KOSOVO COMING ATTRACTIONS: ROUTINE UNMIK BRIEFING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 USUN NEW YORK 000239

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO COMING ATTRACTIONS: ROUTINE UNMIK BRIEFING
BECOMES STAGE FOR RUSSIANS


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1. (SBU) SUMMARY. At the March 19 Security Council quarterly
session on UNMIK, SRSG Rucker reported that steady progress
continues on Standards and stressed that Kosovo needs clarity
about its future. Speaking for Serbia, Coordination Center
for Kosovo and Metohija President Raskovic-Ivic focused
mainly on the final status process, warning that Security
Council decisions would have major impacts outside the
Balkans. She also charged that the Ahtisaari proposal is
one-sided and insisted that autonomy within Serbia is the
only realistic future for Kosovo. She said that inter-ethnic
violence in Kosovo is a serious and continuing problem.
Russian Permrep Churkin charged that Rucker's statement had
been "unprecedented in its one-sidedness" and that most of
what he had said was outside of his purview as SRSG. Churkin
insisted that final status negotiations have just begun and
should continue. UKUN deputy permrep and USUN permrep
defended UNMIK's performance; Rucker rebutted Raskovic-Ivic's
crime statistics. Following this public meeting, Security
Council members held closed consultations where all made
national statements. The statements of Congo, Ghana and
South Africa expressed concern related to territorial
integrity and the setting of precedents. In the afternoon,
the UK hosted an Arria-style meeting of the Security Council
for President Sejdiu. End summary.

Rucker Reports Steady Progress Interrupted By Outbreak of
Violence



2. (SBU) At a March 19 Security Council meeting on the United
Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK),
SRSG Joachim Rucker reported steady progress in Kosovo on the
implementation of the eight standards of good governance laid
down by the international community for Kosovos's Provisional
Institutions of Self-Government. Meeting in a private
meeting format (Council members, interested General Assembly
members, no press, no television broadcast),Rucker also
noted that there had recently been violence in Kosovo after a
long-period of relative calm. He said such violence by
extremists would not be tolerated and was not supported by
the vast majority of Kosovo society. Rucker expressed
concern that reactions in Northern Kosovo to the final status
process could end up spreading to all of Kosovo. He
criticized Belgrade for apparently pressuring Kosovo Serbs to
not participate in Kosovo institutions and said this showed a
lack of respect for UNSCR 1244. He said Kosovars, including
Kosovo Serbs, need clarity about their future. Explaining
that "managing expectations" in Kosovo is part of his role as
SRSG and in this regard reported Ahtisaari's settlement
proposal had generally been well received by Kosovo Albanians
with concerns focusing on its decentralization provisions,
which Kosovo Albanians had accepted as part of a difficult
compromise. Kosovo Serbs, he said, were mostly negative on
the proposal.

Raskovic-Ivic: Warns of Impact Around the World



3. (SBU) Representing Serbia, Coordination Center for Kosovo
and Metohija President Sanda Raskovic-Ivic told Security
Council members that their future decision would have a big
impact not just in Serbia, but around the world. The
Security Council, "as the guarantor of the UN charter, must
protect the principles of international law and should not
take away 15 percent of Serbia's territory and change its
internationally recognized borders without its consent," she
asserted. No conclusion had been reached in the status
talks, she charged, because Ahtisaari as mediator had
overstepped his bounds and helped only one-side. She also
alleged Belgrade had proposed 500 amendments to Ahtisaari's
proposal, but none were accepted and suggested that no one
had made a successful argument for creating a second Albanian
state in Europe. Turning to conditions in Kosovo,
Raskovic-Ivic said Albanian violence in Kosovo amounted to
terrorism no different from terrorism anywhere else in the
world. Noting that the Minister of Internal Affairs in
Kosovo had resigned after the recent deaths of two Kosovo
Albanians, she alleged that 931 Serb deaths over 7 1/2 years
had produced no resignations. She also asserted that Kosovo
Albanian authorities were systematically preventing the
return of Serbs and that recent figures for returns were
lower than 2005, but that even those were exaggerated. She
also said 41,000 Serbs had lived in Pristina in 1999 whereas
now there are fewer than 100. Returning to the final status
process, Raskovic-Ivic concluded by calling Ahtisaari's
proposal "one-sided and what is needed for the province is a

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model of substantial autonomy that leads to a realistic,
sustainable solution setting no precedent."

