREEMENT THAT FULLY SATISFIES ONE SIDE, THAT PEACE
REQUIRES COMPROMISES. EVEN THOUGH THE CROATS OF BOSANSKA
POSAVINA ARE NOT IN THE FEDERATION, THEY STILL HAVE THE
RIGHT TO RETURN, RECOVER PROPERTY, AND VOTE. BY VOTING
THEY COULD CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF THE SERB ENTITY.

5. SARAJEVO MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.

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PAGE 01 ZAGREB 05177 02 OF 02 181254Z
ACTION EUR-01

INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 OASY-00 SRPP-00 FBIE-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-01 ADS-00
M-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-02 PM-00
PRS-01 P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00
USIE-00 PMB-00 PRMC-01 DRL-09 G-00 /020W
------------------09E08D 181254Z /38
R 181235Z DEC 95
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8373
INFO USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECPOLAD//
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
DIA WASHDC
NATO EU COLLECTIVE
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//POLAD//

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 005177

SIPDIS

USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A
TAGS:
SUBJECT: SABOR PRESIDENT PAVLETIC SAYS NO PEACE WITHOUT
U.S. ASSISTANCE

UNCLASSIFIED

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PAGE 02 ZAGREB 05177 02 OF 02 181254Z
FINN

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