Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BERLIN184
2008-02-14 17:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Berlin
Cable title:
GERMANY/KOSOVO: PLANNING TO BE AMONG THE FIRST TO
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000184
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2018
TAGS: PREL MARR NATO GM AF
SUBJECT: GERMANY/KOSOVO: PLANNING TO BE AMONG THE FIRST TO
RECOGNIZE, WHETHER THERE IS A EU COMMON PLATFORM OR NOT
REF: A. STATE 13716
B. STATE 14284
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Jeff Rathke. REASONS: 1.4 (
B) AND (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000184
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2018
TAGS: PREL MARR NATO GM AF
SUBJECT: GERMANY/KOSOVO: PLANNING TO BE AMONG THE FIRST TO
RECOGNIZE, WHETHER THERE IS A EU COMMON PLATFORM OR NOT
REF: A. STATE 13716
B. STATE 14284
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Jeff Rathke. REASONS: 1.4 (
B) AND (D).
1. (C) Summary: While a hardening of the Spanish position on
Kosovo is making the achievement of a EU "common platform"
increasingly unlikely, Germany plans to go forward in any
case in immediately initiating the necessary procedures to
recognize Kosovo after its declaration of independence. End
Summary.
EU common platform "in limbo"
--------------
2. (C) We delivered the applicable points from reftels to MFA
Western Balkans Office Director Joachim Bleicker February 13
and used the occasion to ask about the status of German
efforts within the EU to achieve a consensus on the way
forward. Bleicker regretted that the Spanish position on
Kosovo had significantly hardened in recent days because of
concerns that any Spanish participation in an EU action
noting or welcoming the Kosovo declaration of independence
could adversely affect their March 9 elections. As a result,
tentative plans for EU Foreign Ministers to agree on a
"common platform" in the wake of the anticipated Kosovo
declaration of independence (DI) were "in limbo."
Nevertheless, EU would continue to go forward with its plans
in the hopes that, in the end, consensus could be reached.
EU time line
--------------
3. (C) Bleicker noted that EU political directors are
planning to meet the evening of Feb. 17, immediately after
the expected Kosovo DI, which is expected around 6 p.m. local
time. The goal would be to finalize the common platform,
which would be formally adopted by EU foreign ministers Feb.
18 at their regularly scheduled GEARC meeting. As currently
conceived, the common platform would acknowledge the DI and
note that EU member states may decide in accordance with
national practices and international legal norms to establish
relations with Kosovo as an independent state under
international supervision. Bleicker said that in the end,
the mention of Kosovo "as an independent state under
international supervision" may drop out if necessary to
achieve consensus. If consensus on the common platform
proves unachievable, Bleicker said there are other options,
including declaring the issue to be a "joint action" and
therefore subject to weighted majority voting, or dealing
with the issue in a declaration by participating ministers
outside EU legal institutions.
Germany will go forward immediately in any case
-------------- --
4. (C) Bleicker emphasized that whether a common EU platform
is agreed or not, FM Steinmeier plans to announce after the
GEARC that the German MFA will immediately initiate the
necessary procedures to recognize Kosovo. Assuming that the
DI is made Feb. 17, the actual German recognition of Kosovo
independence would come Feb. 20, in a letter from German
President Koehler, after approval of the MFA proposal by the
German cabinet at its regularly scheduled Wednesday meeting.
Bleicker noted that while the common EU platform is not
necessary for Germany to move forward with immediate
recognition, other EU member states with strong parliaments,
like Austria and the Scandinavian countries, might find it
difficult to do so in the absence of EU consensus.
Meanwhile, Bleicker said there remains a handful of EU
countries -- Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Greece -- who have no
plans to recognize at all.
Against invocation of Berlin Mechanism
--------------
5. (C) Bleicker welcomed the U.S. lobbying effort to block
Serbia's plan to invoke the OSCE's Berlin Mechanism
immediately after DI. Bleicker said that based on his own
soundings, Serbia was unlikely to get the required support
from 12 participating states. He also noted that the Berlin
Mechanism not longer offered any practical advantages now
that the OSCE Permanent Council meets on a weekly basis. He
agreed, however, that it was important to block invocation of
the Berlin Mechanism, which would legitimize Serbia's
"theatrical" posturing on this issue. Bleicker noted that
the Spanish at one point had been discreetly lobbying Andorra
to support the Serbian invocation of the Berlin Mechanism,
but that this had been successfully countered by France.
