Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LJUBLJANA24
2008-01-18 10:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ljubljana
Cable title:  

EUR A/S FRIED URGES SWIFT COORDINATED U.S.-EU

Tags:  PREL EUN PGOV ECON ENRG MARR SI 
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VZCZCXRO6035
RR RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHLJ #0024/01 0181059
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 181059Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6365
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0142
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 LJUBLJANA 000024 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/NCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2017
TAGS: PREL EUN PGOV ECON ENRG MARR SI
SUBJECT: EUR A/S FRIED URGES SWIFT COORDINATED U.S.-EU
ACTION ON KOSOVO IN BILATERAL MEETINGS IN SLOVENIA

Classified By: CDA Maryruth Coleman for reasons 1.4 (b,d)

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 LJUBLJANA 000024

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/NCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2017
TAGS: PREL EUN PGOV ECON ENRG MARR SI
SUBJECT: EUR A/S FRIED URGES SWIFT COORDINATED U.S.-EU
ACTION ON KOSOVO IN BILATERAL MEETINGS IN SLOVENIA

Classified By: CDA Maryruth Coleman for reasons 1.4 (b,d)

Summary
--------------


1. (C) In each of his bilateral meetings in Ljubljana January
10-11, EUR A/S Dan Fried discussed the U.S.-EU Summit, saying
that it is likely to be in June and planning is underway. In
meetings with the PM's advisors and the MFA, they identified
possible themes for the summit as regional issues, i.e.,
Kosovo; TEC; financial stability; climate change; and JHA
issues. A/S Fried shared USG thinking on Kosovo and warned
against delaying Kosovo's coordinated declaration of
independence (CDI). End Summary.

Lunch with MFA State Secretary Sinkovec Focuses on Balkans,
Possible U.S.-EU Summit Themes
-------------- --------------


2. (C) At a January 10 lunch he hosted for A/S Fried, MFA
State Secretary Matjaz Sinkovec stressed that Slovenia's
priority is to bring all the Balkan countries closer to the
EU. He said there needs to be some kind of "Marshall Plan"
to help Kosovo get on its feet, and mentioned a possible
donors conference for Kosovo later this spring. Fried asked
if Slovenia will recognize Kosovo in the first wave along
with the four large EU states. Sinkovec acknowledged that
this has not yet been decided. He noted that Slovenia's
Parliament must approve the recognition and the GOS cannot
simply announce its intent to recognize. The Parliament,
however, is supportive of Kosovo independence, and a special
session could be arranged quickly. On other Balkans issues,
Sinkovec urged the U.S. to weigh in with the Greeks, asking
them to be as flexible as possible on the Macedonia name
issue. Fried responded that the U.S. cannot roll the Greeks.
He said that American negotiator Matthew Nimitz will be
going to the region soon, and the Macedonians need to work
seriously with him. Sinkovec said PM Jansa and Macedonian PM

Gruevski talk frequently, and he promised to ask Jansa to
press Gruevski to do what is necessary to find a compromise.
Sinkovec also reported that Jansa is particularly concerned
about the situation in Bosnia. Fried said he is less worried
now than he was a couple of months ago, suggesting that RS PM
Dodik doesn't really want to destroy Dayton.


3. (C) Fried, Sinkovec and MFA America's Division head,
Ambassador Roman Kirn, discussed clusters of possible U.S.-EU
summit themes. One focus is on regional political
developments, including the Balkans, the Middle East (if the
substance permits),the common challenge of Russia, and other
hot issues of the day. Another cluster is economic:
progress in the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC),energy
cooperation in both its climate change and geostrategic
dimensions, and commitment to free trade. Kirn mentioned
that launch of phase II of the Air Transport Agreement and
progress under the TEC could lead to two or three concrete
deliverables. A third cluster concerns Justice and Home
Affairs issues, in which agreement on data privacy principles
and ratification of the U.S.-EU Extradition and Mutual Legal
Assistance Treaties could constitute genuine achievements in
law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation. Sinkovec
pressed for a date for the summit as soon as possible to
facilitate preparations. Fried said that in all likelihood
it would be in June.


