KOSOVO: MAYORS PRESSED TO ACCEPT DECENTRALIZATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000971 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR DRL, INL, AND EUR/SCE, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2016 TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI SUBJECT: KOSOVO: MAYORS PRESSED TO ACCEPT DECENTRALIZATION AT COM-HOSTED CONTACT GROUP MEETING PRISTINA 00000971 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: COM TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: COM hosted a November 14 meeting of her Contact Group colleagues, joined by EU and EC reps, with mayors of 10 major Kosovo cities to emphasize the centrality of decentralization in the final status settlement. She urged them as key players in this process to implement decentralization fairly and effectively, and noted that what they say and do will be heard well beyond Kosovo. All of COM's colleagues, including Russian COM Andrei Dronov, underscored this message and made statements supportive of Special Envoy Ahtisaari. The mayors agreed with decentralization as a concept, but several complained that creation of Serb-majority municipalities in some instances made no geographic or practical sense and/or was at odds with the goal of integrating Serbs into Kosovar society. The meeting laid down a marker with these mayors that they will be responsible for implementing this key concept of the final status settlement, and that they need to move beyond their objections and assist with the transition process. END SUMMARY. "You Are Now International Statesmen" ¶2. (C) COM hosted a November 14 meeting of local Contact Group members, joined by EU and EC reps, with the mayors of 10 Kosovo cities. At the outset, COM stressed the importance of decentralization as the central concept of the final status settlement. Saying "you are now all international statesmen," she noted that mayors would play a key role in implementing decentralization and their words and actions would be intensely scrutinized by the international community as a test of Kosovo's readiness for a final status decision. COM added that decentralization would not only protect Kosovo's Serb community, but would bring services closer to all citizens of Kosovo, regardless of ethnicity. She concluded that decentralization would indeed happen and urged the mayors to look beyond whether there will be new municipalities -- which is a given -- to the more important question of how the concept can make life better for Kosovars. COM's counterparts underscored this message: British HOM Blunt said success or failure of the final settlement would depend on the mayors' ability to implement decentralization, while EU/ICO HOM Sohlstrom said "all eyes are on Kosovo" to see whether it is prepared to do this meaningfully and effectively. Russian HOM Dronov affirmed as well that he subscribed to everything his colleagues had said, and that Russia stood behind the process led by Special Envoy Ahtisaari. Agree With Decentralization, But... ¶3. (C) All mayors agreed about the importance of decentralization. However, many complained that boundaries for new Serb-majority municipalities in certain instances made little geographic/practical sense and undermined the principle of trying to integrate Serbs rather than isolate them. Gjilan Mayor Hyseni said he accepted the new municipality of Partesh having a Serb majority, but claimed that it should be "multiethnic" in character. He added that it "made no sense" to add villages only two kilometers from Gjilan to Novo Brdo municipality, some 20 kilometers away. Pristina Mayor Beqiri asked how creation of these "mono-ethnic" municipalities could work toward the integration of all citizens and asserted that many Kosovars do not understand the process as outlined in the settlement. Fushe Kosove Mayor Zogaj defended his municipality as "very multiethnic," claiming that Serbs there would be in a much worse position if they were to join with Gracanica municipality. Ethnic Serb Mayor Welcomes Decentralization ¶4. (C) Peter Vasic, mayor of Novo Brdo and the only ethnic Serb present, welcomed decentralization for his own municipality, saying it reflected the will of the Serb community there. He noted that those who were arguing for PRISTINA 00000971 002 OF 002 excluding certain villages from Novo Brdo had forgotten that in the 1960s these same villages had been part of that municipality. The greatest problem for Novo Brdo, he went on, was freedom of access, saying Pristina was "as distant as London" for his citizens. Vasic said he did not support any political stance for or against independence, but that a strong economy was needed to establish a state and ensure a prosperous future for Kosovo. ¶5. (U) At a press conference immediately following the meeting, COM noted that the Contact Group stood firmly behind the decentralization concept, and believed it was a positive for Kosovo. She also made it clear that the international community stood ready to help support its implementation. Pristina Mayor Beqiri, speaking on behalf of the mayors, again reiterated his disagreement with the creation of Serb-majority municipalities, but concluded that "we are ready to pay anything for freedom." ¶6. (C) COMMENT: This meeting was useful to lay down an international community marker with key Kosovo mayors that decentralization is coming and that they will be held accountable for its successful implementation. We will continue to hammer home this message at every appropriate opportunity. END COMMENT. ¶7. (SBU) U.S. Office Pristina clears this cable in its entirety for release to U.N. Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari. KAIDANOW