Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07USUNNEWYORK41
2007-01-23 00:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
USUN New York
Cable title:  

QUINT STRATEGIZES IN NEW YORK ON UN PROCESS FOR

Tags:  PGOV PREL UNMIK YI 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0041/01 0230027
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 230027Z JAN 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1155
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0125
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 0946
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA PRIORITY 0709
C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000041 

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SENSITIVE
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: QUINT STRATEGIZES IN NEW YORK ON UN PROCESS FOR
KOSOVO


Classified By: Acting Permanent Representative Alex Wolff for Reasons 1
.4 b/d.

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000041

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SENSITIVE
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: QUINT STRATEGIZES IN NEW YORK ON UN PROCESS FOR
KOSOVO


Classified By: Acting Permanent Representative Alex Wolff for Reasons 1
.4 b/d.


1. (C) SUMMARY. Representatives of Quint countries (U.S.,
UK, France, Germany, Italy) met in New York on January 18 to
consider tactics for getting the Kosovo final status process
to and through the Security Council. Participants
considered: whether and how Special Envoy Ahtisaari's initial
proposal should be formally received and distributed in New
York even as it is being digested in Belgrade and Pristina;
how to ensure that Ahtisaari's final report arrives at the
Security Council unadulterated by the UN Secretariat and
DPKO; what the role of SYG Ban would be; how the Quint should
proceed on developing a resolution; how to divide Quint labor
in educating Security Council members on Kosovo; how to
encourage EU leadership; and how to get Kosovo more engaged
in New York. The concern that overlay all these questions
was how to deal with Russia. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) UKUN Deputy PermRep Karen Pierce hosted a three and
a half hour Quint strategy session on Kosovo on January 18.
Pierce was joined by UK Balkans Director Michael Tatham.
France, Italy, and the Germany attended at the Deputy PermRep
level. Acting USUN PermRep Alex Wolff and EURDAS Rosemary
DiCarlo led the USG team.

New York Getting Ready To Deal With Kosovo
--------------


3. (C) Pierce noted that Ahtisaari does not intend to
announce publicly his recommendation that Kosovo be
independent when he presents his initial status proposal on
February 2 to Belgrade and Pristina. The French observed
that February is therefore shaping up as period of dialogue,
if not negotiation, that could counter arguments in some
quarters that the international community is rushing to
closure on Kosovo. All agreed that the February 2 Ahtisaari
document would quickly become generally available, either by
leakage or formal distribution by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki
Moon. (NOTE. Our current understanding is that Ahtisaari will
engage in a period of intensive consultation with the parties
on his status proposal, after which he will present his final
report to the Security Council -- including a recommendation
that Kosovo become independent -- possibly as soon as March.
END NOTE.)


4. (C) Ambassador Wolff referred to fears persistently
expressed by members of Ahtisaari's team that the UN
Secretariat is intent on re-opening the draft when it arrives

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in New York. The UK suspected UN Department of Political
Affairs U/SYG Ibrahim Gambari as particularly likely to want

to rework the special envoy's product. Other UN officials
judged to warrant close attention were Department of
Peacekeeping Operations U/SYG Jean-Marie Guehenno and DPKO's
European Chief David Harland. Ambassador Wolff suggested
that at least a subset of Quint members should engage
directly with SYG Ban because Ban has made clear that he
expects to play a role on Kosovo. We should be making sure,
Wolff added, that Ban will bless rather than revise
Ahtisaari's proposal and report.


5. (C) Potential outreach efforts discussed involving some
combination of Quint members included: inviting Ahtisaari
deputy Albert Rohan to New York to conduct informational
seminars on the status proposal for Council members and key
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and G-77 states
(a UK/German idea); having the EU demonstrate "a positive EU
plan on Serbia" to Council members concerned about Serbia's
reaction to Ahtisaari's proposal (a French idea); asking
Ahtisaari to directly engage the South Africans given his
positive history with the African National Council on Namibia
(a UK idea); and clearly demonstrating to Russia that the EU
is unified behind the Ahtisaari draft (a German idea,
although Germany deflected a U.S. push for its speedy
implementation by saying the EU would need "ten days at
minimum to have a position" on the draft).


6. (C) Ambassador Wolff cautioned that inactivity in New York
by those who support Ahtisaari's effort could encourage
others to alter the draft or work to delay the arrival of the
final version at the Security Council. He suggested that an
apparent cooling of Ban's sense of urgency on Kosovo of late
may be the product of lobbying by Russian PermRep Churkin.
DAS DiCarlo noted that Ahtisaari intends to share the initial
draft of his proposal with Ban, who will be free to circulate


it. The group agreed that some manner of Quint strategy was
therefore in order in New York in the aftermath of February 2
with its specifics depending on whether Ban chooses to make
formal distribution of the draft.

