Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BELGRADE934
2007-06-29 16:55:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Belgrade
Cable title:  

KOSOVO WEEKLY UPDATE: KOSTUNICA'S "BATTLE WITH

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM PBTS KPAO SR MW YI 
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291655Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1100
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 1374
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BELGRADE 000934 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PBTS KPAO SR MW YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO WEEKLY UPDATE: KOSTUNICA'S "BATTLE WITH
U.S."


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BELGRADE 000934

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PBTS KPAO SR MW YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO WEEKLY UPDATE: KOSTUNICA'S "BATTLE WITH
U.S."



1. (SBU) Summary: With news of another rejection by Russia
on a UNSC draft resolution, Prime Minister Kostunica used
his strongest anti-U.S. rhetoric to date in reaction to the
Ambassador's direct speech about Serbia's path to Europe.
Kostunica cast bilateral differences over Kosovo as a
"battle" during comments on Vitovdan (June 28),the day
marking the battle of Kosovo Polje in 1389. Meanwhile,
President Tadic kept Kosovo his primary topic in meetings
abroad, especially with Russian President Putin during an
energy summit in Zagreb. End Summary.


Ambassador's Speech: Let Kosovo go, join Europe
-------------- --


2. (U) In a June 26 speech marking the 60th anniversary of
the Mashall Plan, Ambassador Polt said that Serbia must let
go of Kosovo and join Europe to secure a prosperous, stable
future for its citizens. Noting that Pristina wants
absolute independence while Belgrade will not accept
independence, the Ambassador said that supervised
independence for Kosovo as proposed by the Ahtisaari plan
is a compromise solution. The Ambassador called the
Ahtisaari plan a "rational" solution in the same vein as
the Marshall Plan had been a rational response to the
ravages of WWII, and that it was the product of over a year
of negotiations which proved there can be no mutually
acceptable agreement on Kosovo.


Kostunica vs. U.S.
--------------


3. (SBU) Kostunica began a week of pointed anti-U.S.
rhetoric with comments to the press that the U.S. is "the
leader in proposing that a part of Serbia's territory
should be made into another Albanian state," and that such
a policy is harming bilateral relations. He added that if
the U.S. wants to develop good relations with Serbia, it
"must respect its borders and territorial sovereignty."
His party's spokesman echoed the same message, saying that
the U.S. "bears the responsibility" of worsening relations
with Serbia over Kosovo, and that progress in relations
over many years is being "brought into question" over the
issue.


4. (SBU) Kostunica then seized on the Ambassador's June 26
remarks in his Vitovdan remarks to Politika, saying that "a
battle for Kosovo between Serbia and U.S." was underway.
(Note: Europe was again spared Kostunica's barbs, as part
of his continued effort to separate the U.S. from European
players on Kosovo. End note.). The PM said the battle was
"between power and justice," and that he had faith that
Russia would prevent the UNSC from "stealing a sovereign
country's territory."


5. (U) Along with the Prime Minister, Radicals (SRS) and
Socialists (SPS) also attacked the Ambassador for his
remarks. SRS General Secretary Vucic said that the
Ambassador' statements were "unprecedented scandal in
contemporary diplomatic history," and that the policy
implemented by the U.S., Great Britain and certain EU
countries was "raw force." SPS leader Obradovic called the
Ambassador's statements "additional pressure on Serbia."



5. (U) In response to Kostunica's remarks, the Ambassador
refused to join the PM's rhetoric reminding an exhausted
Serbian public that the U.S. is Serbia's friend and has no
intention of engaging in any kind of battle with this
country or its citizens. He stressed "there is no battle,
fight or anger between the two countries; there are simply
differences of opinions over some issues." Ambassador Polt
added that there were many areas that Serbia and the U.S.
agreed. Several dailies gave positive coverage to the
Ambassador's reaction that the U.S. is a friend of Serbia;
the Blic daily in its editorial criticized Kostunica as
counterproductive for his inflammatory statements.


6. (U) With the DSS, DS, Radicals and Socialists taking the
same stance on Kosovo, the Liberal Democrats said Kostunica
and Tadic are pursuing the "wrong policy." LDP leader
Jovanovic said that Tadic and Kostunica are wrong on Kosovo
because they have brought Serbia into a situation in which
it is dependent on Russian interests and into a conflict
with the U.S. and EU.



BELGRADE 00000934 002 OF 003


Tadic on cue on Kosovo
--------------


7. (SBU) After his speech to CoE deputies in Belgrade in
which he called for autonomy over independence in Kosovo
(septel),Tadic traveled to regional summits this week in
Zagreb and Istanbul with a similar message. Over the
weekend, in Zagreb, Tadic had a bilateral meeting with
Russian President Putin after which Tadic said that any
kind of independence for Kosovo is unacceptable, and that
Serbia is ready to negotiate at any point and find a
compromise solution. (Note: Our contacts tell us that
since Kostunica had only shared his "secret plan" with
Moscow, Tadic did not have access to it and therefore did
not discuss it at this meeting. This may have been
intended by Kostunica, in order to retain full control over
Kosovo policy, especially vis-a-vis Moscow. End note.)


