SUBJECT: KOSOVO FM MEETING WITH OIC SECGEN IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L JEDDAH 000417

SIPDIS

RIYADH PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN, DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, S/E
CUMBER IN IO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2013
TAGS: EAID KISL OFDP OVIP PREL SA XF
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: KOSOVO FM MEETING WITH OIC SECGEN IN
JEDDAH

REF: A. RIYADH 1378

B. RIYADH 1345

C. RIYADH 1190

D. RIYADH 586

E. JEDDAH 91

F. JEDDAH 335

Classified By: Consul General Martin Quinn for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. On September 13 Kosovo FM Skender Hyseni met
with OIC Secretary General Ihsanoglu in Jeddah. OIC officials
commented that there has been no movement on the
organization's position on the recognition of Kosovo
statehood. Embassy Riyadh and Consulate General Jeddah
attempted to facilitate Hyseni meeting with the MFA. END
SUMMARY


2. (C) At a September 13 meeting with Poloff, Mahdy
Fathallah, Director General of Political Affairs of the OIC
commented in advance of the meeting between the OIC Secretary
General and Kosovo FM Hyseni, that the recognition issue was
likely to be raised, but so far membership or observer status
had not been brought up. According to Fathallah, the OIC has
no formal method of recognizing a country, since the "OIC is
not a nation-state" and is not likely to lead the way to
broader member recognition. He insisted that the best way for
the OIC to support the Kosovars is through economic and
humanitarian assistance, particularly through the
OIC-subsidiary Islamic Development Bank.


3. (C) An OIC official later informed PolOff that the focus
in the OIC-Kosovo FM meeting had been Kosovo's expectations
and the role of the OIC in the recognition process. OIC told
the Kosovo FM that the OIC Secretariat could not make a
decision on recognition since this action would have to
reflect the thinking of the member states. The official said
there was no discussion of Kosovo becoming a member or
observer, adding that "the developments in Georgia and
Abkhazia are all related".


4. (C) Embassy Riyadh and Consulate Jeddah made efforts to
arrange a meeting for FM Hyseni with either Prince Turki in
Riyadh or with the Jeddah District Director General. Turki's
office explained that the Prince would be traveling to New
York and that the whole office was scrambling to prepare for
the departure; thus, no meeting occurred. Hyseni delayed his
return to Kosovo in the hope of a meeting, commenting to
PolOff that he was not surprised that the meeting did not
happen, but hoped the Saudis understood the importance of the
matter.

MEDIA COVERAGE OF KOSOVO FM VISIT
--------------


5. (U) A 09/18 article in the Jeddah based English daily, The
Arab News, included an interview with Hyseni in which he was
quoted as being optimistic on potential recognition by Saudi
Arabia: "the recognition of our independence by Saudi Arabia
is of crucial importance...Saudi diplomats have demonstrated
profound understanding of our goals." Hyseni expressed
disappointment at the small number of OIC countries that have
recognized Kosovo, but said his discussion with the OIC
Secretary General had been productive and that recognition is
"only a matter of time: I certainly hope that there is no
rift between the OIC members on Kosovo." Hyseni denied any
connection between Kosovo and the situation with Georgia and
Russia.
QUINN