ALGERIA REMAINS DISTANT ON KOSOVO RECOGNITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 000762 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV UN UNMIK YI EU KPKO KV AG SUBJECT: ALGERIA REMAINS DISTANT ON KOSOVO RECOGNITION REF: A. STATE 69691 ¶B. ALGIERS 169 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Thomas F. Daughton; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) In a July 2 meeting with MFA's Director General for European Affairs (A/S equivalent) Mouloud Hamai and Deputy Director for Central Europe and the Balkans Abdelmadjid Amalou, Charge asked whether Algeria's thinking on Kosovo had evolved and urged the Algerians to participate in the July 11 donors' conference in Brussels (ref A). Hamai said that Algeria's position on recognition had not changed since our last meeting on February 13 (ref B),though he offered more detail about the reasoning behind Algeria's reservations. ¶2. (C) Hamai reiterated Algeria's position that a solution on Kosovo should be based on international law and adherence to the UN process. He said that since the issue of Kosovo's independence began in the Security Council, a permanent solution on the matter should come through a Security Council resolution. Such a resolution on Kosovo, Hamai said, was a sine qua non for Algerian recognition. Beyond the legality of recognition, he stressed Algeria's practical concern that working outside of the UN framework would set a bad precedent for Africa, where a quick decision to recognize Kosovo might tempt some to revisit the legality of "artificial" borders drawn under colonial rule. He noted in this regard that virtually no African Union or Organization of the Islamic Conference members had moved to recognize Kosovo, and underscored that even the Europeans had yet to come to a common position. As to participation at the July 11 donors' conference, Hamai said that given the GOA's position on recognition, he did not believe Algeria could participate. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: Hamai gave no signal that Algeria's basic position on Kosovo has changed since the February declaration of independence, although the position has gained some coherence in the meantime. The Algerians are clearly finding Russian and Serbian opposition to Kosovo independence to be a convenient way to avoid dealing with the matter. At least Hamai did not rule out Algeria's eventual recognition of Kosovo. Claiming that "things are slowly changing" in Serbia, Hamai suggested that with time it would become possible for Algeria and similarly situated former colonies to accept recognition. ¶4. (U) Minimized Considered DAUGHTON