Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SARAJEVO186
2007-01-25 19:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sarajevo
Cable title:  

BOSNIA - DODIK RECEIVES CLEAR U.S. WARNING ON

Tags:  PREL PGOV PINR BK 
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OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHVJ #0186 0251915
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 251915Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO
TO RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA IMMEDIATE 0214
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5316
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 000186 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

VIENNA PLEASE PASS TO DAS DICARLO; DEPARTMENT FOR
EUR/SCE(HOH/FOOKS); NSC FOR BRAUN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA - DODIK RECEIVES CLEAR U.S. WARNING ON
DESTABILIZING TALK

REF: SARAJEVO 41

Classified By: Ambassador Douglas McElhaney. Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 000186

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

VIENNA PLEASE PASS TO DAS DICARLO; DEPARTMENT FOR
EUR/SCE(HOH/FOOKS); NSC FOR BRAUN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA - DODIK RECEIVES CLEAR U.S. WARNING ON
DESTABILIZING TALK

REF: SARAJEVO 41

Classified By: Ambassador Douglas McElhaney. Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ambassador met with Republika Srpska (RS)
Premier Milorad Dodik January 25 and delivered a stern
warning that the USG had lost patience with his destabilizing
rhetoric, especially on Kosovo status. He told Dodik that if
such rhetoric did not cease, the USG would be forced to
support punitive measures currently under consideration by
the Office of the High Representative (OHR). END SUMMARY.


2. (C) In the course of a two-day visit to Banja Luka, the
Ambassador met RS Premier Milorad Dodik for over one hour.
He noted the history of working relations between the USG and
Dodik,s party, warning that the future of those relations
had been placed at risk by Dodik,s campaign rhetoric on RS
status referenda as well as by recent statements on a third
(Croat) entity for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and implied
linkages between Kosovo status and the RS. The Ambassador
told Dodik that the USG policy community had grown irritated
by such statements and had no patience for their repetition.
The Kosovo status process and BiH,s sovereignty and
territorial integrity are key policy priorities of the USG
for the Balkan region. If Dodik jeopardized them by
continued inflammatory public statements, the USG would
support the punitive measures currently being considered by
Bosnia,s High Representative Christian Schwarz-Schilling.


3. (C) In the presence of staff and note-takers, Dodik told
the Ambassador that he had not intended to offend the USG,
and that his statements that RS authorities would quell any
demonstrations that resulted from a Kosovo independence
decision were an attempt to make a positive contribution.
The Ambassador responded that his messages thus far had
suggested that he was inviting Bosnian Serbs to take issue
with the Ahtisaari plan, and his appearances with Serbian
Premier Vojislav Kostunica of late had put Dodik squarely in
opposition to U.S. objectives in the region. After asking
note takers and staff to leave the room, the Ambassador
repeated his warning to Dodik to cease and desist. Dodik
said that he had received and understood the message.


4. (C) Note: Separately, OHR staff told us late today that
High Representative Schwarz-Schilling had been reconsidering
his earlier plans to summon Dodik to Sarajevo and use his
Bonn Powers to punish Republika Srpska for Dodik's repeated
outbursts (reftel). The Ambassador has agreed to meet with
Schwarz-Schilling and the German Ambassador Michael Schmunk
on Saturday, January 27 to brief the HighRep on his exchange
with Dodik.
MCELHANEY