Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BELGRADE1098
2008-10-22 14:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Belgrade
Cable title:  

SERBIA AND UN AGREE ON 6 POINT TEXT ON KOSOVO

Tags:  PGOV PREL SR MK MW KV 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBW #1098/01 2961441
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221441Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0557
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHNS/NSC WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0025
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 001098 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL SR MK MW KV
SUBJECT: SERBIA AND UN AGREE ON 6 POINT TEXT ON KOSOVO

Summary
-------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 001098

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL SR MK MW KV
SUBJECT: SERBIA AND UN AGREE ON 6 POINT TEXT ON KOSOVO

Summary
--------------


1. (SBU) Serbian leaders are positioning themselves to accept EULEX
by the November 7 UN Security Council meeting on Kosovo. In
preparation, both the UN and Serbian officials have agreed to
language on the so-called 6-points which they wish to insert into
the SRSG report to the UNSC on November 7. Both sides hope this
could then be used as the basis for agreeing to EULEX's deployment.
The lead UN negotiator told us that his talks with the Serbians were
concluded but he must now sell it to authorities in Pristina, which
he recognized would be difficult. Serbian officials have told EU
representatives that they intend to agree to EULEX's full deployment
throughout all of Kosovo, given certain conditions. We expect that
the Serbian government wants any agreement on the 6-point talks in
order to strengthen its position before the UN Security Council. We
believe the Serbian leadership has no long-term strategy for Kosovo,
and is addressing EULEX deployment and the 6-point talks tactically
to gain political advantage at home. End Summary.


Getting the "Proper Deal" for the UNSC
--------------


2. (SBU) Serbian leaders recognize that they need to accept
deployment of EULEX (EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo) by the
November 7 UN Security Council meeting. During an October 20 dinner
for visiting CJCS Admiral Mullen, President Boris Tadic said that he
expects to achieve an agreement in the next few weeks that would
permit EULEX to deploy throughout Kosovo. Foreign Minister Vuk
Jeremic said that Serbia sought an agreement with UNMIK
representatives on the UN Secretary General's 6-point talks before
the November 7 date. Jeremic asked for U.S. "help" to make sure
that Serbia had the "proper" deal it needed in time for the UNSC
session. Jeremic later said in private to the Ambassador that he
realized Serbia would have to accept whatever the UNMIK talks
produced, and would have to package it as a success for Serbia (and
for the UN Secretary General). Jeremic announced President Tadic
would attend the UNSC meeting, further indication that Serbia's
leaders recognize they must agree to EULEX at that time. (Tadic
seemed to be hearing about his appearance in New York on November 7
for the first time.)


UN and Serbia End Talks, Must Sell To Pristina
-------------- -


3. (SBU) The UN and Serbia have agreed on acceptable language for
insertion into the SRSG report and now the UN would engage the
authorities in Pristina, lead UN mediator, Andrew Ladley told the
Ambassador and representatives of the Quint in Belgrade on October

22. (The UN tasked Andrew Ladley, a senior expert mediator in the
UN's new Standby Team of mediation experts, with continuing the
discussion begun by former Acting PDSRSG David Harland.) Ladley did
not present us with a text but instead highlighted several key
points from the arrangement. According to Ladley, the arrangement
would stipulate that it was for a "limited duration" (undefined)
that would apply until it is "changed by the SRSG and until other
arrangements are in place." On specific points, Ladley said the
Serbs had agreed to a unified chain of command for the police with a
senior command post in the chain led by a Serb or an international.
On customs, Ladley said the Serbs agreed to a unified customs regime
for all of Kosovo, but details still needed to be worked out later.
He was less specific on the arrangements reached on other points.


4. (SBU) In response, the Ambassador emphasized the 6-point talks
must be a dialogue with Pristina, not something the UN and the Serbs
arrange between themselves; that there should be no artificial
deadlines; and that regardless of the success or failure of these
UN-led talks, there must be no link of the 6 point talks to the
deployment of EULEX. Ladley said the EULEX deployment "was not
contingent" upon the success of these talks. He said the Serbs had
realized this as well and were working with the EU on language on
EULEX that could also be incorporated into the SRSG report.


5. (SBU) EU officials involved in the talks also believe that Serb
officials want to squeeze some perception of success from the 6
Point talks. EU Representative in Belgrade Peter Sorensen told us
that MFA Political Director Borko Stefanovic gave assurances on
October 17 to EU representatives that Serbia would be forthcoming in
the Six Point talks, and that these talks would not obstruct or
delay EULEX deployment. On October 22, Sorensen told us that, as
far as the EU is concerned, the difficulties would not be with UNMIK
but rather would be with DPKO.

EU and Serbia Closing the Gap on EULEX
--------------


6. (SBU) According to Sorensen, Stefanovic said Serbia is willing

BELGRADE 00001098 002 OF 002


to accept the EULEX deployment throughout Kosovo if the three
conditions that the Serbian government has stated publicly numerous
times are met. Specifically, the Serbs seek UNSC approval for
EULEX; EULEX must remain status neutral; and EULEX cannot be seen as
implementing the Ahtisaari proposal.

Weakening of Domestic Opposition to EULEX?
--------------


7. (U) Serbian opposition to EULEX appears to be weakening in some
other political corners as well. On October 20, United Serbia (JS)
and government coalition partner Dragan Markovic (aka Palma) said
indirectly that Serbia should accept the EULEX mission, stressing
though that Kosovo independence was out of the question. "For me
there is no difference whether the international forces are called
EULEX or UNMIK because UNSC 1244 specifies the presence of
international forces, and 95 percent of the states present in EULEX
are part of UNMIK too," Markovic said according to B92 media.


8. (U) Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic (SPS) reacted to
Markovic's statement by reiterating that Serbia's policy on EULEX
remained unchanged: the mission could be deployed to Kosovo only
with a mandate from the UN Security Council and if it did not
implement the Ahtisaari plan.
Comment
--------------


9. (SBU) Tadic and Jeremic clearly recognize that EULEX is
necessary both for Serbia's EU aspirations and for Kosovo's
stability, and thus the well-being of Kosovo Serbs, and are eager
for a face-saving out that will allow them to say that the EU
mission is now acceptable. As they have indicated to us many times
since the summer, they seek a statement from the UNSC that will
provide political cover (by "legalizing" EULEX). The language they
have drafted with the UN may give them that cover domestically, but
also leaves a lot of issues open, undetermined, subject to wide
interpretation, and lacking any "buy in" from Pristina.


10. (SBU) There does not appear to be a longer-term strategy
guiding the Serbian government's tactics, however. We believe the
Serbian government does not have a clear goal: Tadic denied
emphatically to Admiral Mullen that he supports partition ("that
would be unconstitutional") and neither he nor Jeremic are able to
articulate a vision of a constructive relationship between Serbia
and Kosovo that would lead to a smoother accession to the EU for
both countries. Rather, the Serbian leadership seeks to protect
itself from attacks from their domestic political opponents on the
nationalist right. Tadic and Jeremic apparently believe they can do
so, and bless EULEX deployment, on November 7 in New York. End
Comment.

MUNTER