MALAYSIA PUBLICLY "WELCOMES" KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000111 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR KOSOVO MONITORING GROUP AND EAP/MTS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV UN UNMIK YI EU MY SUBJECT: MALAYSIA PUBLICLY "WELCOMES" KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE REF: A. STATE 16319 ¶B. KUALA LUMPUR 92 ¶C. KUALA LUMPUR 40 Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark, reason 1.4 (b and d). (C) Given the unavailability of more senior Foreign Ministry officials, Political Section Chief delivered ref A demarche, urging Malaysia to announce its intention to recognize Kosovo's independence, on February 19 to the Ministry's acting Under Secretary for European Affairs Mahinder Singh, who is also Under Secretary for the Americas. On February 20, the Foreign Ministry issued a press release stating (Embassy translation of Malaysian text): "Malaysia welcomes Kosovo's independence....Malaysia hopes this proclamation of independence will fulfill the aspirations of the Kosovo people in terms of determining Kosovo's future and guaranteeing the rights of all its people to live in a situation of security, freedom and stability....Malaysia urges all parties to continue to cooperate in order to guarantee peace and stability in the Balkans." The statement also noted that Malaysia's current liaison office in Pristina would change its diplomatic status at the appropriate point in the future. The Kosovo desk officer in the Foreign Ministry's European Affairs Division added that Malaysia viewed Kosovo's independence as "quite positive" and official recognition of Kosovo's independence was "only a matter of time," implying this recognition would happen in the near future. KEITH