JAMAICA: UNABLE TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO'S PROSPECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000094 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT PASS CENTRAL AMERICAN CARIBBEAN BASIN COLLECTIVE FOR INFO DEPT FOR EUR/SCE (JOSHUA BLACK) WHA/CAR (JOE TILGHMAN) E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2018 TAGS: PREL UNAUS UNMIK PGOV YI EU JM SUBJECT: JAMAICA: UNABLE TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO'S PROSPECTIVE INDEPENDENCE REF: A. STATE 1087 (041949Z JAN 08) ¶B. KINGSTON 25 (091322Z JAN 08)(NOTAL) Classified By: DCM James T. Heg, Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D) 1.(C) The Government of Jamaica (GoJ)'s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAT) has faxed the following letter dated January 28 adressed from Permanent Secretary Ambassador Douglas Saunders to the Ambassador: (begin text of MFAFT Permanent Secretary's letter of January 28) " I write in response to communication dated 7th January 2008 from Mr. James Heg, Deputy Chief of Mission in your Embassy, regarding the future status of Kosovo. You indicated that the Government of the United States intends to recognize Kosovo when the authorities in Pristina declares (sic) independence and requested that the Government of Jamaica take similar action. The Government of Jamaica regrets that, after years of diplomatic effort, the final status of Kosovo has not been resolved by negotiated settlement between Serbia and Kosovo and that substantial differences remain between the parties. Whilst fully supporting the right to self determination, Jamaica is mindful of the fact that Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999, which authorized the international civil and military presence in Kosovo and placed it under interim United Nations administration, also preserved formal Serbian sovereignty over Kosovo. In this regard, Jamaica would be compelled to view a unilateral declaration of independence as a contravention of international law and a violation of the Security Council mandate. Under these circumstances, and in the absence of universal recognition of statehood by the United Nations, the Government of Jamaica would not be able to recognize Kosovo's independence. Jamaica would therefore urge that the international community support continued negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina with the aim of arriving at a mutually acceptable solution on the final status of Kosovo in accordance with international law and the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Best wishes. Yours sincerely, /s/ Douglas Saunders Permanent Secretary " (end text of MFAFT Permanent Secretary's letter of January 28) JOHNSON