A/S FRIED URGES RAPID EU-UN TRANSITION IN KOSOVO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001137

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR A/S FRIED, EUR/SCE AND EUR/ERA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2018
TAGS: PREL EUN UNMIK KV
SUBJECT: A/S FRIED URGES RAPID EU-UN TRANSITION IN KOSOVO

REF: USEU BRUSSELS 1088

Classified By: USEU Political Minister-Counselor Christopher Davis for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: EUR Assistant Secretary Fried emphasized to
a group of EU Political and Security Committee Ambassadors
and, separately, to EU Director General Robert Cooper that
the EU must do more to quickly resolve UNMIK-EULEX transition
arrangements for Kosovo and should not waste the opportunity
presented by the combination of relative stability on the
ground and a moderate government in Pristina. The EULEX
mission should be deployed throughout all of Kosovo and
neither Belgrade nor Moscow should be permitted a de facto
role in determining the parameters of the mission. Europen
officials underscored the EU's commitment t EULEX and
queried Fried on his assessment ofdevelopments in Serbia.
EULEX officials reported, subsequent to A/S Fried's
conversations, that negotiations with the UN remain stalled
over terms of a Memorandum of Understanding, transfer of
assets, and privileges and immunities for mission personnel.
End Summary.


2. (C) Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs
Daniel Fried told a group of ten EU Political and Security
Committee (PSC) Ambassadors July 23 that the moderate and
responsive government in Pristina coupled with a relatively
stable security situation presents the U.S. and the EU with a
window of opportunity to make progress in Kosovo. He warned
that further paralysis in the transition from UNMIK to EULEX
while Brussels and New York wrestle with arrangements on
office space will result in a wasted opportunity and will
present a real risk to European security. Citing declining
U.S. and EU political capital with the GoK, Fried emphasized
the immediate need for EULEX to deploy throughout all of
Kosovo, albeit cautiously and with little fanfare in the
North at first. He urged the assembled European officials
neither to hide behind their differences in opinion over
Kosovo's recognition nor to allow Belgrade or Moscow to
determine the rate and scope of EULEX deployment. Fried
underscored that we should not look to NATO to respond to
instability that results from further delays in transition.


3. (C) French Deputy PSC Representative Didier Chabert agreed
with Fried's comments and emphasized the EU's collective
willingness to take responsibility for all of Kosovo as
witnessed by recent EU agreement on the EULEX plan for
non-majority areas (reported reftel). Czech PSC Ambassador
Ivo Sramek noted that the problems between the UN and EU were
not limited to office space, but rather also involved UNMIK's
continuing presence in Kosovo and the seeming reluctance of
UN authorities in New York to engage in good faith. Belgian
PSC Ambassador Dirk Wouters admitted that perhaps the EU
should not wait for all the outstanding issues with the UN to
be resolved before resuming EULEX deployment. Responding to
Wouters' question about how EULEX could best neutralize
troublemakers in the North, Fried emphasized the importance
of controlling the borders and arresting individuals who are
inciting violence. EULEX "can't give in to the threat of a
Belgrade mob," said Fried, and if the mission is proactive in
seeking arrests, EULEX will gain credibility from both sides
as a result.


4. (C) Turning to Serbia, an Austrian official asked for
Fried's assessment of the implications of the Karadzic
arrest. Fried argued that while we should publicly welcome
the arrest, in private and more generally speaking, Serbian
Foreign Minister Jeremic should not be given a "free pass"
and must choose "whether he wants to be a European." Wouters
said that the EU was currently experiencing a rare moment of
opportunity with Serbia's pro-European government, and now
could be the time to look for a more pragmatic Serbian
attitude towards the EULEX mission.


5. (C) In a conversation held July 22, EU Council
Secretariat Director-General for External Relations Robert
Cooper agreed with Fried's assessment that our "golden
moment" in Kosovo could soon pass unless the EU was able to
effectively orchestrate the transition to EULEX. Balkans
Policy Unit Director Michael Giffoni told Fried that the EU
was close to reaching a deal with the UN on privileges and
immunities and the transfer of assets, but the key
outstanding issue was the transfer of office space. Although
Cooper seemed unaware of the details of the negotiations that

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Giffoni described, he noted that the UN and EU would hold
another negotiating session late on July 22 and promised A/S
Fried that he would raise the issue to the political level if
a deal was not quickly reached. (Note: Cooper also noted
that Giffoni has been named Italian Ambassador to Kosovo.)


6. (C) In subsequent conversations with PolOff, Giffoni and
EULEX Political Advisor Dana Purcarescu said that after the
July 22 EU-UN discussions, the negotiations remained stalled
over the issues of the language of the Memorandum of
Understanding between the two organizations, privileges and
immunities for the mission, and transfer of
previously-promised building space. Purcarescu said that the
EU has concluded that the UN "doesn't want to play the game"
because they continue to stall for more time and revisit
previously-agreed text. Negotiations will continue, although
she said that hopes for an agreement in time for a UN
Security Council meeting on July 25 were quickly fading. She
added that mission officials will recommend that HR/SG Solana
engage more directly with the UN on this issue.


7. A/S Fried did not have an opportunity to clear this
message before departing post.

SILVERBERG
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