THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH ALBANIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 073555 E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/13 TAGS: MOPS NATO PREL YI AL SUBJECT: THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH ALBANIAN AMBASSADOR TARIFA, MARCH 12, 3 PM, WASHINGTON REF: TIRANA 395 (U) CLASSIFIED BY RICHARD L. ARMITAGE, FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (U) PARTICIPANTS: U.S. -------------- THE DEPUTY SECRETARY EUR DAS BOGUE ALBANIA DESK OFFICER GREGORY (NOTETAKER) ALBANIA -------------- AMBASSADOR FATOS TARIFA DCM RUDINA MULLAHI IRAQ/NANO VISIT =============== ¶2. (C) DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE, ACCOMPANIED BY EUR DAS BOGUE, GAVE AMBASSADOR TARIFA A WARM RECEPTION. THE DEPUTY SECRETARY SAID PRIME MINISTER NANO'S FEB. 9 LETTER TO THE BOSTON GLOBE, INVOKING AMERICA'S SACRIFICES AT NORMANDY, HAD "TOUCHED A CHORD." HE CALLED PARLIAMENTS' UNANIMOUS RESOLUTION ON MARCH 6 "COURAGEOUS." AMBASSADOR TARIFA ASSURED DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE THAT ALBANIA'S SUPPORT FOR AMERICA ON IRAQ WAS NOT FOR POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY, BUT CAME FROM THE HEART, AS A RESULT OF "KNOWING WHAT LIVING UNDER A DICTATORSHIP REALLY MEANS." HE SAID THAT 75 SOLDIERS WERE BEING SENT TO KUWAIT, AND MORE WERE BEING TRAINED FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE COALITION. (NOTE: AMBASSADOR TARIFA'S INFORMATION MAY NOT BE CURRENT. ALBANIA IS COORDINATING WITH CENTCOM AND THE U.S. EMBASSY IN TIRANA ON ALBANIAN PARTICIPATION (REFTEL). END NOTE.) THE DEPUTY SECRETARY PREDICTED THAT NON-ARAB MUSLIM COUNTRIES WOULD HAVE A VALUABLE ROLE TO PLAY IN THE POST-CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ. ¶3. (C) DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE PREDICTED THAT U.S.- ALBANIA RELATIONS WOULD CHANGE, BOTH MILITARILY AND POLITICALLY, BECAUSE OF ALBANIA'S POSITIVE ACTIONS. AMBASSADOR TARIFA EMPHASIZED THAT, IN ADDITION TO ITS FOREIGN POLICY INITIATIVES, INCLUDING ARTICLE 98 NEGOTIATIONS, THE GOVERNMENT CONTINUED TO MAKE PROGRESS ON RULE OF LAW ISSUES, INCLUDING BRINGING CORRUPT OFFICIALS TO JUSTICE AND STOPPING TRAFFICKING ACROSS THE ADRIATIC. HE HOPED THE U.S. WOULD RECOGNIZE AND ENCOURAGE ALBANIA'S EFFORTS BY ACCEPTING A PRIME MINISTERIAL VISIT TO WASHINGTON. THE DEPUTY SECRETARY SAID HE SUPPORTED A WASHINGTON VISIT BY PM NANO AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME. DJINDJIC ASSASSINATION ====================== ¶4. (U) DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE HOPED THE MARCH 12 ASSASSINATION OF SERBIAN PRIME MINISTER DJINDJIC WOULD NOT EMBOLDEN DARKER ELEMENTS OF SOCIETY TO BE MORE VICIOUS AND VIOLENT. THE U.S. SUPPORTS THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS NOW UNDERWAY IN SERBIA TO CHOOSE A NEW LEADER. HE AGREED WITH AMBASSADOR TARIFA'S STATEMENT THAT DJINDJIC HAD BEEN A CALMING INFLUENCE IN THE REGION, AND THAT THE ASSASSINATION SHOWED HOW VULNERABLE PARTS OF THE BALKANS REMAIN TO INSTABILITY. ADRIATIC CHARTER ================ ¶5. (C) ON THE ADRIATIC CHARTER, THE DEPUTY SECRETARY AGREED WITH AMBASSADOR TARIFA THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE BALKAN COUNTRIES TO WORK COOPERATIVELY. HE ASSURED THE AMBASSADOR THE DEPARTMENT WAS WORKING TO IDENTIFY AN APPROPRIATE DATE TO ENABLE THE SECRETARY TO SIGN THE CHARTER FOR THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TARIFA JOKED THAT ALBANIA, CROATIA AND MACEDONIA WERE "TAKING THE TRAIN TO BRUSSELS TOGETHER." POWELL