A/S FRIED BRIEFS ADRIATIC THREE MINISTERS ON RIGA

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000699 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR, EUR/RPM, EUR/SCE, PM, IO, E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2016 TAGS: NATO PREL MARR XB SUBJECT: A/S FRIED BRIEFS ADRIATIC THREE MINISTERS ON RIGA SUMMIT, KOSOVO STATUS REF: A. 12/29/06 RIGA DECLARATION (SEE NATO WEBSITE) ¶B. 12/04/06 USNATO-EUR/RPM E-MAIL ¶C. SECSTATE 179829 Classified By: EUR A/S Fried for reasons 1.4 (b/d) SUMMARY: -------------- ¶1. (C) EUR A/S Fried briefed Albanian, Croatian, and Macedonian FMs December 3 on Riga summit outcomes and the upcoming decision on Kosovo,s final status. He urged their assistance in moderating both Serbian and Kosovar responses to this last unresolved Balkans security issue. The Adriatic Three responded warmly to Fried,s message and agreed to cooperate against extremism on either side. Bosnian, Serbian, and Montenegrin representatives who joined a follow-on session expressed surprise and satisfaction with their invitations to join NATO,s Partnership for Peace. Serbia called for a Kosovo decision "based on international law and negotiated in the spirit of compromise," and acknowledged its continuing ICTY obligations. See list of participants, para 8. End Summary. FOCUS ON KOSOVO -------------- ¶2. (SBU) EUR Assistant Secretary Fried met with Adriatic Charter (&A-38 ) Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia) Foreign Ministers December 3 in Brussels to brief them on the Riga Summit and discuss the road ahead for Kosovo. He walked them through the Riga Declaration (REF A) language on Enlargement (para 30) and the invitation to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Montenegro to join the Partnership for Peace (PfP ) para 36),before focusing on the upcoming Kosovo Final Status decision. ¶3. (C) Fried acknowledged that resolving the issue of Kosovo,s status, &the great unresolved question of the Balkans,8 was risky, but stressed that the status quo was unacceptable and unstable. He acknowledged the reality that Kosovo would have sovereignty, and asked the A-3 Ministers to work with the Kosovars to take on that responsibility and to work with Serbia to accept that solution and to move forward, with the rest of the Balkans, on the track of reform and Euro-Atlantic integration. A-3 PRIORITIES -------------- ¶4. (C) Albanian, Croatian, and Macedonian FMs responded positively to A/S Fried,s presentation. They agreed with his analysis of the risks for Kosovo and for Serbia, and offered to help with the transition to final status. Albanian FM Mustafaj sought to allay fears of a &greater Albania8 encompassing parts of Macedonia and Kosovo by pointing out that none of the 30 parties active in Albania called for any change to the nation,s borders. He and Croatian FM Grabar-Kitarovic suggested ways they could mentor Kosovo through the transition to independence. Macedonian FM Milososki said he had urged moderation with Kosovar PM Ceku the previous week in Pristina, and had found him a &surprisingly mature8 politician. ¶5. (SBU) The A-3 reps acknowledged that hard work remained to meet NATO standards by NATO,s 2008 Summit and described the status of their domestic economic, legal and defense reforms and Membership Action Plan (MAP) implementation. Grabar-Kitarovic announced an increase in Croatia,s contribution to ISAF and its intention to soon take leadership of a PRT. Milososki announced the lifting of all caveats on Macedonia,s forces in Afghanistan. Mustafaj said that Albania would devote 2% of GDP to defense in 2007 to address &the density of tasks8 it had to address to receive an invitation to join NATO in 2008. NEW PARTNERS ACKNOWLEDGE OBLIGATIONS -------------- ¶6. (C) In an expanded Adriatic Charter session including Bosnian, Montenegrin, and Serbian observers, Fried congratulated them on the Riga Summit invitation to join the Partnership for Peace, saying NATO had chosen &to put our faith and confidence8 in them to meet the standards of NATO Partners. He delivered the clear message that Kosovo,s final status resulted from unique historical and political factors, and should not be taken as a precedent. He urged &especially the Serbian government to find a place in Europe and put behind the horrible legacy of Slobodan Milosevic8 and stressed that Serbia had to meet its ICTY obligations. ¶7. (C) Bosnian FM Ivanic and Montenegrin FM Rocen expressed surprise and delight that they had received invitations to PfP. Ivanic said this would increase the determination of BiH to meet its ICTY obligations and press ahead with sensitive defense reform projects. Rocen said that Montenegro was working to establish new defense institutions, introducing a professional armed forces and implementing agreements concluded during SecDef,s recent visit to Podgorita. Serbian A/FM Sahovic made a moderate intervention (REF B) recognizing that &my government is fully aware of the necessity to continue activities related to the fulfillment of Serbia,s international obligations, and to achieve full cooperation with the ICTY.8 On Kosovo, he called for a final status decision &based on international law and negotiated in the spirit of compromise.8 All three repeated the request made at the April 2006 A-3 meeting at Brijuni, Croatia, to accede to the Adriatic Charter. PARTICIPANTS -------------- ¶8. (U) U.S. -------------- - EUR Assistant Secretary Fried - USNATO DCM Richard Olson - USNATO PolOff Underwood (notetaker) Adriatic Three -------------- Albania (Chair) - FM Besnik Mustafaj - Ambassador to NATO Ilir Bocka - MFA NATO Director Agim Fagu - MFA Americas Director Mimoza Kondo Croatia - FM Kolinida Grabar-Kitarovic - Ambassador to NATO Davor Bozinovic - National Coordinator for NATO Pjer Simunovic Macedonia - FM Antonio Milososki - Ambassador to NATO Nano Ruzin - National Cooerdinator for NATO Nikola Dimitrov - MFA Director Zoran Dubik NATO -------------- - D/ASG Robert Simmons - Gabrielle Cascone Observers -------------- Bosnia and Herzegovina - FM Mladen Ivanic - NATO Mission Counsellor Sandra Radojevic Montenegro - FM Milan Rocen - Ambassador to EU Slavica Milacic - Acting Head of Mission Bojan Sarkic - A/FM Dragana Radulovic Serbia - A/FM Dejan Sahovic - Special Envoy to NATO Branislav Milinkovic - Mission to NATO Milena Mitic NULAND