IRELAND RECOGNIZES KOSOVO

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000105 SIPDIS SIPDIS ZAGREB FOR BELGRADE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV EI SUBJECT: IRELAND RECOGNIZES KOSOVO REF: DUBLIN 81 ¶1. Irish Political Director Rory Montgomery called the Ambassador the evening of February 28 to give him a heads-up that the Government of Ireland had decided to recognize Kosovo. A press release from Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern followed on February 29. ¶2. In his press release, Ahern expressed regret that years of talks had failed to produce an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina. He noted that the legacy of the 1990s conflict made the return of Serb dominion in Kosovo unthinkable; that more than 90 percent of Kosovo's population wanted independence; and that Kosovo's independence was supported by most of Ireland's EU partners. ¶3. Ahern acknowledged that the independence of Kosovo was painful for Serbia and stressed that Ireland's recognition of Kosovo was not an act of hostility toward Serbia. He expressed the hope that both Serbia and Kosovo would move forward to better futures within Europe. ¶4. Comment: During the past year, Ireland strongly supported the Ahtisaari plan and was disappointed when the plan was not realized. In his press release, Ahern favorably noted that Kosovo was committing itself to Ahtisaari's recommendations. In recent months, Irish Government officials have assured EMBOFFS on numerous occasions that Ireland would recognize Kosovo in short order once independence was declared. They have followed through. End comment. FOLEY