ITALY WANTS TO BE MONTENEGRO'S MOST INFLUENTIAL EU

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001588 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV IT MW SR YI SUBJECT: ITALY WANTS TO BE MONTENEGRO'S MOST INFLUENTIAL EU PARTNER ROME 00001588 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Classified by Gabriel Escobar, Political Officer, for re asons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary. Immediately after the Montenegrin referendum on independence, Raimondo De Cardona, director of the Balkans office of the MFA, told the Serbia and Montenegro ambassador Darko Uskokovic that Italy wants to become Montenegro's strongest EU partner and added that Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic would be invited to visit Italy as soon as possible. De Cardona told Uskokovic that the Contact Group is unified in its commitment to continue to press for a status solution on Kosovo despite the results of the Montenegrin referendum and that Italy would take no action on the Kostunica/Tadic letter asking for a change in negotiation format on Kosovo. End Summary. Italian MFA: Ready to Work with Montenegro, Kosovo Still on Track - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (C) Darko Uskokovic, SAM ambassador and close Montenegrin confidat to Montenegrin PM Milo Djukanovic told poloff that he had a two hour meeting with De Cardona after his weekend trip to Montenegro to vote in the referendum. De Cardona told Uskokovic that the GOI welcomed the democratic and transparent referendum process and expected that the official results would confirm a victory for the independence bloc. De Cardona told Uskokovic that the GOI wanted to be the most influential EU partner for an independent Montenegro. Italy would sign onto the joint EU message welcoming Montenegrin independence but made its own national statement welcoming the result and encouraging close coordination on succession issues between Montenegro and Serbia. De Cardona also stated that the GOI would extend a formal invitation to Montenegrin PM Filip Vujanovic to visit Rome immediately after formal independence (Note: The Italian MFA has been stalling for over a year on a request by the GOM to arrange a visit to Italy by Vujanovic. No GOM official has made an official visit to Rome in over 3 years, while both Kostunica and Tadic have been welcomed in the past year.) ¶3. (C) De Cardona told Uskokovic that due to a change in Foreign Minister he could not confirm when or how an Italian ambassador would be appointed to Montenegro and asked Uskokovic to communicate to the Montenegrin Government that a dual accreditation of its ambassador in Belgrade was not a sign of its unwillingness to begin immediately working on bilateral relations with Podgorica. ¶4. (C) De Cardona told Uskokovic that the Contact Group remained unified on the question on the question of Kosovo and the results of the Montenegrin referendum would not affect the timing or the format of the discussions. The GOI had recently received a letter from Kostunica and Tadic asking for a change in the format of the negotiations. De Cardona stated that the GOI would not respond to the letter and fully supported the work of Ahtisaari. (Note: Uskokovic told poloff that Kostunica and Tadic would soon formally request the Contact Group to replace Ahtisaari. End Note.) Somber Mood in Embassy of Serbia and Montenegro - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (C) Uskokovic expected to be removed from his position shortly after the official results are announced, at which time he would request agremont as the Montenegrin representative. Upon his return from Montenegro, Uskokovic requested that his staff refrain from any open or public sentiment either for or against Montenegrin independence and forbade the display of Montenegrin flags in work spaces. He said employees watched Monday's press conferences and news in silence - recognizing that the country they represent would soon cease to exist. Uskokovic overheard a Serbian employee tell a Montenegrin member of the staff, "Congratulations on the independence of Montenegro", to which the Montenegrin replied, "Congratulations on the independence of Serbia." ¶6. (C) Comment. Despite occasional private concerns about the timing and public message on the Kosovo status issue, the GOI remains firm in its commitment to communicate a message of Contact Group unity to the SAM government. Additionally, after years of opposing Montenegrin independence, Italy's intention to immediately establish itself as Montenegro's most important EU partner underscores its commitment to the Balkans and its insistence on taking a leadership role in the region. ROME 00001588 002.2 OF 002 SPOGLI