Russia
--------------


7. (C) Virtually every topic discussed during the long
session featured commentary on Russia. German Deputy PermRep
Von Ungern-Sternberg expressed concern that Russia may seek
to delay resolution of Kosovo until the G-8 summit in June, a
prospect that several participants quickly dismissed as
undesirable. Italy's Deputy Permrep Mantovani told the group
not to worry about Italy being on board but then stressed
that EU unity should involve "lowering our expectations
enough" to be able to include Russia and make our ideas
acceptable to them. DAS DiCarlo countered that the Ahtisaari
proposal, as previewed to date, is already "very generous
regarding Kosovo minorities" -- so generous that it would
represent a significant financial burden for Kosovo -- and
that this generosity should resonate with Council members and
other UN member-states developing positions on the
recognition of Kosovo. Ambassador Wolff said that our job is
complicated by Russian PermRep Churkin's personal interest
and involvement in the Kosovo issue and by the fact that
Russia's advocacy of prolonged negotiations would seem
persuasive to the uninformed. He said the Quint,
nonetheless, has good cards to play, including the OIC card,
provided in part by Indonesia's presence on the Council, and,
perhaps, a NAM card if handled adroitly. He said we also
have to be seen by Russia and others as engaged with Serbia
and not its enemy.


8. (C) Returning to the question of the OIC card, French
Deputy Permrep LaCroix noted that Qatar and Indonesia had
raised with him the desirability of engaging the OIC on
Kosovo. Ambassador Wolff said that Indonesia has generally
shown signs, early in its Council tenure, of being a sensible
and responsible member and could provide a key to approaching
China as well. UK's Tatham said that his late-December
Beijing trip had given him confidence China will cooperate so
long as it is kept in the information loop. Pierce
speculated there was a personal alliance between the Russian
and Chinese PermReps here that had no firm policy anchor in
Beijing and Moscow. Summing up the Russia/China state of
play on Kosovo in the Security Council, Ambassador Wolff
said, "The worst we'll get from the Chinese is an abstention,
and an abstention is the best we can hope for from the
Russians."


Options For Drafting A Resolution
--------------


9. (C) Quint members also considered the UNSCR drafting
process, all agreeing that some kind of resolution should be
sought to supercede 1244, provide mandates for post-status
international military/civilian presences, and open the door
to Kosovo's independence. UK's Pierce suggested that the
primary options seem to be giving the pen to the P-5 or to
the Coordinating and Drafting Group (CDG, the Contact Group
plus European nations on the Security Council). Germany's
Deputy Permrep expressed a strong preference for the CDG,
noting that CDG meetings could be held at the ambassadorial
level if need be. Pierce said the logical choice would have
been the Contact Group (CG),except that Russia's position
would probably mean that the CG would fail to achieve unity,
a failure that could end with giving out the unhelpful
message that the CG is falling apart. (COMMENT. This
rationale might also eliminate the CDG as a potential drafter
except that the CDG has a working-level dimension that could
serve to float suggestions on resolution nuances to the
Russians. END COMMENT.) Ambassador Wolff suggested that the
involvement of every EU member on the Council in the drafting
process would be conducive to a desirable EU unity and
leadership on the Kosovo issue and that the Russians should
be brought in as early in the drafting process as the
situation allowed. (NOTE. The USG has already taken the
initiative within the Quint to keep the pen on a new UNSCR.
U/S Burns distributed elements of a new resolution to Quint
political directors on January 17. END NOTE.)

Kosovo Albanians Need To Work New York
--------------




10. (C) Ambassador Wolff pressed for a Kosovo Albanian
presence in New York as urgently required to help counter
lobbying by the Russian and Serbian missions. Pierce
seconded that idea as essential to personalize the issue of
Kosovo independence for Council members, non-Council UN
members who may soon have to decide whether to recognize a
sovereign Kosovo, NGO's, the OIC, and the press. She said
the UK presses the issue with Kosovo Albanian leaders at
every opportunity and urged others to do the same. As an aid
to Quint lobbying efforts, Pierce added that Quint Balkans'
Directors would soon produce in capitals a common "script"
that could be used by New York missions.


11. (SBU) DAS DiCarlo cleared on this message.

WOLFF

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