VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHVB #0545 2470856
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 040856Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9505
INFO RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0051
RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST PRIORITY 1105
RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA PRIORITY 0619
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA PRIORITY 1002
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0109
UNCLAS ZAGREB 000545
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
PASS TO EUR/SCE, L/EUR AND L/UNA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC HR PREL ICJ KV
SUBJECT: CROATIA PREFERS JOINT BULGARIAN/HUNGARIAN/CROATIAN
SUBMISSION OF ORAL BRIEF ON KOSOVO AT ICJ
REF: ZAGREB 543
1. (SBU) While reftel reports that Croatia was inclined to
provide an oral briefing at the ICJ on Kosovo's independence,
MFA State Secretary Davor Bozinovic informed charge this
morning that Croatia would now prefer to undertake this oral
argument jointly with Bulgaria and Hungary. Bozinovic
explained that a joint approach would make it easier for
Croatia to sell its decision to its partners in the region.
Having initiated this idea, Bozinovic said, the Bulgarians
are fully on board. However, according to Bozinovic, the
Hungarians have said that they don't want to provide an oral
argument on Kosovo either jointly or independently because
they don't want to expend any political capital on the issue.
Bozinovic asked whether Washington would be willing to ask
the Hungarians to reconsider their stance. Bozinovic noted
that Foreign Minister Jandrokovic and the Hungarian FoMin are
scheduled to meet on September 9 to discuss this issue
further.
2. (SBU) Comment: From post's perspective, a demarche on the
Hungarians to agree to a joint submission might help to move
this process forward. For the record, Bozinovic was unable
to provide a straight answer when asked whether Hungary's
refusal to participate in a joint oral argument would mean
that Croatia would walk back its stated inclination to
present this brief. End Comment.
WALKER