BOSNIA - OIC AMBASSADORS SUPPORT HIGH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 002570

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

EUR/SCE (HOH, FOOKS, STINCHCOMB)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA - OIC AMBASSADORS SUPPORT HIGH
REPRESENTATIVE


Classified By: Ambassador Charles English for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

Summary
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1. (C) The Ambassador hosted a November 27 lunch for key
Organization of Islamic Council (OIC) Ambassadors and Charges
in Sarajevo. The OIC Ambassadors expressed support for High
Representative Lajcak and his October 19 measures. They also
endorsed the Ambassador's Dayton anniversary message that all
three constituent peoples must be prepared to compromise and
that no single group is solely at fault for the current
crisis. OIC Ambassadors reiterated their support for
Bosnia's eventual European Union (EU) accession and believed
this would require measures that were firm in substance but
flexible in implementation. Only the Egyptian Ambassador
asserted that the IC was being too lenient with the Serbs
while the Bosniaks had almost always been cooperative. The
Ambassador, with agreement from the Turkish and Saudi
Ambassadors, pointed out that the Serbs have actually made
significant compromises. Additionally the Bosniaks, in the
form of Haris Silajdzic, were also to blame for inflaming the
situation. The Ambassador stated that the ultimate
resolution of the current crisis will be up to the Bosnian
people and that in the longer term the United States will
accept any solution on the internal organization of BiH that
the Bosnians agree to as long as it does not involve changes
to Bosnian borders. End Summary.

OIC Ambassadors
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2. (C) The Ambassador hosted a lunch on November 27 for the
Ambassadors and Charge d'Affaires of key OIC member states in
Sarajevo. The attendees included Ambassador Fahad Al Zeid of
Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Ahmed El Sayed Khattab of Egypt,
Ambassador Bulent Tulun of Turkey, Charge d'Affaires Khairul
Nazran Abd Rahman of Malaysia, Charge d'Affaires Ayad S.S.
Shawish of Libya and Charge d'Affaires Ibrar Hussain of
Pakistan. The Saudi and Turkish Ambassadors dominated the
discussion. With the exception of the Egyptian Ambassador,
the Ambassadors tended to speak as OIC representatives rather
than their individual capitals.

OIC Supports HighRep
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3. (C) The Saudi Ambassador opened the discussion by stating
that the OIC supports Bosnia's European integration. He
added that the OIC supports High Representative Lajcak and
his 19 October measures. The Saudis believed that it was the
International Community's (IC) responsibility to be honest
about its Bosnian policy, and that the fundamental question
is what is the vision for what kind of Bosnia we will have in

2020. He ask rhetorically whether the goal of a single
multiethnic state is sustainable in the long-term. The
Turkish Ambassador added that part of the problem is that
there has never been consistency among the positions of
different High Representatives. The Ambassador noted that
the USG insists on is respect for the territorial integrity
of Bosnia within its current borders. Assuming the state
respects rule of law, internationally-recognized human rights
and is democratically governed the U.S. will support any
solution the Bosnians ultimately choose to arrange and govern
themselves within those boundaries.

Bosniak SAA Grievances
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5. (C) The Saudi Ambassador expressed surprise that the
Russians had acquiesced to the extension of the EUFOR mandate
at the UNSC, particularly after strong Russian comments at
the UN. The Egyptian Ambassador asked if the United States
and the EU were waiting to observe the fallout from the
Kosovo final status process before determining the way
forward in Bosnia. The Ambassador replied that it would be
important to avoid an unnecessary confrontation in the wake
of a determination of Kosovo status. To that end the
Ambassador suggested OIC Ambassadors could encourage Bosniak
political leaders to continue the dialogue on the OHR measure

on voting in the House of Representatives and, if necessary,
to support a delay in the implementation of this measure to
provide more time to seek a solution. The Turkish
Ambassador said the OIC did not oppose engaging the Bosniaks
accordingly but would not do so immediately and would wait to
see if they came to this conclusion on their own. The
Egyptian Ambassador asserted that the Bosniaks were rarely
obstructionist or intransigent and that it was always the
Serbs who provoked political crises. Bosniaks believe Serbia
was rewarded with the initialing of an EU Stabilization and
Association Agreement (SAA) despite incomplete ICTY
cooperation while an SAA was withheld from Bosnians because
of Serb obstructionism in the RS. He added that it is
important for the EU to initial an SAA with Bosnia as soon as
possible and to that end pressure needs to be put on the
Serbs.

Serbs Not the Only Problem
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6. (C) The Ambassador noted that Serbs have made many
compromises over the past decade to this approach with
defense reform being just one example. The Turkish and Saudi
Ambassadors also disagreed with the Egyptian Ambassador. The
Ambassador characterized the Serbs as tough bargainers who,
up until now, have been amenable to some level of compromise.
The Turkish Ambassador added that the Bosniak leaders are
just as guilty of resisting compromise and gave as an example
the fact that Haris Silajdzic reacts wildly every time he
even sees the letters RS together in a sentence.
ENGLISH