Rucker Chastises Belgrade



4. (SBU) Rucker took the floor again and, without referring
to Raskovic-Ivic by name, rebutted some of the
"mis-statements on figures that were presented," referring
Council members to the SYG report and annexes for more
detail. He highlighted the overall 70 percent decrease in
ethnic violence during the reporting period. He also said
that recent figures showed 92-98 percent of Kosovars (i.e.,
more than just the Albanian population) believe that freedom
of movement is at acceptable levels. He said that Belgrade
should avoid ascribing ethnic motives to crimes before all of
the facts are collected.

Russia's Churkin: Accuses Rucker of Delivering Sermon



5. (SBU) Saying "above all he wanted to thank Dr.
Raskovic-Ivic for her presence" and then "noting the
presence" of Rucker and "his delegation" (pointedly without
an express acknowledgment of Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu),
Russian Permrep Churkin charged that Rucker's statement had
been "unprecedented in its one-sidedness and that most of
what he had said was outside of his purview." Churkin
continued that he would have thought he was being addressed
by Ahtisaari after being treated to "a sermon on a subject
that had not come before the Security Council yet." He
averred that "talking about status before it is the
appropriate time is one reason why we are in the situation
that we are now." Churkin stated that Serbs in Kosovo still
did not feel secure and it was hard to understand some of the
assertions in Rucker's report. Churkin said negotiations had
only just begun on dialogue and there should be a
continuation by the parties of the negotiating process
because an imposed settlement cannot exist. He noted that
Rucker had said a status decision needed to be acceptable to
the people of Kosovo, but that also meant it needed to be
acceptable to all the major ethnic groups, a principle that
reaffirmed the need for a negotiated settlement acceptable to
both sides.

U.S. and UK Defend Rucker



6. (SBU) Speaking for the UK, Deputy Permrep Karen Pierce
took the floor and stated that the SRSG had the Council's
full support and as a person appointed by the Council was the
only person qualified to give an assessment to the Council.
She said Kai Eide had also been given a mandate and decided,
two years ago, that progress on standards had already been
sufficient to begin status talks. Ambassador Wolff
complemented Rucker on his presentation, underscoring that
Rucker had addressed keys issues pertinent to his mandate
such as decentralization, Northern Kosovo, inter-ethnic crime
and Belgrade's interference with Kosovo Serb participation in
institutions. No other members intervened during the private
meeting.

Consultations



7. (SBU) Adjourning to closed consultations (Council members
and UN officials only),all delegations participated
actively. Congo's permrep said African countries had many
minorities and were "not comfortable" with the Kosovo
problem. Some were trying to create upheaval in the province
and there was an urgent need for a lasting solution, but that
should not mean favoring one party. Congo welcomed a
solution acceptable to both sides and would not hide that it
was "more comfortable in the role of an official presiding
over a marriage than a judge conducting a divorce." Congo
said unity in the Security Council would be important and we
should keep in mind the principle of territorial integrity of
states. Ghana's permrep said his country regretted that
considerable mistrust still existed between the two sides and
hoped the two groups could narrow their differences. South
Africa's permrep said all possibilities for a mutually
acceptable solution in accordance with international law had
to be explored. The South African spoke of the dilemma
Africans faced by countries with imposed borders they had
never accepted and many minorities. He remarked that people
talked about the possibility of Kosovar violence and riots
but those were nothing new to Africans as they were a reality

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seen every day, adding that "our people don't need a
resolution to tell them to fight." South Africa was
concerned about altering the borders of a sovereign state.
Ahtisaari had met their President and they expected clearer
instructions, but that did not take away from the serious
issues.


8. (SBU) China stated that the question of Kosovo had entered
a crucial phase but there should not be any less attention to
standards. China was concerned about recent violence in
Kosovo and said the Security Council at the proper time would
review the status of Kosovo and consider the views of both
sides and neighbors in the region. China believed a
settlement plan approved by both sides would be "the most
prudent way out." On handling Kosovo, he acknowledged, "the
EU has unique influence and advantage."


