GOI AGREES WITH USG ON NEED FOR SERBIAN ELECTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005093 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2012 TAGS: PREL SR MN IT OSCE SUBJECT: GOI AGREES WITH USG ON NEED FOR SERBIAN ELECTION REFORM REF: STATE 202845 CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 05093 180852Z ¶1. (C) ON OCTOBER 16, MFA BALKAN OFFICE DIRECTOR MAURIZIO MASSARI TOLD POLOFF THAT THE GOI AGREED COMPLETELY WITH USG THE USG VIEW EXPRESSED REFTEL THAT THE IC MUST PUT PRESSURE ON SERB PM DJINDJIC TO RECONVENE PARLIAMENT IN ORDER TO AMEND THE ELECTORAL LAW IN LINE WITH ODIHR RECOMMENDATIONS. MASSARI HAD JUST RETURNED FORM A MEETING IN BRUSSELS ON OCTOBER 15 DURING WHICH HE HAD WORKED WITH HIS EU MEMBER STATE COUNTERPARTS TO CRAFT HIREP SOLANA'S TALKING POINTS FOR HIS CALL TO DJINDJIC REFERRED TO IN REFTEL. ¶2. (C) MASSARI SAID THAT DJINDJIC'S POINTS WERE STRONG, BUT PERHAPS NOT AS STRONG AS HE WOULD HAVE WANTED. NEGOTIATION AT 15 IN THE EU TENDS TO MOVE STATEMENTS TOWARDS THE "LEAST COMMON DENOMINATOR," CONTINUED MASSARI, BUT NONETHELESS, THE POINTS WILL COMMUNICATE TO DJINDJIC THE EU'S VIEW THAT SERB ELECTION LAWS SHOULD FALL INTO LINE WITH OSCE/ODIHR RECOMMENDATIONS ASAP. ¶3. (C) THE GOI PLANS TO DELIVER ITS OWN MESSAGE THROUGH ITS EMBASSY IN BELGRADE TO DJINDJIC AND OTHER SERB LEADERS. THE STATEMENT WAS STILL IN DRAFT FORM, SO MASSARI WAS NOT SPECIFIC ON THE WORDING OR RECIPIENTS OTHER THAN DJINDJIC, BUT THE DEMARCHE "WOULD BE STRONGER" THAN THE ONE DELIVERED BY SOLANA. MASSARI PROMISED POLOFF A READOUT OF THE SERB REACTION TO THE DEMARCHE AS SOON AS IT WAS AVAILABLE. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME05093 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL