FINLAND ON SERBIA'S ICTY COOPERATION

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000909

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ICTY SR YI
SUBJECT: FINLAND ON SERBIA'S ICTY COOPERATION

REF: STATE 146343


1. (SBU) PolChief delivered subject demarche to Balkans
Office Director Juha Ottman on September 8. Ottman
responded enthusiastically, saying that the steps the US
has suggested to Belgrade "are entirely our line as well."
He was pleased that the US is maintaining a hard line on
ICTY cooperation and insisting that Serbia demonstrate a
commitment to its own "Action Play" as key conditionalities
for moving forward toward greater integration with the EU
and NATO.


2. (SBU) Ottman said that, from the Finnish point of view,
Serbia clearly has not shown sufficient cooperation or the
political will to put its Action Plan into action. In
particular, PM Kostunica has not publicly called for
Mladic's arrest, and Serb authorities are not adequately
sharing information with the ICTY, Ottman said. The recent
briefing from ICTY Prosecutor del Ponte's in Brussels
confirmed the Finns' views in this regard.


3. (SBU) Looking forward, the GOF intends to call a Troika
meeting with Serbia in Helsinki September 29. If no
significant progress is made before then, the GOF and
Troika partners will deliver a formal message to the Serbs
along the lines of our points, laying out the various steps
Serbia can take now to reduce its isolation and re-start
Stabilization and Association talks with the EU. The Finns
will informally urge Belgrade to show concrete progress on
ICTY cooperation before the September 29 Troika, but Ottman
said he was not confident that any results will be
forthcoming before then.
WARE