ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT MESIC TO VISIT KOSOVO AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000051 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR DICARLO, EUR/SCE DEPT PLEASE PASS TO SPECIAL REP WISNER BELGRADE PLEASE PASS TO PODGORICA E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2017 TAGS: PREL UN UNMIK PGOV YI EU OPDC HR SUBJECT: ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT MESIC TO VISIT KOSOVO AND BELGRADE REF: STATE 5652 Classified By: Ambassador Robert A. Bradtke for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) President Mesic's Special Advisor for International Relations Budimir Loncar told the Ambassador January 17 that he will travel to Kosovo next week to have discussions with Albanian and Serb leaders. This trip, according to Loncar, resulted from a visit to Zagreb by a group of Serb mayors from Kosovo, who met with President Mesic in late December and said they would welcome a visit by Loncar. Loncar told the Ambassador that before agreeing to the visit, he received assurances that it would also be welcomed by the Kosovar Albanian leadership. Loncar said that PM Ceku and other members of the Kosovar leadership had agreed to meet with him on January 22 and 23. ¶2. (C) Loncar also said that he had spoken by phone with Serb President Tadic who said he had "no problem" with the visit. Tadic also agreed to a visit by Loncar to Belgrade following his stop in Kosovo. However, Tadic told Loncar that he was uncertain whether he would be able to personally receive Loncar, given the expected post-election discussions on forming a new Serbian government. Tadic predicted a long and difficult coalition negotiation. ¶3. (C) Drawing on reftel, Ambassador reviewed the timeline for concluding the Kosovo status process and urged Loncar to use his visit to encourage all parties to work with UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari. Loncar expressed his support for Ahtisaari's efforts and may try to contact him prior to visiting Kosovo. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: Having served as Yugoslav Foreign Minister from 1987 to 91, Loncar has good relations with leaders throughout the region. As the Department is aware, Loncar is planning to visit New York and Washington to attend the Congressional prayer breakfast. Loncar has asked for our assistance in arranging a meeting with Ambassador Wisner, whom he met during Wisner's October visit to Zagreb, and we have suggested that he also meet with Deputy Assistant Secretary DiCarlo. Loncar and his boss President Mesic have SIPDIS strong concerns about the impact of a final status decision on the pro-European, pro-democratic forces in Serbia, and we believe that meetings with Ambassador Wisner and DAS Dicarlo would help to overcome Croatian nervousness about the impending final status decision. END COMMENT. BRADTKE