KOSOVO: EARLY RECOGNITION UNLIKELY

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTEVIDEO 000076 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2018 TAGS: PREL UN UNMIK YI UY SUBJECT: KOSOVO: EARLY RECOGNITION UNLIKELY REF: A. MONTEVIDEO 68 ¶B. MONTEVIDEO 18 ¶C. STATE 1087 ¶D. STATE 13716 Classified By: Charge D'Affaires Peter X. Harding for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) The MFA's Americas Office Director Laura Dupuy told A/POL Chief that Uruguay would be unlikely to make a quick decision to recognize Kosovo, especially in light of the current transition at MFA before the new Foreign Minister takes the helm on March 1 (ref A). If Kosovo declares independence prior to March 1, the outgoing anti-American FM Gargano would technically retain authority to decide Uruguay's reaction, she said. Dupuy expected that internal reshuffling and uncertainty at the MFA, and Uruguay's already limited focus on Kosovo (ref B),would make quick recognition by Uruguay unlikely. She also acknowledged that other countries had weighed in against early recognition of Kosovo. These countries raised concern over precedence and that recognition could motivate break-away regions in countries such as Spain to seek greater autonomy. Harding