MONTENEGRO FM ROCEN DISCUSSES TALLINN VISIT, KOSOVO, AND

UNCLAS PODGORICA 000030

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SR MW
SUBJECT: MONTENEGRO FM ROCEN DISCUSSES TALLINN VISIT, KOSOVO, AND
SOFA

REF: PODGORICA 29


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: FM ROCEN WAS QUITE PLEASED WITH HIS PRODUCTIVE
CONVERSATION WITH DAS DICARLO IN TALLINN. HE REITERATED THAT,
WHILE THEY SUPPORT PROGRESS, THE GOM WILL LAY LOW ON THE
AHTISAARI PLAN. THE GOM IS EAGER TO SIGN A SOFA, BUT THE
CEREMONY SHOULD BE SIMILAR TO PAST ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR BALKAN
NEIGHBORS. END SUMMARY.




2. (SBU) CHARGE MET WITH FOREIGN MINISTER ROCEN FEBRUARY 9 AT
THE MINISTERS REQUEST. ROCEN GREATLY APPRECIATED THE
DISCUSSION HE HAD WITH EUR DAS DICARLO IN TALLINN. HE
PARTICULARLY NOTED HER POINT THAT ALTHOUGH MILITARY ISSUES HAD
BEEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT LATELY, THE U.S. WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO
FURTHER PROGRESS IN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SPHERES, AS WELL AS
SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF CONDITIONS TO ENCOURAGE U.S.
INVESTMENT. HE WAS GLAD THE U.S. RECOGNIZED THAT THERE COULD BE
NO REAL SECURITY IN EUROPE WITHOUT THE FULL INTEGRATION OF THE
WESTERN BALKANS -- EVEN IF THE EUROPEANS THEMSELVES DID NOT SEE
THIS. HIS DISAPPOINTMENT WAS REGARDING VISAS: "WE HAD EXPECTED
THE U.S. TO ABOLISH VISAS FOR MONTENEGRO." STILL, THE
DISCUSSION WAS "VERY USEFUL ALTOGETHER."

--------------

KOSOVO

--------------


3. (SBU) DISCUSSING THE AHTISAARI PLAN, ROCEN REITERATED THE
POINT THAT THE GOM DOES NOT WISH TO SPOIL GOOD RELATIONS WITH
EITHER OF ITS NEIGHBORS, AND SO WILL TRY TO REMAIN NEUTRALLY
SUPPORTIVE OF A FAIR OUTCOME IN PUBLIC STATEMENTS. HE JOKED
THAT PRESIDENT VUJANOVIC'S BLAND STATEMENT (REFTEL) HAD PASSED
VIRTUALLY UNNOTICED, AND THAT "UNNOTICED IS BEST." HE BELIEVES
MONTENEGRO'S BEST CONTRIBUTION TO THE REGION WAS TO CONSOLIDATE
STABILITY IN MONTENEGRO AS AN EXAMPLE OF MULTI-ETHNIC HARMONY.
HOWEVER, THE GOM IS WILLING TO DO WORK BEHIND THE SCENES.
"WHATEVER WE CAN DO, WE WILL."




4. (SBU) PUTTING SERBIA'S POLITICIANS ON THE COUCH, HE SAID HE
UNDERSTOOD THE "IRRATIONAL" PART OF THE SERBIAN MINDSET. THEY
CAN NEVER SAY THEY ACCEPT KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE, ALTHOUGH THEY ALL
KNOW IT WAS DECIDED LONG AGO. THEY ARE ALL THINKING ABOUT A
POST-KOSOVO FUTURE, WISHING THEY COULD "HIBERNATE" THROUGH THE
PROCESS; AVOIDING BEING TAGGED AS THE "NEW VUK BRANKOVIC" (THE
TRAITOROUS VILLAIN IN THE 1389 DEFEAT AT KOSOVO POLJE) IS MORE
IMPORTANT TO THEM THAN MOVING SERBIA INTO THE FUTURE. ROCENS
ANALYSIS IS THAT, CONTRARY TO POPULAR PERCEPTION, WHOEVER HAS
THE POLITICAL COURAGE TO EXPLAIN THE FACTS TO THE SERBIAN PUBLIC
WILL EARN THEIR RESPECT AND ASSURE HIMSELF OF A POLITICAL
FUTURE.

--------------

SOFA

--------------


5. (SBU) THE GOM HAS SET UP AN INTER-AGENCY WORKING GROUP FOR
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS SUCH AS THE SOFA (HEADED BY HIS DEPUTY
DRAGANA RADULOVIC),AND IS SEEKING PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL FOR A
NEW DEPARTMENT FOR EU AND NATO COOPERATION WITHIN THE MFA. THE
GOM IS EAGER TO SIGN A SOFA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. HOWEVER, ROCEN
WAS CLEAR THAT THE MODALITIES OF THE SIGNING CEREMONY SHOULD BE
THE SAME AS THEY WERE FOR SERBIA AND BIH. BOTH OF THOSE
AGREEMENTS, HE SAID, WERE SIGNED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE AT
THE STATE DEPARTMENT. A SIGNING AT ANOTHER VENUE, SUCH AS THE
PENTAGON WOULD NOT BE AN ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE. "MONTENEGRO
SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS A SECOND-CLASS COUNTRY," HE SAID.
SOFTENING HIS TONE, HE THEN SMILED AND SHRUGGED, "IM NOT ASKING
FOR MUCH."



COMMENT: POST WILL FOLLOW UP MONDAY TO SCHEDULE A FIRST REVIEW
OF A DRAFT SOFA TEXT. ROCEN'S EMPHATIC INSISTENCE ON A CEREMONY
EQUIVALENT TO THAT ACCORDED THE SIGNING OF SOFAS WITH SERBIA AND
BIH, SUGGESTS THAT EVEN IF AGREEMENT IS RAPIDLY REACHED ON
MUTUALLY AGREEABLE TEXT, SIGNING COULD WELL BE HELD UP BY
MONTENEGRIN FIXATION ON THE OPTICS OF THE CEREMONY. END COMMENT.

BARNES