SERB AMBASSADOR CONCERNED ABOUT KOSOVO, ISLAM

UNCLAS VATICAN 001989

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/WE: LEVIN; EUR/SCE; IO/PHO: CARLSON; IO/UNP;
DRL/IRF

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KIRF MW PREL SOCI SR VT YI UNMIK
SUBJECT: SERB AMBASSADOR CONCERNED ABOUT KOSOVO, ISLAM

REF: A. PRISTINA 660 ET AL.

B. 03 VATICAN 5351

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) DARKO TANASKOVIC, SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (SAM)
AMBASSADOR TO THE HOLY SEE, PASSED THE AMBASSADOR MAY 19
SAM'S DISCUSSION PAPER ON KOSOVO (REF A) AND IMPRESSED UPON
HIM HIS CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE SERBIAN MINORITY IN
THE PROVINCE. TANASKOVIC DESCRIBED A GROWING EXTREMISM AMONG
MUSLIMS IN THE BALKANS, AND WAS PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE
PROSPECTS FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE. THE AMBASSADOR
STRESSED THE CONTINUING USG COMMITMENT TO THE BALKANS AND OUR
CONDEMNATION OF THE MARCH VIOLENCE IN KOSOVO. END SUMMARY.

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SAM'S KOSOVO PAPER
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2. (SBU) SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (SAM) AMBASSADOR TO THE HOLY
SEE DARKO TANASKOVIC CALLED ON THE AMBASSADOR MAY 19 TO BRIEF
HIM ON SAM'S PLAN FOR KOSOVO. TANASKOVIC PASSED US A COPY OF
SAM'S "PLAN FOR THE POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE SITUATION IN
KOSOVO AND METOHIJA," NOTING THAT IT HAD BEEN PRESENTED TO
THE DEPARTMENT AND THAT FM DRASKOVIC HAD SPOKEN ON IT TO THE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL. THE AMBASSADOR STRESSED THE USG'S
CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO THE BALKANS, NOTING THE SACRIFICE OF
THE THREE U.S. CIVILIAN POLICE OFFICERS KILLED IN KOSOVO
RECENTLY. HE ALSO REITERATED OUR CONDEMNATION OF THE MARCH
VIOLENCE IN THE PROVINCE.

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MORE PROTECTION NEEDED FOR SERBS
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3. (SBU) TANASKOVIC APPEALED FOR GREATER PROTECTION FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR THE SERB MINORITY IN KOSOVO,
PITCHING THE ISSUE IN PART AS ONE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. HE
BEMOANED THE DESTRUCTION OF CHURCHES AND MONASTERIES IN THE
MARCH VIOLENCE, AND SAID THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
NEEDED TO PROTECT THE SERBS AS THEY HAD ONCE PROTECTED
KOSOVAR ALBANIANS. HE NOTED THAT HE AND HIS FAMILY HAD BEEN
IN BELGRADE DURING THE 1999 NATO BOMBING. ALTHOUGH HE AND
MOST SERBS DID NOT HOLD THIS MILITARY ACTION AGAINST THE
U.S., THEY EXPECTED US TO BE CONSISTENT IN OUR EFFORTS TO
PROTECT MINORITIES. "NO ONE" THINKS THAT KOSOVO WILL BE PART
OF SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO IN THE SAME WAY IT WAS BEFORE,
TANASKOVIC SAID. BUT, HE CONTINUED, THAT DID NOT MEAN KOSOVO
WAS READY FOR INDEPENDENCE.

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RADICAL ISLAM GROWING IN BALKANS; DIALOGUE CRUCIAL
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4. (SBU) TANASKOVIC, A SCHOLAR OF ISLAM WHO SERVED
PREVIOUSLY IN TURKEY (REF B),SAID HE WAS ALARMED AT THE
GROWING RADICALISM OF THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY IN THE FORMER
YUGOSLAVIA. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS A NEW NETWORK OF SCHOOLS
AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE PRODUCING A MUCH DIFFERENT
BRAND OF MUSLIM THAN HE HAD KNOWN IN THE REGION IN THE PAST.
AUTHORITIES IN THE REGION NEEDED TO FIND SOME ANSWER TO THIS
RADICALIZATION, HE SAID. "BUT," HE ASKED, "HOW DO YOU MAKE
A MOVEMENT COMPATIBLE WITH DEMOCRACY THAT IS, AT ITS HEART,
SO ANTI-DEMOCRATIC?" TANASKOVIC WAS PESSIMISTIC ABOUT
ATTEMPTS AT INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE, NOTING THAT IT SEEMED AS
IF THE SAME FEW MODERATE MUSLIMS SHOWED UP AT ALL THE
INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE EVENTS. INDEED, THESE FEW SEEMED
SOMEWHAT MARGINALIZED FROM THE REST OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD.
THE AMBASSADOR ALLOWED THAT THE OBSTACLES TO MEANINGFUL
DIALOGUE WERE FORMIDABLE, BUT ENCOURAGED TANASKOVIC TO WORK
WITH POST AS WE PRESSED FORWARD IN OUR EFFORTS ON THIS FRONT.
THE AMBASSADOR SAID WE COULD NOT GIVE UP ON WHAT HE
CONSIDERED PERHAPS THE MOST CRUCIAL ISSUE FACING THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TODAY.

NICHOLSON

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2004VATICA01989 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED