LATVIA IN TUNE WITH BASIC PRINCIPLES ON KOSOVO

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000690 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2011 TAGS: PREL MOPS UNSC YI LG SUBJECT: LATVIA IN TUNE WITH BASIC PRINCIPLES ON KOSOVO REF: STATE 136492 Classified By: Charge d'affaires a.i. Phillip L. Antweiler. Reason: 1.4 (d) ¶1. (C) Pol/econ chief drew from reftel points to brief Latvian PolDir Ilgvars Klava on our current thinking on Kosovo August 28. Klava said that Latvia was fully in agreement with the basic principles outlined by the USG and strongly supported Ahtisaari's mission. He underscored that Kosovo needs a long-term and lasting resolution to status that contributes to regional stability, otherwise it could "blow up in our face." While he did not expressly say that Latvia supported independence for Kosovo, Klava noted that Serbia would "come out on the short end ) no matter what dreams may still exist in Belgrade" and underscored that return to rule by Belgrade was unacceptable and unworkable. He acknowledged that the EU had a special role in "easing Belgrade's pain" but said that the continuing debate in the EU on enlargement made it difficult to convey a message easily understood by the Serbian public. He also stressed that Latvia would like to get to a point where KFOR could be reduced and soldiers there used for other missions, but was clear that this required a viable status outcome. Latvia is trying to play a constructive role in developing the EU's rule of law mission, providing a police expert to help with planning, he said. ¶2. (C) Klava made two points regarding Russian views on Kosovo. First, he rejected the idea that any outcome for Kosovo be implemented in a staged manner if that would contain mechanisms whereby Russia could block progress to the next stage (i.e. regular review by the UNSC and requiring new UNSCRs, which Russia could veto, to move to the next step). Second, he was clear that Kosovo was not the same as the frozen conflicts in Georgia, Moldova and elsewhere and that it was vital that we "hit back" every time the Russians suggested either that Kosovo was a precedent for resolving these other conflicts or that there was any linkage between resolving Kosovo and these other issues. Antweiler