SERBIAN FM JEREMIC REAFFIRMS TIES TO RUSSIA; GOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 002132

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO SR RS
SUBJECT: SERBIAN FM JEREMIC REAFFIRMS TIES TO RUSSIA; GOR
DOWNPLAYS KARADZIC ARREST

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Alice G. Wells. Reasons 1.
4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. Russia welcomed Serbian FM Vuk Jeremic's
July 17 visit to Moscow as reaffirming the importance of
Russia as a partner in the face of the new Serbian
government's pro-European integration policy. The GOR
reiterated full support for Serbia's stance on Kosovo, and
agreed to back Belgrade's proposal to ask the International
Court of Justice to rule on the legal validity of Kosovo's
declaration of independence. Russia also expressed
willingness to support talks on reconfiguring UNMIK to allow
a bigger EU role, provided Serbia agreed, the UN Security
Council approved the change, and the reconfiguration was not
characterized as being in support of the Ahtisaari plan.
Jeremic also reassured Russia that Serbia would ratify the
oil and gas agreement reached under the previous government.
Calling the arrest of Serbian war criminal Karadzic "a purely
internal Serbian matter," the MFA expressed the "hope" that
his investigation and trial would be impartial, commenting
that there were "repeated instances" when the Tribunal had
not been fair. End summary.


EU Integration Main Goal, but Russia still Key Partner
-------------- --------------


2. (C) MFA 4th CIS Deputy Director Vladimir Ulasevich and
Serbian embassy officials told us FM Jeremic had come to
Moscow to coordinate policies, following the formation of the
new Serbian government. In addition to reaffirming that
Russia was a primary partner for Serbia, the major issues
discussed by Jeremic and FM Lavrov were economic cooperation
and Kosovo.


3. (C) Ulasevich said Russia welcomed Serbia's European
integration aspirations, because it would benefit Russia to
have an ally and economic partner like Serbia in the EU. He
stressed that Jeremic had said the new government's position
on Kosovo had not changed, and Belgrade would continue to
fight with all means short of force for the preservation of
Serbia's territorial integrity. Ulasevich said Russia would
also continue to support Serbia on Kosovo.

ICJ Ruling
--------------


4. (C) Ulasevich said Jeremic had sought GOR support for
Serbia's proposal to ask the International Court of Justice
to rule on the legitimacy of Kosovo's declaration of
independence. When asked about the GOR's response, Ulasevich
said Russia "thinks it would be appropriate to ask for such a
ruling."

UNMIK to EULEX
--------------


5. (C) Ulasevich told us Jeremic had said Belgrade was
"doubly prepared" to talk about the modalities for
reconfiguration of the UN Mission in Kosovo to "accommodate
the desire of the EU to play a bigger role." The GOR was
prepared to support Belgrade in this, Ulasevich said, but
stressed that Serbia wanted the continuation of a UN presence
within the framework of UNMIK, but with a larger role for the
EU. Any change would need to be approved by the UNSC,
Ulasevich said, and should not be seen as in accordance with
the Ahtisaari plan.

Energy and Economic Cooperation
--------------


6. (C) Ulasevich and Embassy officials told us Jeremic
reconfirmed Serbia's intention to ratify the oil and gas
agreement with Russia, and told Lavrov that Belgrade would
welcome Russian participation in other areas of economic
activity, including in upcoming privatizations of the
national airline and other companies. Jeremic also flagged
Serbia's interest in adjusting the Protocol to the 2000 Free
Trade Agreement, obtaining visa-free travel to Russia (Serbia
already provides visa-free travel to Russians),and holding
further talks on where the South Stream pipeline should go.


7. (C) Russia agreed to participate in the restoration of
historical and cultural sites in Serbia and to provide
humanitarian assistance. (Note. Media July 23 reported

MOSCOW 00002132 002 OF 002


Russia was sending a 60-person team to Serbia that day to aid
in mine-clearing.)

Karadzic Arrest
--------------


8. (C) The MFA used the arrest of war criminal Radovan
Karadzic to repeat complaints that the War Crimes Tribunal
was biased against Serbs. Ulasevich told us that while
Russia believed all war criminals should be brought to
justice, the Tribunal was not even-handed. He argued that
Bosnian and especially Kosovar Albanian criminals were not
being arrested or were being pardoned, pointing to the
acquittal of Bosnian Naser Oric. A statement posted on the
MFA website said the arrest was exclusively an internal
matter for Serbia, but piously expressed the "hope that the
investigation and judicial process will be impartial, given
the repeated instances in which the Tribunal has not been
impartial." It said the court had acquitted and released
Bosnians and Kosovar Albanians whose involvement in military
crimes was unquestioned, citing Ramus Haradinai. Lavrov
reiterated the need for a "fair" trial, following his meeting
with Secretary Rice in Singapore. Most newspapers reported
the arrest factually, though centrist Izvestiya headlined
"Who is Radovan Karadzic, a Hero, a Criminal or a Victim,"
with nationalist politicians painting Karadzic as a victim of
Western political intrigues.
RUBIN