SERBIAN AMBASSADOR: ITALIAN MESSAGES ON KOSOVO

UNCLAS ROME 000344

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV SR MW YI IT EUN
SUBJECT: SERBIAN AMBASSADOR: ITALIAN MESSAGES ON KOSOVO
STATUS TALKS "BALANCED"

REF: ROME 137


1. (SBU) Summary. Serbia and Montenegro Ambassador Darko
Uskokovic told Poloff that the GOI has given a balanced
message to Belgrade and Pristina as the Kosovo status talks
prepare to get underway. He noted that the Italian MFA has
urged both sides to remain open as during the negotiations
and to focus on standards in Kosovo. Representatives of the
MFA told him that the GOI and EU prefer a negotiated
solution, ideally by the end of 2006. Uskokovic is surprised
that the looming Kosovo status talks have pushed the
Montenegrin independence referendum off the radar screen for
the GOI. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Uskokovic met with poloff on February 3 to discuss
the results of the recent Contact Group meeting in London.
Uskokovic had recently met with Raimondo De Cardona of the
Italian MFA to get a readout of the meetings. De Cardona
presented Uskokovic with a statement of conclusions and told
him that the GOI position was identical to that of the other
CG members: the need to begin status talks immediately, to
remain open to the range of outcomes, and preference for a
negotiated solution in the course of 2006. De Cardona told
Uskokovic that the CG was focused on standards, institutional
development in Kosovo and the need for the Serb community in
Kosovo to participate in the talks.


3. (SBU) Uskokovic stated that the GOI message was extremely
balanced from the SaM point of view, since there has been
nothing said that could give the Kosovar Albanian side the
impression that Italy believes that Kosovar independence is a
foregone conclusion. Nevertheless, Uskokovic believed that
the talks will result in a phased independence for Kosovo.


4. (SBU) According to Uskokovic, De Cardona said that Italy
would be watching events in Montenegro "very closely".
Despite that, Uskokovic came away from the meeting with the
impression that the GOI is not seized with the possibility
(inevitability - in Uskokovic's opinion) of an April 2006
referendum for Montenegrin independence. Uskokovic raised
(cautiously) a request from Montenegrin PM Filip Vujanovic to
visit Italy in early 2006. De Cardona stated that a
Vujanovic visit would be acceptable, but did not commit to
giving any dates for a potential visit.


5. (SBU) Comment: While it is true that the GOI is placing
more emphasis on the Kosovo issue, the Montenegrin issue is
still receiving attention in Rome. The GOI is coordinating
its approach to Montenegro through EU Envoy Lajcak. The GOI
has been consistent in delivering only those points which
have been agreed upon by the Contact Group and is most likely
the reason De Cardona gave no comments on the Montenegrin
issue. The GOI remains committed to CG unity in dealing with
both Belgrade, Podgorica and Pristina.
SPOGLI