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

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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