8. (SBU) On June 25, at a Black Sea Economic Cooperation
(BSEC) summit in Istanbul, Tadic said that Kosovo
independence would jeopardize the stability of the entire
Black Sea region and beyond. The BSEC meeting concluded
with Tadic reacting strongly to Albanian PM Berisha's
statement that Kosovo was a unique case and should become
independent. Belgrade media gave prominent coverage to
Tadic rebuking Berisha for being irresponsible and
"interfering in Serbia's internal affairs" followed by
Berisha walking out of the meeting.


Bigger budget for Kosovo
--------------


9. (U) Serbian officials also tried to show their
commitment to Kosovo by doubling the budget for Kosovo to
67.5M Euros. Deputy PM Djelic called the increase a proof
of "the nature of Serbia's policy toward Kosovo." Kosovo
Minister Samardzic said the increase would "finance [GOS]
functions in Kosovo" and also show "ethnic Albanians...that
Serbia is serious and invests in its people." Samardzic
also said the increase should demonstrate to the
international community that Serbia has "serious intentions
concerning Kosovo?s financial recovery." In a separate
interview, Djelic said that while Serbia cannot give up on
Kosovo, it also cannot allow itself to be isolated again,
even in the event of a unilateral declaration of
independence by a global power. He assessed that there were
two possible scenarios for Kosovo. "The first is
undesirable, involving a scenario of conflict with forces
which want independence (for Kosovo) declared no matter
what the cost, even without support in the UNSC. The second
scenario is one of compromise, the chances of which are
still small, but growing."


Diplomatic Activity
--------------


10. (SBU) ICTY: ICTY prosecutor Del Ponte clarified this
week her June 18 comments on Kosovo, saying she had not
called for a delay in the status decision but instead
simply hoped " the timing of that decision, will not affect
current efforts to locate and arrest" ICTY indictees. This
clarification received considerably less coverage in
Belgrade than her original "misinterpreted" statements in
which she called for the UNSC to delay a Kosovo status
decision.


11. (U) UK: BETA reported outgoing PM Blair's message
calling on all Kosovoars to be patient and not to resort to
violence, but noted that the process of Kosovo independence
is inevitable. British Ambassador to Belgrade Wordsworth
also said that Britain considered Kosovo's independence, in
accordance with Ahtisaari's proposal, to be the most
sustainable outcome of the process of status determination.
Wordsworth said, "Kosovo will be independent, but the
question is whether that is going to happen in a peaceful
process based on Ahtisaari's plan and with international
supervision and solid guarantees for minorities, or in some
chaotic way. I firmly believe that the other way will be
bad for Kosovo, for Serbia and for the whole region, adding
that Great Britain together with other UNSC members would
continue working on the new resolution."


12. (U) Russia: Belgrade media covered Russian Foreign
Minister Lavrov's comments on June 23 that the allegations
that violence would erupt in Kosovo if the province were
denied independence are irresponsible as KFOR's mandate is

BELGRADE 00000934 003 OF 003


to prevent violence.


13. (U) Belgium: Serbian press reported Belgian FM de
Gucht's June 27 comments that Belgium, other countries in
the UNSC, as well as majority of EU countries were in
support direct negotiations for solving the status of
Kosovo with a four month-duration and without a
predetermined outcome. However, he also told Serbian
reporters that Belgrade must understand that some form of
decision on the Kosovo status has to be made after the
four-month period, and this was why Serbia's commitment to
these talks is critical.


Comment
--------------


14. (SBU) Kostunica has clearly committed to his tactics of
attacking the U.S. exclusively and directly in hopes of
isolating the U.S. as the sole supporter of the Ahtisaari
plan and supervised independence of Kosovo. He went as far
as to add volatile nationalism to the mix with the battle
imagery already evoked with Vitovdan. While it is
heartening that media coverage of the Ambassador's direct
contact with the Serbian publice were welcomed in some
quarters, Kostunica can be expected to keep other leaders
in line with his new course of anti-American rhetoric over
Kosovo. He wants a political battle to keep other
political forces in line at home, with him at the front.
Kostunica hopes he can also convince the international
community that the U.S. is alone in calling for the
Ahtisaari plan and supervised independence, while at least
many Europeans and Russians agree with Belgrade on the need
for talks without end. Tadic and "his" ministers in the
cabinet are taking no public steps to counter this ant-
American propaganda.

POLT