SERB PM KOSTUNICA VISITS EU; SOLANA AND PATTEN'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001295

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV SR ZL EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: SERB PM KOSTUNICA VISITS EU; SOLANA AND PATTEN'S
"DISAPPOINTING" TRIP TO KOSOVO

REF: BELGRADE 646

Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, PolOff, Reasons 1.4 (B/D)

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) Our readout of Serb PM Kostunica's March 23 meetings
in Brussels with High Rep Solana, and Commissioners Prodi and
Patten tracks closely with reftel account from Belgrade. In
addition, Kostunica is reported to have hinted at the
possibility of a "quiet dialogue" with ICTY, claimed to be
open to cooperation with Defense Minister Tadic, and was
upbeat on the future of the State Union with Montenegro.
Separately, Solana and Patten are reported to have been "very
disappointed" by their March 24 visit to Kosovo, with
disparaging assessments of both UNMIK SRSG Holkeri and most
of the Kosovar Albanian leadership, save PM Rexhepi. END
SUMMARY.

KOSTUNICA VISIT
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2. (C) KOSOVO: Solana did prompt Kostunica to change his
terminology about Kosovo from "cantonization" to
"decentralization". (NOTE: At the March 23 Contact Group
meeting, which was held just after Solana's meetings with
Kostunica, there was general agreement that a further shift
in language away from "decentralization" to discussion of
"increasing powers of local government" would be desirable.
END NOTE.)


3. (C) ICTY: Both Solana and Commissioner Patten were clear
that it was up to Belgrade to improve its relations with the
court. According to our contacts, Kostunica's reply stressed
not only the need to support domestic trials and repetitions
of demands for an undefined "two-way street", but he also
acknowledge the need to engage with ICTY and claimed Belgrade
was "already thinking about a 'quiet dialogue'."


4. (C) SERBIAN POLITICS: Kostunica told both Patten and
Solana that he remains open to working with Defense Minister
Tadic and that they have a good working relationship. But
Kostunica was uncertain what sort of deal could be reached
and implied that any difficulties lay with Tadic and his
party, not on Kostunica's side. With Patten, Kostunica was
also reported to be quite clear that he was not interested in
running for President, a development that worries the
Commission, as they feel this will leave the field open for
the Radicals. Finally, Kostunia was upbeat on prospects for
the State Union, as he claimed Milo Djukanovic's political
position in Montenegro was weakening, forcing him to
cooperate more with Belgrade. Neither Patten nor Solana were
persuaded by Kostunica's analysis.


5. (C) Kostunica's team did not earn very favorable reviews
from either Solana or Patten's staffs. Trade Minister Bubalo
received curiously mixed reviews: Solana's staff found him a
rather "concrete" guy with some new ideas. But in the Patten
meeting, where trade issues (related to the EU's concerns on
customs fraud) were actually discussed, Bubalo was
"unimpressive and basically had nothing to say."

SOLANA/PATTEN VISIT TO KOSOVO
--------------


6. (C) Patten's staff told us both Patten and Solana returned
from their one-day visit to Kosovo on March 24 "very
disappointed". Other than sessions with the German commander
of KFOR and USOP COM Marcie Ries, the EU officials found
their meetings in Pristina rather discouraging. UNMIK SRSG
Holkeri was described to us as a "disaster" who gave a
"lamentable performance" in his meeting with Solana and
Patten. Particularly galling to Solana and Patten was when
they were confronted by angry Serb civilians in the town of
Kosovo Polje, Holkeri "just sat in his car" and then
criticized Solana and Patten for taking risks by talking to
the crowd. Solana and Patten were also highly critical of
most of the Kosovar Albanian leaders they met, whose
statements about the recent violence were entirely
inadequate. Ibrahim Rugova reportedly prompted particular
disdain ("Solana even refused to accept his rocks") for his
weak excuses that he could do little to stop the violence
because he did not control the police.


7. (C) By contrast, Solana and Patten were favorably
impressed by their meeting with PM Rexhepi. He was "miles
ahead of the others" in terms of understanding and accepting
his political responsiblities in the current situation. In
this context, they took seriously Rexhepi's plea for caution
when pressing for punishment of the villians in last week's
events, even if they were not completely convinced by his
arguments.

SCHNABEL