FRANCE AND KOSOVO UNSCR; LOCAL SERBIAN EFFORTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001588 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2017 TAGS: UNSC PREL YI RS UNMIK FR SUBJECT: FRANCE AND KOSOVO UNSCR; LOCAL SERBIAN EFFORTS REF: STATE 49723 Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES THOMAS J. WHITE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AN D (D) ¶1. (C) France has stood closely by us throughout the Kosovo final status process. Notwithstanding upcoming French presidential elections, we do not anticipate any change in France's position. That said, we believe that it will be important for our leadership to engage with France's new government on Kosovo as soon as possible, particularly if the Security Council vote does not take place before mid-May, when a government will be constituted. Incoming GOF officials will need to familiarize themselves with the issue quickly, and it will be vital that they not delay the process while doing so. The Secretary may wish to consider mentioning Kosovo, if she chooses to address current issues in her congratulatory phone call to the new foreign minister, once appointed. -------------- SERBIAN LOBBYING IN FRANCE -------------- ¶2. (C) The Serbian Embassy in Paris has been actively engaged for the past month in locally lobbying all UNSC members. According to a Serbian diplomat, Belgrade recently instructed their embassies to cease lobbying efforts until after the Security Council mission to Kosovo. Despite said instructions, Serbian FM Vuk Draskovic will visit Paris April 25-27. Officially his visit is part of Belgrade's efforts to lobby the GOF, but the Serbian Embassy regards the mission a boondoggle by an outgoing foreign minister with little political future. French authorities have made it clear to Serbian diplomats in Paris that they do not want to see Draskovic, but as a courtesy will tentatively meet with him at the political director level. ¶3. (C) Local Serbian diplomats have urged President Tadic to send Vuk Jeremic to Paris in order to symbolically show that DS remains solidly engaged in efforts to lobby key UNSC members. However, Jeremic, who we understand is Tadic's choice for foreign minister, insists he cannot leave Belgrade until after the Serbian government is formed, according to these sources. Jeremic travels to Paris frequently and was credited by local diplomats with securing Chirac's position on NATO PfP for Serbia at a time when the French MFA refused to engage on the issue. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm WHITE