KOSOVO: PM CEKU ALREADY AT WORK ON CONTACT GROUP

UNCLAS PRISTINA 000491 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE, AND EUR/SSA, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PREF UNMIK YI SUBJECT: KOSOVO: PM CEKU ALREADY AT WORK ON CONTACT GROUP PRIORITIES FOR STANDARDS IMPLEMENTATION Sensitive, But Unclassified; Please Protect Accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: During a June 8 meeting with Contact Group (CG) heads of mission in Pristina, Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku received the 13 points of priorities for standards implementation as something that will help the Kosovo government focus its current efforts, not as criticism of its effort to date. Ceku is clearly ahead of the curve, and has already begun work on most of the points. He told CG representatives he wants to work with them on completing the action items according to the timeline provided and will keep them updated on progress over the next several months. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Heads of Missions from CG countries met with Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku June 8 to discuss the CG's 13-point list of priorities for standards implementation. (NOTE: One version of the list, which contains ten points with a minority focus and three concerning good governance/rule of law, had already appeared in the local press prior to the meeting. END NOTE). Ceku thanked CG representatives for the list and told them he sees it not as criticism of his government's efforts, but rather as something to help focus the government on standards implementation. ¶3. (SBU) Ceku updated the CG representatives on efforts his government has already taken on the 13 points. He said that the Kosovo Assembly will pass new laws on languages, cultural heritage and religious freedom within the schedule suggested by the CG. He warned that Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is coming in the near future to ask that Turkish be designated the fourth official language of Kosovo (in addition to Albanian, Serbian and English in the existing draft law). He said that the Kosovo government is revising the draft law on religious freedom in consultation with the Austrian government. Ceku added that the government will move forward the draft law on cultural heritage finalized at meetings with Council of Europe experts in Pristina and Strasbourg. ¶4. (SBU) Ceku assured CG representatives that the Kosovo government was ready to make the financial commitments necessary to complete several of the points. According to Ceku, the government has already identified 100,000 euros to implement a public transportation strategy for minorities and approved 550,000 euros to finish repairs to homes and out-buildings in Svinjare damaged during the March 2004 violence. Ceku said he as asked SRSG Soren Jessen-Petersen to assign the Kosovo Protection Corps the rebuilding task. He added that the government will allocate 1.5 million euros of its 2006 budget for returns to the UNDP and an additional 500,000 euros to complete necessary infrastructure work for a returns project financed by the city of Moscow in Istok municipality. ¶5. (SBU) Ceku noted recent progress in setting up the Kosovo Property Agency (KPA),Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and Independent Media Commission (IMC). Last month he nominated Minister for Environmental and Spatial Planning Ardian Gjini and Serbia List for Kosovo and Metohija leader Randjel Nojkic to serve on the board of the KPA. Three other members must come from UNMIK or the international donor community. Ceku said the government forwarded the names of two candidates for the ACA to the Kosovo Assembly on June 7 and the IMC board is also currently being formed. ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Projects like the 13-point plan are exactly the kind Ceku likes because it enables him to use his military experience to run through a list and get the job done. We, and our CG colleagues, will take him up on his offer of constant updates on progress on fulfillment of the CG priorities. END COMMENT. ¶7. (U) U.S. Office Pristina clears this cable for release in its entirety to U.N. Special Envoy for Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari. GOLDBERG