4. (C) On other topics, Fried mentioned that the U.S. hopes
to have a statement on Afghanistan at the NATO Summit, and
said we will push hard for force generation even as the U.S.
increases its own troops. He urged Slovenia to reorganize
its deployment in Western Afghanistan into operational mentor
liaison teams (OMLTs). Sinkovec replied that as of January 1
Slovenia has seven personnel in an OMLT with Italy and will
increase that number to ten in February. He promised to get
back to U.S. on the larger question of reorganizing the rest
of the Slovene deployment into OMLTs. Fried asked if the EU
can do more to support the Nabucco pipeline to diversify
sources of natural gas and increase Europe's energy security.
Sinkovec and Kirn worried that the EU hasn't been able to
develop a unified energy policy. All agreed that the EU and
U.S. need to coordinate closely to deal with possible fallout
from the Kosovo independence declaration, such as punitive
Serbian economic measures or Russian recognition of Abkhazia
Fried noted that we need both to embrace the Serbs and yet
tell them that they don't have a license to provoke -- and
that won't be easy. He also warned that it will be necessary
to let the Russians know quickly and firmly that we will not
accept aggressive moves in Abkhazia

LJUBLJANA 00000024 002 OF 004



President Turk Presses for Elaboration of the Basis for
Kosovo Independence
-------------- --------------


5. (C) At a meeting at the President's office on January 10,
newly inaugurated President Danilo Turk told A/S Fried that
Kosovo independence should go forward, but that a waterproof
conceptual case for its new status must be drafted and
publicized to demonstrate why it is not a precedent for other
regional conflicts. Turk argued that Serbian violence
against Kosovo Albanians and the latter's need for
self-protection constitutes an existential basis for
independence. He asserted that while there is a creeping
interpretation that UNSC Resolution 1244 was meant to protect
Serbia from Kosovo breaking away, in fact it deliberately
avoids mention of Serbia and does not at all preclude
independence. Turk said it would be very useful if the U.S.,
EU and United Nations could issue documents in early February
detailing the international community's multiple efforts to
resolve the Kosovo issue, and setting out in a careful and
precise way the reasons why independence for Kosovo is
legitimate. He remarked that he is "slightly worried" that
there is still considerable work to do on this.


6. (C) Fried thanked the President for his thoughtful
proposal but suggested that it would be very hard to get such
a document through the UN. He stated that in the real world
the Kosovo situation is unsustainable and the past is not
recoverable. The key, he said, is to maintain U.S.-EU
solidarity. By acting jointly, we convey a political
legitimacy because we are the centers of the democratic
world. He stressed, however, that we must move rapidly after
the February 3 Serbian second-round elections, as delay will
only make things more difficult. Kosovo PM Thaci, he
suggested, won't surprise as long as he sees progress being
made. Nevertheless, Fried warned, we need a large group of
nations -- fifteen to twenty -- to recognize Kosovo
simultaneously. He cautioned that Russia will be counting
how many nations step forward together.


7. (C) Turk raised the President's trip to the Middle East
and asked whether the U.S. could convince the Israelis to
stop building settlements. Fried responded that PM Olmert
has to get a handle on this issue but insisted that both
parties have to keep negotiating and not use the other side's
failures as an excuse for inaction. He assured Turk that
President Bush and the Secretary are working very hard to
assist the parties to make progress. Fried concluded that we
are hopeful for some kind of Middle East agreement, but we
need EU help. In mentioning a possible U.S.-EU Summit in
June, he reported that President Bush enjoyed his visit to
Slovenia and that the U.S. appreciates what Slovenia is doing
as an ally.

State Secretary for EU on Kosovo, U.S.-EU Summit
-------------- -


8. (C) In their January 11 meeting, Janez Lenarcic, State
Secretary of the Government Office of European Affairs, noted

SIPDIS
that there had been two developments since they had last met
in July 2007 that would influence Slovenia's EU Presidency:
the signing of the Lisbon Treaty and Kosovo. Lenarcic
commented that the ratification process could be affected by
what Slovenia does in its Presidency. A/S Fried said that
the U.S. wants to see a strong Europe and believed the Treaty
would be good because it would strengthen the EU, which would
be beneficial for transatlantic relations. Lenarcic urged
A/S Fried to make those comments publicly, as they could
contribute to successful ratification in Ireland, which is a
particular concern.


9. (C) A/S Fried reviewed USG thinking and concerns on
Kosovo, and Lenarcic assured A/S Fried that Slovenia sees
Kosovo the way the U.S. does. They agreed on the need to
show resolve because the Serbs would exploit any willingness
to appease them. Lenarcic suggested that USG lawyers should
draw up a paper making the political and legal case of
how/why Kosovo is not a precedent. He worried that although
we are saying Kosovo is unique, we needed to build the case.
He drew the parallel to Nagorno-Karabakh. A/S Fried
countered that there was a negotiating process in
Nagorno-Karabakh, but he took his point. He cautioned,
however, that even such a paper would not end the debate -
the EU and U.S. would have to maintain their position.


10. (C) A/S Fried and Lenarcic agreed on the main elements of

LJUBLJANA 00000024 003 OF 004


a U.S.-EU Summit, and on the need to start developing them.
Lenarcic concurred that Kosovo and regional issues would be a
major element, as well as advancing TEC. He suggested that
it would be appropriate to include financial stability, which
is becoming a big issue in the EU and will figure prominently
in the March European Council. He also asserted that climate
change is an inevitable topic for the Summit.

