U/S NICHOLAS BURNS' MAY 10-11 MEETINGS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000561 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR P, EUR, EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV OSCE NATO HR MK TU BU MD SUBJECT: U/S NICHOLAS BURNS' MAY 10-11 MEETINGS WITH REGIONAL LEADERS Classified By: AMB R. A. BRADTKE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (U) Undersecretary Burns met with Macedonian President Crvenkovski, Turkish Economy Minister Babacan, Bulgarian PM Stanishev and Moldovan President Voronin May 10 and 11 on the margins of the Zagreb SEECP Summit. Macedonia -------------- ¶2. (C) Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski sought U/S Burns' views on Kosovo and on Macedonia's NATO candidacy: -- Kosovo: U/S Burns said that while political developments in Belgrade were disappointing, these would not stop Kosovo's independence. He noted that the US and EU countries would circulate a draft UNSCR on May 11. In response to Crvenkovski's question about a possible Russian veto in NY, Burns said that the US believed there was room to work with Russia and incorporate some Russian ideas into the draft UNSCR. He said the US goal was to conclude with a vote at the end of May and the immediate US recognition of Kosovo's independence. Crvenkovski said that Macedonia supported the Ahtisaari Plan and that delays will only worsen a situation that needs to be resolved quickly. He said that the Russian position had not helped Belgrade come to terms with Kosovo and that rather than preparing the Serbian public for Kosovo's independence, Russia had offered false hopes that have only raised tensions. Crvenkovski stressed the importance of a UNSCR that leads to a continued international civilian and military presence in Kosovo to prevent extremists in Belgrade and Pristina from destabilizing the situation. Burns said that NATO would remain in Kosovo and the EU would take on the UN's role after independence. -- NATO: Burns told Crvenkovski that he was concerned about Macedonia's NATO candidacy, that Macedonia has fallen behind in reforms and, were a decision to be made today on its NATO membership, he doubts that Macedonia would make it. He said that there was time, but not much and encouraged the GOM to work with Embassy Skopje and the NATO team led by Ambassador Nuland that plans to visit Skopje in September. Crvenkovski conceded that Macedonia has not done all it could and regretted time and energy lost on political squabbles. He assured Burns that Macedonia has the institutional capacity to enact all necessary reforms and asked for US support. Burns said that the US was Macedonia's strongest advocate among skeptical Europeans in Brussels and urged Crvenkovski to make progress on reforms, the fight against corruption, Albanian minority issues and judicial reform, in addition to defense reform. On the question of Greece and the name issue, Burns said that the UN is the place to resolve that question and urged the Macedonians to be mindful of Greek sensitivities. Turkey -------------- ¶3. (C) U/S Burns discussed Kosovo and Turkey's EU relationship with Turkish Minister of Economy Ali Babacan: -- Kosovo: Burns briefed Babacan on the current state of play on Kosovo at the Security Council and said that it would be helpful if the GOT could work with Indonesia in the Islamic Conference to get its support on Kosovo. Turkish MFA Political Director, who was also present at the meeting, said that Turkey was working on Kosovo language for an OIC statement, which it was hoping Indonesia would support. -- EU-Turkey Relations: Babacan took a long view on Turkey's approach to the EU, saying that, in the case of Turkey, negotiations were not technical in nature, as they were for most other candidate countries. He said that Turkey approached the EU as the collection of its member states and was therefore working to shape perceptions at that level. He said that Turkey was a successful reformer that serves as a model for countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus and as proof that democracy and Islam are compatible. Babacan said that enlargement is what has kept the EU relevant. Turkey's eventual accession will be essential if the EU is not to prove itself a culturally and religiously homogenous club. He said French president Sarkozy held the key to Turkey's EU future. Burns reiterated strong US support for Turkey's EU candidacy. Bulgaria -------------- ¶4. (C) U/S Burns discussed Kosovo and recent US investment with Bulgarian PM Sergei Stanisev: -- Kosovo: Stanisev told Burns that the ambiguity of Kosovo's status was a destabilizing issue for the Balkans that must be ZAGREB 00000561 002 OF 002 resolved quickly. He stressed the need for a new UNSCR, saying that the issue was now between the US and Russia. Stanisev regretted that the Serbs had been more focused on the status of Kosovo than the standards for the Serb populations there, a message he conveyed recently in Belgrade. He expressed hope that the Kosovo Albanians would show maturity and implement agreed standards. Burns expressed hope that Russia would not attempt to stop the inevitable by vetoing a new UNSCR. He noted that the US envisions bringing this process to its conclusion by the end of May. -- US Investment: Stanisev briefed Burns on the purchase of Bulgarian Telecom by US AIG. He said that the other bidder was a Saudi consortium, but that he believed the US purchase of the telecom company would be positive for Bulgaria. He promised that the GOB would help AIG to resolve pending regulatory issues. Stanisev expressed appreciation for US support for Bulgaria and the President's upcoming visit. Moldova -------------- ¶5. (C) U/S Burns discussed Transnistria with Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin: -- Transnistria: Burns told Voronin that the US supports Moldova and its European and democratic future. He said that it is essential to work for the withdrawal of Russian forces from the country and to replace them with international peacekeepers. Voronin said that getting Russian forces out and securing Moldova's territorial integrity was his government's highest priority. He regretted that talks have been stalled for the past two years and expressed hope that they can be restarted. He said that the Transnistrian issue cannot be settled without the withdrawal of Russian troops, as these are a tool of the separatist regime there. Voronin noted that he had discussed the issue with Russian President Putin and that the Russian position continues to be that the conflict must be settled first. He said that Putin told him that withdrawal of the troops was not difficult in and of itself, but that the political perception of appearing to abandon the Russian population was a problem for Russia. Burns emphasized that Moldova must not make a separate deal with Russia and urged Voronin to work with the US and Europe on this issue. He said that Russia must fulfill its Istanbul Commitments, which would mean the departure of Russian troops and their replacement by European peacekeepers. BRADTKE