(C) KUWAIT NONCOMMITTAL ON SERBIAN ICJ RESOLUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000946 SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARP LONNIE KELLEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2018 TAGS: PREL XG YI KU SUBJECT: (C) KUWAIT NONCOMMITTAL ON SERBIAN ICJ RESOLUTION ON KOSOVO REF: STATE 91908 Classified By: The Ambassador for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) During a September 2 meeting with Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Sabah al-Salem Al Sabah, Ambassador expressed USG concern over Serbia's attempt to challenge the lawfulness of the declaration of independence by Kosovo before the International Court of Justice, noting the USG's confidence in our legal position in recognizing Kosovo, making points contained reftel. While GCC members have yet to formally recognize Kosovo, the Saudis, for example, were providing assistance and were working with Kosovo in accordance with other agreements that could be impacted by ICJ deliberations. ¶2. (C) The FM was noncommittal in response. While acknowledging that the argument could be made for Kosovo's independence, he cited familiar concerns that recognizing Kosovo could lead to unintentional backlash against Muslim minority communities elsewhere, specifically in Bosnia and Nagorno-Karabakh. ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * JONES