9. (SBU) France stated that it believed Ahtisaari's plan was
the only realistic one that would be workable. Italy's
permrep said his country felt a particular responsibility
toward this European problem because of its geographic and
historical proximity. He said Italy believes it is time for
a new Kosovo status arrangement and strongly supports
Ahtisaari but added that "more standards implementation is
needed." Belgium explicitly said it would support
Ahtisaari's recommendations. UK's Pierce said that the
problem heretofore had been Serbia's lack of flexibility and
it was constraining its own future.


10. (SBU) Slovakia said UNMIK needs to remain strong and that
it opposed violence regardless of country of origin and the
state of the status process. Slovakia was also concerned
about the Venvendosije movement but shared Rucker's positive
assessment of implementation of standards and the thirteen
priorities and called for continuation of that trend.


11. (SBU) Qatar stated that state institutions in Kosovo were
stable and effective, but said more progress was possible.
Kosovo needed the support and backing of the international
community.


12. (SBU) Peru noted the report mentioned some progress on
standards but more is needed. Violence should not be
tolerated and despite some positive developments, rebuilding
churches and religious sites had not been completed yet.
Peru regretted that Serbs were not participating in
institutions. Peru said it could talk status at a later
time, but supports a resolution based on international law
and previous Security Council resolutions. Peru believed the
EU could play a particular role. Panama stated that a
solution on final status was important as there could not be
any economic or social progress without it.


13. (SBU) U.S. Ambassador Wolff noted that we were encouraged
by significant implementation on priority standards, although
we looked for continued progress. He said we condemned
recent acts of violence. Ambassador Wolff agreed with the
SYG's assessment that after eight years the people of Kosovo
needed clarity about their future. He endorsed the Ahtisaari
package and said the status package of Ahtisaari was fair and
balanced.


14. (SBU) Indonesia claimed the report mentioned violence but
no attempts to prevent it and that lack of clarity on status
should not be an excuse for violence. A stable Kosovo
requires more than expectations and part of UNMIK's job
should be managing those expectations. Indonesia also
charged that a careful reading of the report suggested "final
status was ready and UNMIK would be ending this year but we
could not put the cart before the horse." Indonesia believed
that the Council should decide the speed and timing of
UNMIK's closure.


15. (SBU) Russian Deputy Permrep, obviously given little
latitude while his boss was outside talking to the press, was
gratified that many delegations had mentioned a link between
standards and status. He said Russia believes the potential
of negotiations was far from fully exhausted.

Arria Meeting


16. (SBU) The UK hosted an informal "Arria-style" meeting
for Kosovo President Sejdiu, who attended the Council's
private meeting as a member of UNMIK's delegation. Reading
from a speech in Albanian, Sejdiu said that for the Kosovars
independence was the alpha and the omega but that that they
were also prepared to do their utmost to build a multi-ethnic

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and democratic society in Kosovo with a future in Europe.
Sejdiu stressed that many of the compromises the Kosovars had
agreed to in the Vienna talks had been very difficult but
that the Kosovars accepted and supported Ahtisaari's package.



17. (SBU) Sejdiu's answer to every question was
independence. France stated that much had been done on
standards but more was needed. Sejdiu replied that clarity on
status would facilitate implementation of standards. Italy
asked Sejdiu what he was doing to prevent violence. Sejdiu
replied that resolution of the status question would defuse
tension and was urgently needed. Germany asked about
Kosovo's economic prospects. Sejdiu responded that without
clarity on status, Kosovo could not attract foreign
investors. Russia's working-level representative thanked
President Sejdiu and said Russia sees standards and status as
linked and believes that more needs to be done. The Russian
representative said negotiations should continue.


18. (SBU) Qatar stated that it had common ground with the
Kosovars as it was repairing its own constitution and lived
in a region filled with conflict and knew that solutions had
to also come from within. Sejdiu's presence before the
Council proved that the Kosovars took this seriously at the
highest level. Qatar wished them the best of luck.
WOLFF