Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PRISTINA285
2006-03-30 14:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Pristina
Cable title:  

KOSOVO PRESIDENT SEJDIU REACHES OUT TO MINORITIES

Tags:  PREL KCRM PGOV PINR KDEM UNMIK YI 
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301422Z MAR 06
FM USOFFICE PRISTINA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5968
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0631
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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
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RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUFOANA/USNIC PRISTINA SR
UNCLAS PRISTINA 000285 

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SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE
NSC FOR BRAUN
USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KCRM PGOV PINR KDEM UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO PRESIDENT SEJDIU REACHES OUT TO MINORITIES

REF: 04 PRISTINA 753

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PROTECT ACCORDINGLY

UNCLAS PRISTINA 000285

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE
NSC FOR BRAUN
USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KCRM PGOV PINR KDEM UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO PRESIDENT SEJDIU REACHES OUT TO MINORITIES

REF: 04 PRISTINA 753

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PROTECT ACCORDINGLY


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. President Fatmir Sejdiu visited
Dragas/Dragash and Orahovac/Rahovec municipalities and
discussed (in Serbian) standards implementation, freedom of
movement, inter-ethnic relations and economic development in
public meetings with minorities. He plans to make more
outreach trips in the coming weeks. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) On March 23, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu
visited minority communities in Dragas/Dragash and
Orahovac/Rahovec municipalities. During both visits he
refused an interpreter and spoke to minorities in Serbian, a
rare effort by a Kosovo Albanian public figure. In Rahovec,
Sejdiu met with Kosovo Serbs in the "upper part" of Rahovec
town, where according to OSCE estimates, approximately
550-600 Kosovo Serbs live. In May 2004 former Prime Minister
Bajram Rexhepi also visited Rahovec during a similar outreach
program to build confidence with minorities (Reftel).


3. (SBU) Ethnic-Serb Rahovec deputy mayor Ljubisa Djuricic
told PolFSN on March 28 that he was encouraged by Sejdiu's
flexibility and his willingness to accept the use of the
Cyrillic alphabet on road signs in Serb-inhabited areas of
Rahovec. He said that in response to a Kosovo Serb request
for assistance in locating pre-war employment documents,
Sejdiu agreed to serve as a mediator with the now privatized,
former socially owned enterprises (SOE's) which the Serbs
believe can access those documents in their archives.
Djuricic said that the Kosovo Serbs lost their documents when
they fled their homes in 1999, and now need them to prove
their eligibility for former Yugoslavia state pensions
administered by Belgrade.


4. (SBU) Dragash deputy mayor Sabidin Cufta told PolFSN that
he was satisfied with Sejdiu's March 23 visit, during which
Kosovo Albanians, Gorani and Bosniaks participated in a joint
public meeting. In addition to discussing standards
implementation, freedom of movement and inter-ethnic
relations, Dragash municipal leaders raised the issue of
infrastructure and roads that they say are needed to promote
economic development and access to education. (NOTE. Cufta
approached USOP on March 3 to request assistance with a road
infrastructure project, and said that his requests for
assistance from UNMIK, the PISG and the OSCE have all been
unsuccessful. END NOTE).


5. (SBU) Sejdiu's advisor Samet Dalipi told PolFSN on March
29 that Sejdiu plans to engage in further outreach to
minorities in the coming weeks. He said that Sejdiu plans to
visit Shtime and Lipljan on one trip (with Roma and Serb
populations respectively),and Kacanik and the pilot project
municipality of Hani I Elezit on another.


6. (SBU) COMMENT. President Sejdiu's first visits to
minority communities were a success. Kosovo Serbs have long
said that Kosovo Albanian leaders need to do more to reach
out to them publicly and to set an example for ordinary
Kosovo Albanian citizens that it is acceptable and even
encouraged to engage with Kosovo Serbs and welcome them into
Kosovo society. Follow-up efforts by the president, for
example in facilitating access to SOE records as requested,
would reinforce the message that minorities really are
welcome in Kosovo, and have officials from the majority who
are responsive to their needs. END COMMENT.


7. (U) Post clears this message in its entirety for release
to Special Envoy Ahtisaari.
GOLDBERG