UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES OF THE UN OFFICE OF THE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 000857 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SR YI AU UNMIK SUBJECT: UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES OF THE UN OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL ENVOY FOR KOSOVO NEGOTIATIONS REF: ATHENS 680 THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (U) The following is information gathered by the US liaison officer to the UN Office of the Special Envoy for Kosovo negotiations (UNOSEK) in Vienna. ¶2. (SBU) Summary: In addition to the second round of talks on decentralization in Vienna on 17 March, the UN Office of the Special Envoy for Kosovo (UNOSEK) is making progress on other key issues, following UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari's recent visit to Belgrade and Pristina, including religious sites/cultural heritage, minority protections/ returns/missing persons, and economic issues. UNOSEK and UNHCR officials have consulted on Kosovo refugee returns and potential refugee outflows, with UNHCR planning to share with UNOSEK soon a contingency plan for what it expects will be the exodus of a large number of Serbs from Kosovo following a Kosovo status settlement. End Summary. AHTISAARI'S RECENT VISIT TO BELGRADE AND KOSOVO -------------- -- ¶3. (SBU) UN Special Envoy for Kosovo negotiations Martti Ahtisaari traveled to Belgrade and Pristina the week of 27 February. Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica told Ahtisaari that there is "no Serb policy of non-engagement" in Kosovo's government structures, noting that Serbs participate in institutions in Kosovo, just not those at the central level. Kostunica pressed Ahtisaari to schedule at a future date direct talks between Belgrade and Pristina on status, arguing that Belgrade must have the chance to make its case to the Kosovo Albanians. Kostunica also disputed Ahtisaari's interpretation of the 31 January Contact Group statement on the likely outcome of the final status process, but did not challenge Ahtisaari's stated expectation that negotiations would result in a status outcome that Belgrade "would not like." The Serbian prime minister also showed appreciation for Ahtisaari's expressed desire to achieve as soft a landing as possible for Serbia's democratic leaders at the conclusion of Kosovo negotiations. ¶4. (SBU) Serbian President Tadic told Ahtisaari that Belgrade would not provide a complete response to Ahtisaari's questionnaire on minority protection issues because some of these issues directly touch on status. Tadic indicated that he was "aware of reality," but as Serbia's president he cannot support a result that would endanger the country's stability. Tadic asked Ahtisaari to help arrange a meeting with Kosovo President Sejdiu, but Ahtisaari advised giving Sejdiu more time to settle into his new job. ¶5. (SBU) In Pristina, Ahtisaari conveyed Tadic's invitation, but Sejdiu said it was too early for such a meeting. Ahtisaari pressed Sejdiu and then the plenary Unity Team to ensure that all conditions for minority protections are fulfilled and to make greater progress on standards. The Unity Team confirmed that they are ready to begin negotiations on religious/cultural heritage sites and minority protections. ¶6. (SBU) From his visit to Lipljan, Ahtisaari judged that the mayors of five Serb-majority municipalities were starting to face the reality of an independent Kosovo. The mayors asked Ahtisaari to use his good offices to improve Kosovo Serbs' difficult living conditions and stressed the importance of decentralization. AHTISAARI MEETING WITH GREEK FM BAKOYANNIS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis met with Ahtisaari on 4 March following her visits to Belgrade and Pristina (reftel). Bakoyannis did not object to Ahtisaari's concept of "independence with limited sovereignty" for Kosovo, but stressed that some time should pass before Kosovo earns a UN seat. Bakoyannis also expressed concern about the potential negative impact of Kosovo's independence on Serbian democratic stability and urged Ahtisaari to seek a "face-saving solution" for Belgrade. Ahtisaari maintained that any sweeteners to Serbia should not dilute Kosovo's status settlement. PROGRESS ON VARIOUS NEGOTIATING TRACKS -------------- ¶8. (SBU) In addition to the second round of talks on decentralization in Vienna on 17 March, UNOSEK is making progress on other key issues. Kosovar authorities have promised to provide an updated version of their position paper on protection of religious sites/cultural heritage to UNOSEK by March 17, the same day that the Greek NGO ELIAMEP has promised to provide a revised concept paper of a possible implementation in Kosovo of the Mount Athos model. UNOSEK will use these papers as a basis for expert-level discussions in Belgrade and Pristina in late March, with an eye toward expert-level consultations in late March/early April. ¶9. (SBU) Pristina's reply to UNOSEK's questionnaire on minority rights, returns, missing persons, and standards was thorough, but lacking in specifics. Belgrade responded that most of the issues in the questionnaire are related to status and therefore cannot be discussed outside of direct talks on the status issue. Ahtisaari plans to press Belgrade to be more forthcoming, starting with a 17 March dinner in Vienna with Kostunica adviser Slobodan Samardzic and Tadic adviser Leon Kojen. UNOSEK is also working with the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the USG to provide Pristina with direction on how to make their proposal on these issues more concrete. Meanwhile, UNOSEK is developing working papers on the issues that both sides have agreed are negotiable with an eye toward talks in late March. ¶10. (SBU) The next meeting of the Working Group on economy, property issues, and European perspectives will be held in Washington at the World Bank headquarters on 10 April. In preparation for this meeting, World Bank officials were in Belgrade the week of 13 March to discuss debt issues and to remind Deputy Prime Minister Labus of his promise to share Serbia's debt data with UNOSEK. An initial meeting between the parties could be scheduled next month. Meanwhile, British Brigadier General Blease from JFC Naples has been assigned to UNOSEK to help define the scope of security issues to be addressed in the status process. Blease has told Ahtisaari he intends to be in Vienna more often than in Naples to support UNOSEK's work, and has begun to define the scope of issues in the security sphere to be addressed in the status process. He has also held consultations with the team carrying out the Kosovo ISSR. DISCUSSIONS WITH UNHCR ON IDP/REFUGEE RETURN -------------- ¶11. (SBU) On March 10, Deputy Special Envoy Albert Rohan met with a UNHCR delegation led by Udo Janz, Deputy Director of the Commission's Europe Bureau. UNHCR reported that the Pristina working group on returns is on hold, with neither side willing to make commitments outside of the status process. UNHCR is developing a contingency plan--to be shared with UNOSEK shortly -- for what it expects will be the exodus of a large number of Serbs from Kosovo if and when Kosovo is granted independence. UNHCR also warned that the issue of IDPs in Serbia had to be addressed in the event of Kosovo's independence. It was unclear what nationality these IDPs would have after independence and if they would be treated as refugees rather than IDPs. ¶12. (SBU) UNHCR officials urged the international community to be consistent in addressing the IDP problem, recommending that the Kosovo solution should not differ greatly from the Bosnian return model. Specifically, UNHCR raised concerns about returns other than to the place of origin, suggesting that a "very clear framework" would be required for these types of returns. Rohan noted that Ahtisaari believes IDPs should be able to return to places in Kosovo outside of their place of origin, as the right to choose one's place of residence is a right in any democratic society. Rohan added that infrastructure and services could be more easily provided to the Kosovo Serb population if they are concentrated in bigger municipalities. He hastened to add, however, that little of the returns issue will be reflected in the status document, which can only create conditions enabling Serbs to remain or return to Kosovo if they choose to do so. UPCOMING MEETINGS -------------- ¶13. (U) Following his March 17 meeting with Samardzic and Koje, Ahtisaari will meet with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister on March 18, new Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku in Vienna on March 20, and address a special session of the OSCE Permanent Council on March 28. McCaw