AMBASSADOR NULAND UPDATES NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000128

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2017
TAGS: NATO KCRM PREL MOPS UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR NULAND UPDATES NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL
ON POSSIBLE U.S. PARTICIPATION IN FUTURE EU RULE OF LAW
MISSION IN KOSOVO


Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland for reasons 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer complained to
Ambassador Nuland on February 27 that, prior to his meeting
with National Security Advisor Hadley on February 21, he had
not been briefed on possible U.S. participation in the EU,s
ESDP mission for Kosovo. The SYG expressed concern that NATO
equities had not been fully taken into account.


2. (C) In response, at the February 28 meeting of the North
Atlantic Council (NAC),U.S. Ambassador Nuland briefed the
NAC on the fact that the USG was considering participation in
the future EU ESDP rule-of-law mission in Kosovo. She said
that the EU,s request for our participation was being
reviewed at senior levels in Washington, but emphasized that
no decision had been taken. If it chooses to participate,
the U.S. contingent would be drawn largely from the current
UNMIK presence. She said that we were looking closely at the
implications for NATO and Berlin Plus. She outlined for the
NAC some of the considerations that would shape the U.S.
decision. First and foremost, we would insist that this
would not set a precedent and/or preclude NATO from taking on
future police missions. The ESDP mission must be civilian
and its Oplan should include no degredation in UNMIK,s
mission. She further stressed the need for the U.S. to have
an appropriate decision-shaping role, for smooth command and
control arrangements, and for close NATO-EU coordination at
all levels.


3. (C) During the same meeting, the Deputy Chairman of NATO's
Military Committee (D/CMC) briefed the NAC on NATO's ongoing
prudent military planning for post-status Kosovo. The D/CMC
said that planning envisions three phases, immediate,
transitional, and implementation. The adoption by the NAC of
a transition directive and a revised operational plan will
provide NATO forces with the necessary tools to maintain
security during the transition phase and would allow NATO to
assume additional missions as the new international military
presence.
NULAND