NO CHANGE IN TIMOR-LESTE POSITION ON KOSOVO

C O N F I D E N T I A L DILI 000172 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MTS AND EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/2/2018 TAGS: PREL UN PGOV YI KV TT SUBJECT: NO CHANGE IN TIMOR-LESTE POSITION ON KOSOVO REF: STATE 69691 CLASSIFIED BY: Henry M. Rector, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Dili, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) 1.(C) DCM met July 2 with Vicky Tchong, Secretary General of Timor-Leste's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to brief her on recent developments in Kosovo and urge that Timor-Leste publicly recognize Kosovo's independence (reftel). Ms. Tchong said that there had been no change in Timor-Leste's position, i.e., that Timor-Leste recognizes Kosovo's independence but is not yet prepared to make a public statement to that effect. She said that any public acknowledgement by Timor-Leste of an independent Kosovo would have to go through "our own internal political process." However, she accepted a non-paper based on reftel and agreed to brief Foreign Minister Zacarias Da Costa on the issue. She also asked for a list of countries that have already publicly recognized Kosovo, and we undertook to provide this information. KLEMM