MACEDONIA SUPPORTS KOSOVO STATUS TIMELINE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SKOPJE 000050 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2017 TAGS: PREL UNAUS UNMIK PGOV MK SUBJECT: MACEDONIA SUPPORTS KOSOVO STATUS TIMELINE REF: STATE 5652 Classified By: P/E Chief SHubler for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) In a January 18 meeting with the Ambassador, Foreign Minister Milososki confirmed the GOM's support for Ahtisaari's Kosovo final status timeline (reftel),and agreed on the importance of close coordination between the U.S., the EU and the UN on the matter. The Ambassador assured Milososki that ensuring Macedonia's stability, in the context of the stability of the region as a whole, would continue to be an important consideration in the Kosovo final status process. ¶2. (C) Milososki briefed the Ambassador on his recent meeting in Tirana with Albanian PM Berisha, who had given him the impression that Albania would not rush to recognize Kosovo after Ahtisaari's announcement of a final status settlement. He also briefly described the GOM's plans to coordinate a common approach on recognition of Kosovo with the Government of Montenegro. Skopje had chosen to pair up on this issue with Montenegro due to the two countries' shared ex-Yugoslav heritage. FM Milososki assured the Ambassador that Macedonia's intention was to follow closely the lead of the Contact Group in making any recognition decision in coordination with Montenegro. MILOVANOVIC