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