PORTUGAL SUPPORTS UN KOSOVO PROPOSALS

C O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 000839 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2017 TAGS: YI PREL PGOV PO SUBJECT: PORTUGAL SUPPORTS UN KOSOVO PROPOSALS REF: SECSTATE 37835 Classified By: Dana M. Brown, Pol-Econ Officer, Embassy Lisbon Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In response to the Ambassador's demarche on reftel points, MFA Secretary of State for European Affairs (and acting Foreign Minister) Manuel Lobo Antunes assured us that Portugal fully supports UN Special Envoy Martii Ahtisaari's proposals on Kosovo. Should the UN be unable to reach consensus, Lobo Antunes suggested that the U.S. and EU members discuss the issue further to ensure a unified international policy on Kosovo's future. He added that time is of the essence and that Portugal shares our interest in seeing progress as soon as possible. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador Hoffman met MFA Secretary of State for European Affairs (and acting Foreign Minister) Manuel Lobo Antunes to underscore our interest in seeing UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari's proposals on Kosovo, including supervised independence, move forward in this decisive phase. Lobo Antunes stated that, even though Kosovo's status is important to Europe, it is up to the UN Security Council to take action. He mentioned that the international community should pressure Russia to support the proposals and to allow a UN resolution on Kosovo. If Russia acts as a spoiler and vetoes a resolution, Lobo Antunes recommended that the U.S. and EU resume a dialogue about possible next steps to ensure that the international community remains largely unified. ¶3. (SBU) Lobo Antunes stressed that the UN discussions should avoid harsh rhetoric during this key phase of discussions. He added that the international community should not placate the Serbs, but should provide clear guarantees to protect Serbian interests. Ahtisaari has already analyzed the situation carefully and it is now time to act, according to Lobo Antunes, to provide stability and a future for both Kosovo and Serbia. He noted that independence is a sensitive issue but commented unfortunately one side would have to lose that debate. Still, he said supporting moderates in Belgrade would be the best way to avoid a violent response. ¶4. (C) Comment: Portugal has in the past mentioned concerns about the impact of granting Kosovo full independence but clearly backs Ahtisaari's proposals and hopes to see them succeed. End comment. O'Neal