FEBRUARY GAERC: FINNS SUPPORT COMMON PLATFORM FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000061 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EUN FI SUBJECT: FEBRUARY GAERC: FINNS SUPPORT COMMON PLATFORM FOR RAPID RECOGNITION OF KOSOVO'S INDEPENDENCE REF: HELSINKI 56 Classified By: POLCHIEF GREG THOME FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (U) PolChief delivered the Department's GAERC talking points to Finnish European Correspondent Leena-Kaisa Mikkola Feb. 12. Not surprisingly, Mikkola said that Kosovo will dominate the ministers' agenda. ¶2. (C) The EU still hoped to establish a "common platform" for member states' speedy recognition of an independent Kosovo, Mikkola said; nationally, Finland will fully support this initiative. Mikkola was optimistic that EU negotiators could produce a common platform text, even in the potentially very short interval that might be available between a Feb. 17 declaration of independence and the Feb. 18 start of the GAERC. However, she was pessimistic about the possible Cypriot reaction, noting that Cyprus remains "very suspicious" of the common platform, "to the point that they will probably block consensus" on anything but the most watered down text. ¶3. (C) OMIK: Regarding OMIK, Mikkola (who had accompanied FM/CiO Ilkka Kanerva to Pristina and Belgrade Feb. 5-6 -- see reftel) said there is growing optimism that a restructured OSCE Mission in Kosovo may be able to return in the months following the independence declaration. She said that Kanerva, in particular, was inclined to view some of Serb FM Jeremic's comments as favorable toward such a return. HYATT