URUGUAY INCLINED TO SUPPORT KOSOVO ICJ RESOLUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTEVIDEO 000561 SIPDIS FOR KOSOVO DESK OFFICERS SEIJI SHIRATORI AND WILLIAM TOMLYANOVICH E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2018 TAGS: PREL UNAUS UNGA KV UY SUBJECT: URUGUAY INCLINED TO SUPPORT KOSOVO ICJ RESOLUTION AT UNGA REF: A. A) STATE 105796 ¶B. B) STATE 105127 Classified By: DCM ROBIN MATTHEWMAN, FOR REASON 1.4 (B) ¶1. (C) Emboff made Ref (A) points October 6 to MFA Europe director Minister Alvaro Malmierca, who said Uruguay is inclined to support Serbia's resolution to refer a question on the legality of Kosovo's independence to the International Court of Justice. Malmierca noted that Uruguay has no real interest in supporting Serbia, a country with which it has no significant relationship. Rather, Malmierca couched Uruguay's support for the resolution as a question of principle, seeing it as a step toward a peaceful solution - based on international law -- to a vexing problem. He said that if another, similar solution more palatable to the U.S. presented itself, Uruguay would have no trouble supporting it. ¶2. (C) Emboff also raised the issue of Uruguay's UN voting record varying sharply from its close relations with the United States (Ref B),a subject Ambassador Baxter raised with FM Fernandez October 2 in Washington. Malmierca replied that he was certain that he and his colleagues would be looking at ways to achieve greater congruence before next year's UNGA. Baxter