MACEDONIA: FOREIGN MINISTER-DESIGNATE ON KOSOVO

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000837 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SCE PFEUFFER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MK KS SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: FOREIGN MINISTER-DESIGNATE ON KOSOVO POLICY, BORDER DEMARCATION REF: STATE 136492 ¶1. (SBU) P/E Chief delivered reftel points on Kosovo status negotiations to Foreign Minister-designate Antonijo Milososki on August 23. (NOTE: Milososki and his fellow cabinet members were confirmed in office following a parliamentary vote on August 26). Milososki agreed strongly with the point on "no partition of Kosovo." He stated that Macedonia would be among the first countries to recognize an independent Kosovo, which he said the GOM would expect to contribute to strengthening rule of law and stability in the region. On border demarcation, Milososki said the government would be satisfied to see the issue "resolved in the context of" a final status agreement. ¶2. (SBU) In a press interview published in the Macedonian daily "Dnevnik" on August 29, Milososki expanded on his earlier comments on Kosovo. He told the daily that Macedonia only would seek to play a supporting role in the final status process. The border demarcation issue would give Pristina a chance to demonstrate the political will to contribute to regional stability, a precondition of which would be respect for existing internationally-recognized borders. He acknowledged that Macedonia was in no position now to take a position demanding demarcation before final status. Macedonia would be satisfied, he said, if demarcation of the border would be a part of a final status agreement. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: The new GOM's stance on border demarcation marks a shift away from the previous government's more insistent position demanding demarcation before final status. In addition, it reflects to a large extent the USG position on demarcation that we have been pressing for the last two years. If Milososki is able to make that position stick, we can expect that the GOM will stay away from publicly putting demarcation on the front burner in its relations with Kosovo. At the same time, we believe it would be useful for the USG to begin considering how to ensure that demarcation is, in fact, included in a final status agreement. Failure to include demarcation, which is Macedonia's only true redline on Kosovo final status, would prompt strong objections from the GOM. END COMMENT. WOHLERS