Balkan Issues Discussion With PM's Foreign Policy Advisor
-------------- --------------


11. (C) A/S Fried focused primarily on Balkans issues during
his meeting with Prime Minister Jansa's foreign policy
advisor, Andrej Rahten, on January 11. Fried stated that it
was fortunate that Slovenia was chairing the EU at the time
when the Kosovo issue will be resolved. Slovenia, he said,
knows the region, the people and the issues. He predicted
that managing the issue will take a lot of work, there will
be lots of obstacles, and the Russians will make things
difficult; but it will get done, and closing this chapter
will be as important for the Serbs as for the Kosovars.
Rahten raised Macedonia, commenting that PM Gruevski
sometimes sounds like Serbian PM Kostunica, and that the
Macedonians have to be more constructive. Fried again
mentioned that Nimitz will be going to the region in two
weeks and that it would be helpful for Slovenia to convince
the Macedonians to put a new offer on the table. Rahten
reported that Jansa and Grueski talk on a weekly basis and
that EU Enlargement Commissioner Rehn is working with
Slovenia to persuade Macedonia that the approach Nimitz has
proposed is the best. Rahten emphasized that Slovenia
strongly supports a NATO invitation at Bucharest for all
three candidates. Fried agreed that a strategic case for
this can be made.

Eating with Editors - A Slovene Sampler
--------------


12. (C) In a dinner on January 10 with editors from the
leading Slovene dailies and TV outlets, A/S Fried provided an
in-depth look into U.S. foreign policy in Europe, with a
particular focus on the Western Balkans. The editors, in
turn, offered an unfiltered Slovene perspective on Kosovo,
Croatia, and Russia. The conversation touched upon Croatia
at several points and the editors repeatedly stressed that
the border disputes with its southern neighbor have deep
emotional, historical, and strategic roots. Citing sticking
points in international law and a concern for setting
precedence, the editors expressed wariness regarding
recognition of Kosovo's independence and were not willing to
accept a comparison of Slovenia's and Kosovo's independence
movements. On Russia, the editors highlighted a concern
amongst the Slovene public that disagreements between
Washington and Moscow could escalate into a broader conflict
and questioned U.S. motives on issues such as missile
defense.

Dining with Diplomats - Kosovo is Main Course
--------------


13. (C) The January 11 dinner hosted by Charge with senior
MFA officials, including Political Director Mitja Drobnic and
directors of four regional divisions and the Division for
Security Policy, also focused on Kosovo. Leon Marc, Director
of the South-Eastern Europe Division, said that Serbian
Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic had visited Ljubljana that day
and had nearly begged the EU Presidency not to address Kosovo
prior to the Serbian elections. According to Marc, Jeremic
stated that if the EU could help get President Boris Tadic
reelected by delaying action on Kosovo until after the
elections, the GOS will deliver what is needed on Kosovo.
Ambassador Kirn noted that Jeremic reflects a predominant
state of mind among the Serbian political elite: concern that
the intense scrutiny by the international community on Kosovo
is aggravating the situation. Marc asserted that it is
critical that the EU find a way to restore Serbia's faith in
Europe, noting that 78% of Serbs have never traveled abroad.


14. (C) Drobnic speculated that it will take Serbia about six
months to get over the loss of Kosovo, and he was confident
that in the end Serbia will be pragmatic. Kirn questioned
why it had been so much easier for Montenegro to let go of
its claims over Kosovo and speculated that because of the
strong similarities in Montenegrin and Serbian cultures, it
must be a question of leadership. Stanislav Vidovic,
Director of the Security Policy Division, pointed to more
practical causes, stating that the role of organized crime

LJUBLJANA 00000024 004 OF 004


was also a factor. Vidovic asserted that while organized
crime was forced to move outside of Montenegro's borders to
expand and therefore allowed the country to embrace the
international community, organized crime in Serbia has found
plenty of room for growth within Serbia's national boundaries
and thus the country has remained insular.


15. (C) The Slovenian diplomats also provided their insights
into the Slovenia - Croatia maritime border dispute, stating
that Croatia is motivated by the desire to exert some
influence over Slovenia. In addition, Drobnic claimed that
Croatia's economic interests are served by shutting off
Slovenia's access to international waters, hurting Slovenia's
port and advantaging Croatia's northern port of Rijeka.
Drobnic also cited Croatia's desire to maintain a common
maritime border with Italy.


16. (U) EUR DAS Gerber has cleared this cable on behalf of
A/S Fried and EUR.
COLEMAN