SERBIAN PM KOSTUNICA'S VISIT TO ROME

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001947

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV IT YI SR
SUBJECT: SERBIAN PM KOSTUNICA'S VISIT TO ROME

ROME 00001947 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Classfied by David D. Pearce, Political Minister Counsel
or, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. Serbian PM Vojislav Kostunica visited Rome
on July 6 to meet with PM Prodi, FM D'Alema, MOI Amato,
President of the Chamber of Deputies Foreign Affairs
Committee Ranieri, and President of the Senate Foreign
Affairs Committee Dini. Kostunica told the Italians that
Serbia would continue to oppose Kosovo independence and would
rely on the UN Charter and UNSCR 1244 as legal arguments
against an imposed solution in Kosovo. He added that the
international community was applying a double standard by
granting autonomy and independence to some parts of the
Balkans while insisting on the preservation of existing
international borders in others. During the meeting at the
MFA - the only substantive meeting - D'Alema told Kostunica
that Italy was fully supportive of UNOSEK Ahtisaari's efforts
to find a solution to the Kosovo status question and remained
committed to Contact Group unity. He added that Italy
believed that Kosovo would be granted some form of
independence and urged Kostunica to take the difficult steps
necessary to guarantee an EU future for Serbia and to ensure
that the needs of Serbs remaining in Kosovo were fully
addressed. The acting Serbian PolCouns told Poloff that
Kostunica had few illusions that he would be able to change
the GOI's views on Kosovo, but was nevertheless disappointed
by the meetings. End summary.

Kostunica argues against Kosovo independence
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2. (C) Acting Serbian PolCouns told poloff that during his
meetings with key GOI officials in Rome on July 5, Kostunica
argued against Kosovo independence saying that both the UN
Charter and UNSCR 1244 provided adequate legal basis for
preventing unilateral changes to Serbia's international
borders. Kostunica also argued that the international
community has used a double standard in its approach to the
independence movements in the region - supporting
independence for Kosovo and Montenegro, but not others in the
region - a clear reference to Serbs in Bosnia. Kostunica
complained that the bottom-up approach to the negotiations
had produced few results. At the same time, the suspension
of talks on EU membership over failure to comply with the
ICTY came at a very sensitive time in Belgrade. Kostunica
asserted that the suspension of talks tipped the referendum
vote in Montenegro in favor of independence.

D'Alema tells Kostunica to expect Kosovo independence and
move closer to the EU
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3. (C) MFA Balkans Office Director Raimondo De Cardona told
poloff that during a relatively short meeting, Prodi assured
Kostunica that he was committed to maintaining good relations
with Serbia. D'Alema told Kostunica that Italy maintained
full confidence in Ahtisaari's efforts in Kosovo and would
not support any changes to the bottom-up approach to
negotiations. Additionally, Italy would not undertake any
bilateral efforts that would threaten Contact Group unity.
The GOI believed that Kosovo would achieve some sort of
independence in the near future. Despite this, the GOI
believed that Serbia was central to lasting stability in the
region and needed to move in the direction of EU membership.
D'Alema urged Kostunica to begin preparing the Serbian public
for this inevitability and to take the necessary steps to
ensure ICTY compliance and guarantee an EU future for Serbia.
D'Alema added that although ICTY compliance was
non-negotiable. Italy would carefully study a possible
Serbian roadmap as a step toward restoring EU membership
talks.


4. (C) Comment. Kostunica's visit to Rome was - even by the
Italians' own admission - his best and last chance to create
doubts in the Contact Group on the Kosovo issue. The people
Kostunica chose to meet with are at the same time influential
and knowledgeable about the political situation in the
Balkans. Some, particularly Dini, are extremely pro-Serbian.
Nevertheless, Kostunica's lobbying effort will not change
Italy's commitment to direction and timing of the UNOSEK
negotiations or its commitment to Contact Group unity.
According to the Acting Serbian PolCouns, Kostunica

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understood these odds but was nevertheless "dissatisfied"
with the results. Internally, however, the Italian MFA
remains increasingly concerned about the political situation
in Serbia. De Cardona told Poloff that although the meeting
between Kostunica and D'Alema was warm, D'Alema was concerned
that Kostunica appeared to be in full election mode during
his press appearances aiming his statements toward the
Serbian public that is opposed to Kosovo's independence. The
GOI fears that the set of circumstances converging on
Belgrade - Montenegrin independence, suspension of the EU
membership talks, Kosovo status talks and possible elections
- could create an untenable situation for Kostunica - and for
the international community. The Italians insist that the
Contact Group must find a way to restore the one crucial
incentive the Euro-Atlantic community has for Serbia -
possible EU membership.
SPOGLI