Cablegate: Zagreb Daily Report - February 8, 2010

VZCZCXRO9026
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHVB #0085 0391351
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081351Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9886
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000085

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL HR
SUBJECT: Zagreb Daily Report - February 8, 2010
1. (U) British Ambassador Says UK Ready to Discuss Opening Positions
for Chapter 23: British Ambassador David Blunt told Croatian media
on February 6 that full cooperation with the ICTY is "an absolute

precondition for EU accession. But he added that, "Since September
2009, we have seen far more decisiveness in attempts to resolve the
issue [of missing artillery logs] and to either locate the documents
or at least determine with certainty what happened to them. We
thought such efforts should be recognized. Hence, we decided that
we are ready for the next stage in opening [Chapter 23 on Judiciary
and Fundamental Rights], namely, a discussion on opening benchmarks.
We have not yet said that we are ready to open the Chapter." Asked
whether the opinion of the US affected the British position, Blunt
said that any information on the subject is welcome. "Hence, we
discuss the issue with a wide circle of people," he noted. "The US
is our close partner. Naturally, we talk about these issues, as we
do with many others." He also noted the progress Croatia is making
in battling corruption and said PM Kosor has been much more
"energetic" in dealing with the issue than former PM Sanader.

FOLEY

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