KOSOVO STATUS TIMELINE: POLAND FULLY ON BOARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 000163 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2017 TAGS: PREL UN UNMIK PGOV EU PL SUBJECT: KOSOVO STATUS TIMELINE: POLAND FULLY ON BOARD REF: STATE 005652 Classified By: Political Counselor Mary T. Curtin for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Pol External Chief delivered reftel demarche on the Kosovo status timeline on January 18 to Piotr Siebeneichen, Chief of the Balkans Division in the MFA Europe Department. Siebeneichen said the Polish and U.S. positions were nearly identical; Poland strongly supported Un Special Envy Ahtisaari's efforts and the Kosovo status process in general. However, he added that the GOP was particularly concerned about continuing violence in Kosovo and the possibility that it would escalate after UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari delivered his report, noting that recent U.S. demarches on Kosovo had failed to mention the problem. The GOP also worried that if things did not go well during the Kosovo status transition, the problems could also spill over into Bosnia-Herzegovina and complicate the already difficult situation with the Republika Srpska. ¶2. (C) Siebeneichen allowed Poloff to look over a draft intervention for delivery by FM Anna Fotyga at the January 26 NATO informal ministerial in Brussels. The document expressed full support for the Kosovo status process and full confidence in Special Envoy Ahtisaari. ASHE