SLOVENIA COMMITTED TO NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000565 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL UNMIK SI YI EU SUBJECT: SLOVENIA COMMITTED TO NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT ON KOSOVO BUT NOT OPTIMISTIC REF: STATE 059894 Classified By: COM Thomas B. Robertson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Government of Slovenia (GOS) supports the goals of a negotiated settlement, though it is somewhat pessimistic that current negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo will achieve a final solution by the end of 2006. The GOS also has concerns about a possible destabilizing effect on Serbia, should a decision be made to move forward on independence for Kosovo. Above all, Slovenia believes it is imperative to help Serbia and Kosovo "become European." END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Pol/Econ Chief and Econoff delivered reftel points on August 24 to Davorin Senicar and Jozef Kecek, both newly assigned to the Division for South-Eastern Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Both Senicar and Kecek have recently returned from postings in Belgrade. Senicar thanked us for our points, noting that Slovenia agreed with and supported the U.S. position. He said the GOS is aware of its role in the region and it is doing its part in meetings at all levels with Serbs and Kosovars alike. The GOS supports the efforts of U.N. Special Envoy Ahtisaari, but Senicar emphasized that the situation is so complicated that he is afraid that there will be stalemate. Serbia does not want to hear about independence for Kosovo, there is no agreement, and the two sides merely talk at each other without any real dialogue. Senicar ended by saying that the GOS is sympathetic to Serbia but is not optimistic about the process and is concerned about increasing radicalism in Serbia. ¶4. (SBU) Slovenia is participating in the drafting of a non-paper to be presented at the Visegrad Group meeting in Vienna, September 14th, which will focus on Serbia and Kosovo. Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica has been invited to attend and share the Serbian perspective. ¶5. (C) The Slovenians will encourage a draft that recognizes Serbian participation as critical to a successful outcome for the negotiated settlement. It believes that Serbian concerns should be listened to more carefully by the international community, and that Serbia must help find proposals and outcomes that are more agreeable to Kosovo and come closer to the desired ends - independence. The means to those ends, according to Senicar is to to assist Serbia and Kosovo to "become European" and to integrate them into the European community. ROBERTSON