LATVIA REMAINS ON BOARD REGARDING KOSOVO

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000908 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2012 TAGS: PREL MOPS EUN YI LG SUBJECT: LATVIA REMAINS ON BOARD REGARDING KOSOVO REF: STATE 165486 Classified By: Ambassador Catherine Todd Bailey. Reason: 1.4 (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Latvia remains fully on board with a way forward on Kosovo based on the Ahtisaari plan. It has no problem with deploying the planned ESDP mission, although budget constraints may limit its participation. When the time comes, Latvia is prepared to recognize an independent Kosovo, but will not be among the first EU states to do so. The Latvians are prepared for Russian bombast in meetings and in public during FM Lavrov's Dec. 18 visit here given the UNSC session the next day. End summary. ¶2. (C) Pol/econ chief reviewed reftel points with Latvian MFA Pol Dir Ilgvars Klava Dec. 12. Klava had just returned from a briefing of the parliament's foreign affairs committee on a range of issues, including Kosovo. He said that the briefing had laid the groundwork with MP's for an eventual declaration of independence by Kosovo. MP's were supportive of the efforts to date and recognized that all options for negotiation had been exhausted. They did ask some questions about Russian reaction and how to ensure that Kosovo was not used as a precedent elsewhere, but Klava assessed that there were mainly designed to better understand the GOL and EU strategy for dealing with these issues. ¶3. (C) Klava agreed with our point that the Ahtisaari plan remained on the table and offered the best way forward. He said the Troika had never had much chance of success, but it was important to try and Ischinger's participation, he felt, had been helpful in addressing European concerns. FM Riekstins had tasked the MFA with beginning planning for an eventual declaration of independence, of which the parliamentary consultations earlier in the day had been part. As in previous conversations, Klava did not see any problems with Latvian recognition, but said they would likely not be in the first wave of EU members to recognize. Klava asked if we had any information on the timing of such a declaration, saying he was hearing from Brussels early February, following Serbian presidential elections. Pol/econ chief replied that the first step was to get through the UNSC session next week, but cautioned that suggesting any linkage to Belgrade's internal processes just allowed the Serbs to control the process. Klava agreed. ¶4. (C) Asked about the ESDP mission, Klava said Latvia strongly supported its deployment and did not see any legal obstacles. 1244 and a possible invitation in some form from Kosovar authorities would be more than enough authority. Latvia wanted to participate and had planned to send 12 police officers, but that number might be scaled back due to budget constraints. ¶5. (C) Klava, as well as MFA State Secretary Penke at an earlier reception, was aware that the UNSC session would come the day after Russian FM Lavrov visits Riga. The Latvians recognize that Lavrov will likely inject some bombast on Kosovo into both his bilateral discussions and his press comments and are prepared for this. Klava did say that if there were any updates prior to the Dec. 18 visit, it would be useful for the Latvians to have. BAILEY