TIMKEN JR
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2018
TAGS: PREL MARR NATO GM AF
SUBJECT: GERMANY/KOSOVO: PLANNING TO BE AMONG THE FIRST TO
RECOGNIZE, WHETHER THERE IS A EU COMMON PLATFORM OR NOT
REF: A. STATE 13716
B. STATE 14284
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Jeff Rathke. REASONS: 1.4 (
B) AND (D).
1. (C) Summary: While a hardening of the Spanish position on
Kosovo is making the achievement of a EU "common platform"
increasingly unlikely, Germany plans to go forward in any
case in immediately initiating the necessary procedures to
recognize Kosovo after its declaration of independence. End
Summary.
EU common platform "in limbo"
--------------
2. (C) We delivered the applicable points from reftels to MFA
Western Balkans Office Director Joachim Bleicker February 13
and used the occasion to ask about the status of German
efforts within the EU to achieve a consensus on the way
forward. Bleicker regretted that the Spanish position on
Kosovo had significantly hardened in recent days because of
concerns that any Spanish participation in an EU action
noting or welcoming the Kosovo declaration of independence
could adversely affect their March 9 elections. As a result,
tentative plans for EU Foreign Ministers to agree on a
"common platform" in the wake of the anticipated Kosovo
declaration of independence (DI) were "in limbo."
Nevertheless, EU would continue to go forward with its plans
in the hopes that, in the end, consensus could be reached.
EU time line
--------------
3. (C) Bleicker noted that EU political directors are
planning to meet the evening of Feb. 17, immediately after
the expected Kosovo DI, which is expected around 6 p.m. local
time. The goal would be to finalize the common platform,
which would be formally adopted by EU foreign ministers Feb.
18 at their regularly scheduled GEARC meeting. As currently
conceived, the common platform would acknowledge the DI and
note that EU member states may decide in accordance with
national practices and international legal norms to establish
relations with Kosovo as an independent state under
international supervision. Bleicker said that in the end,
the mention of Kosovo "as an independent state under
international supervision" may drop out if necessary to
achieve consensus. If consensus on the common platform
proves unachievable, Bleicker said there are other options,
including declaring the issue to be a "joint action" and
therefore subject to weighted majority voting, or dealing
with the issue in a declaration by participating ministers
outside EU legal institutions.
Germany will go forward immediately in any case
-------------- --
4. (C) Bleicker emphasized that whether a common EU platform
is agreed or not, FM Steinmeier plans to announce after the
GEARC that the German MFA will immediately initiate the
necessary procedures to recognize Kosovo. Assuming that the
DI is made Feb. 17, the actual German recognition of Kosovo
independence would come Feb. 20, in a letter from German
President Koehler, after approval of the MFA proposal by the
German cabinet at its regularly scheduled Wednesday meeting.
Bleicker noted that while the common EU platform is not
necessary for Germany to move forward with immediate
recognition, other EU member states with strong parliaments,
like Austria and the Scandinavian countries, might find it
difficult to do so in the absence of EU consensus.
Meanwhile, Bleicker said there remains a handful of EU
countries -- Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Greece -- who have no
plans to recognize at all.
Against invocation of Berlin Mechanism
--------------
5. (C) Bleicker welcomed the U.S. lobbying effort to block
Serbia's plan to invoke the OSCE's Berlin Mechanism
immediately after DI. Bleicker said that based on his own
soundings, Serbia was unlikely to get the required support
from 12 participating states. He also noted that the Berlin
Mechanism not longer offered any practical advantages now
that the OSCE Permanent Council meets on a weekly basis. He
agreed, however, that it was important to block invocation of
the Berlin Mechanism, which would legitimize Serbia's
"theatrical" posturing on this issue. Bleicker noted that
the Spanish at one point had been discreetly lobbying Andorra
to support the Serbian invocation of the Berlin Mechanism,
but that this had been successfully countered by France.
TIMKEN JR