KOSOVO: DENMARK PUSHING FOR GROUP RECOGNITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 000079 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR MGKV01, EUR E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO EUN YI KV DA SUBJECT: KOSOVO: DENMARK PUSHING FOR GROUP RECOGNITION FEBRUARY 21 REF: A. STATE 16319 ¶B. COPENHAGEN 61 Classified By: Pol/Econ Counselor Bill Mozdzierz, reasons 1.4b,d ¶1. (C) Denmark will formally recognize Kosovo independence February 21 at the latest, Danish MFA East European Department Head Ruben Madsen told us February 19, reporting that the Danes are lobbying other governments to join them that day. Madsen allowed that he would prefer to move more quickly, but forecast that the extra day or two should yield about a dozen European countries, mostly EU member states, announcing recognition on the 21st. He noted that he was now more optimistic than before about Poland, Norway and Switzerland being in that group. ¶2. (C) Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller was equally clear but less specific in public, announcing that Denmark would recognize Kosovo's independence "sometime mid-week." Referring to Serbian protests, Moller declared bluntly that Serbia must "decide whether it is to be part of Europe, or a satellite of Russia." ¶3. (C) Separately, MFA officials told us in confidence that Karsten Ankjaer Jensen, currently MFA Head of Department for the Nordics, Faroes and Greenland, has been identified as Denmark's first ambassador to Kosovo and that plans are for him to be resident in Pristina. CAIN