CROATIAN COMMITMENT TO KOSOVO OUTREACH DURING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 001322

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

HELSINKI FOR SCHLAEFER/PISHKO - PLEASE PASS TO AMB WISNER
DEPT FOR EUR DICARLO; EUR/SCE HOH, BALIAN, CARCANI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV UN UNMIK YI EU HR REGIONAL ISSUES
SUBJECT: CROATIAN COMMITMENT TO KOSOVO OUTREACH DURING
WISNER VISIT

REF: ZAGREB 1307

Classified By: Pol Off Tom Selinger for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: During his October 29-30 visit to
Zagreb, Ambassador Wisner secured the GoC's commitment to
actively assist in the region in promoting acceptance of
Kosovo's future final status package. In meetings with Prime
Minister Ivo Sanader, Foreign Minister Kolinda Grabar
Kitarovic, presidential advisor Budimir Loncar, and MP
Milorad Pupovac, Wisner outlined what final status might look
like and stressed the importance of not delaying the outcome
of the work of President Ahtisaari and the Contact Group.
Croatian officials expressed enthusiasm at being called to
play a leadership role in the region but were clearly
calculating how best to do this, knowing they need to foster
good relations with Belgrade or they won't wield enough
influence to lead. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT.

PUPOVAC PROVIDING CRITICAL OUTREACH TO KOSOVO SERBS
-------------- --------------


2. (C) Ambassador Wisner praised the work of parliamentarian
Milorad Pupovac, who reported his recent success in creating
a committee to organize a Congress of Kosovo Serbs in
December (reftel). While Pupovac said he found Kosovo Serb
politics to be generally fragmented and confused, he was
impressed by the quality of political leaders at the local
level, saying he couldn't always find such leadership among
Serbs in Croatia. He noted that his work so far has not been
disrupted by Belgrade or anyone else.


3. (C) According to Pupovac, political power sharing between
Serbs and Albanians will be the measure of a future
constitutional framework. "We don't need an attempt at
another ethnically pure state in this region," he warned,
adding, "statehood is not a matter of mastery but an
instrument of equality." While Pupovac was convinced Kosovo
PM Agim Ceku understands this, he called on the international
community to ensure that other Albanian figures were also
aware.


4. (C) Ambassador Wisner stressed that Ahtisaari's proposal
includes all of the minority protections Pupovac was calling
for, from the community down to the individual. Pupovac
acknowledged this, somewhat bewildered that the Serbs in
Kosovo would reject the kind of guarantees that Serbs in
Croatia continue to struggle for. Pupovac noted that he will
speak in Belgrade November 13 at the Serb-American Center on
"Serb Policy after 15 Years" and will include some comments
about Kosovo. He agreed to provide Ambassador Wisner with a
list of the key questions that Kosovo Serbs are asking about
the final status package.

OPENING OFFICE IN PRISTINA, WEIGHING RECOGNITION OPTIONS
-------------- --------------


5. (C) PM Sanader noted that the GoC just decided a week
prior to open a Croatian mission in Pristina. He pointed to
Dr. Pupovac's OSCE-supported efforts to organize political
structures (reftel) as the GoC's most useful contribution to
the Serbian community in Kosovo, but was willing in the
future to reassure Kosovo Serbs himself that there can be
life after losing power. He also offered to speak to Kosovo
PM Agim Ceku, a longtime associate of his, about how the GoC
has approached the protection of Serb minority rights.
Sanader stressed that Croatia wants to be a friend and
advisor to both Serbia and Kosovo.


6. (C) FM Grabar-Kitarovic noted that, depending on the
nature of an eventual UN Security Council resolution,
recognition of an independent Kosovo may initially be tricky
for Croatia, given bilateral concerns with Serbia. However
the GoC is interested in pushing for a collective approach to
recognition, according to the FM, giving Croatia the
political cover of the consensus of a group of nations, such
as the EU. Grabar-Kitarovic said the GoC would try to speed
up resolution of some bilateral matters with Serbia, such as
border negotiations, to minimize tensions leading up to
Kosovo recognition. MFA staff also agreed to provide
Ambassador Wisner with Croatian analysis of what Serbia might
do to disrupt Kosovo's final status.


7. (C) Grabar-Kitarovic also warned of a mood for delay among
some EU partners, such as the Greeks. When the FM noted that
she would make an official visit to Moscow in the coming
days, Ambassador Wisner asked her to stress to Russian

ZAGREB 00001322 002 OF 002


leaders that this region needs stability and the Contact
Group needs to stay together or it will stir up a generation
of trouble here.

PRESIDENT'S ADVISOR CALLS FOR TIME FOR SERBIAN ELECTIONS
-------------- --------------


8. (C) President Stjepan Mesic will also step forward to
promote acceptance of Kosovo's final status, according to his
Special Advisor for International Relations Budimir Loncar.
He stressed, however, that the international community should
allow time for both presidential and parliamentary elections
in Serbia before announcing the final status. Loncar said
Serbian President Tadic told him that Serbian PM Kostunica is
ready to accept both elections being held in December.


9. (C) Loncar also said it would be best if Kosovo's eventual
UN membership were delayed until Serbia was solidly on the
track to NATO membership. He predicted that once Serbia gets
past losing Kosovo, it will turn hard toward the west.
BRADTKE