PORTUGAL SUPPORTS INCREASED PRESSURE REGARDING ICTY

C O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 001920

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2016
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL SR ICTY PT
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL SUPPORTS INCREASED PRESSURE REGARDING ICTY

REF: A. STATE 146343


B. STATE 136492

Classified By: Classified by Pol/Econ Officer Troy Fitrell, reasons 1.5
(b,d)


1. (U) Portugal intends to support a European Union (EU)
proposal to extend the responsibilities of the Enhanced
Permanent Dialogue (EPD) to pressure Serbia to comply more
fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia
(ICTY).


2. (C) Dr. Liliana Araujo, Director for European Affairs told
us September 8 that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had
decided that morning to support an EU proposal designed to
pressure Serbia to cooperate more extensively with the ICTY,
along the lines proposed in Ref (A). The EU proposal is to
use the EPD structures to pressure the Serbian government
more strongly to arrest the six persons indicted for war
crimes who are currently at large. Araujo noted that Serbian
representatives had complained to Portuguese interlocutors
that Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic in particular were
supported by an extensive support network and would be
difficult to apprehend. Araujo agreed, however, that this
did not absolve the Serbian government from exerting greater
efforts.


3. (U) On the Ref (B) subject of Kosovo's future, Araujo
agreed that a timely resolution was imperative, but that
Portugal would follow an EU consensus.
Hoffman