NORWAY UNLIKELY TO REPROGRAM FUNDS FOR KOSOVO DEBT

UNCLAS OSLO 000532 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR EUR/ACE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EFIN EINV PREL EU KV NO SUBJECT: NORWAY UNLIKELY TO REPROGRAM FUNDS FOR KOSOVO DEBT RELIEF REF: STATE 101356 ¶1. (SBU) Poloff met with Toril Langlete, Senior Advisor in the West Balkan section of the MFA to deliver reftel points. Langlete said it was highly unlikely that Norway would be able to reprogram funds for the Kosovo Debt Management Support Program (KDMSP). Norway has pledged 48.38 million Euro to Kosovo over the next three years, and the 16 million Euro available for this year has already been pledged to (a) specific development projects, and (b) to the Kosovo Sustainable Employment Development Policy Program (SEDPP) in the amount of 12m kroner (approximately $2.6 million). Langlete said the late launch of the KDMSP had been the issue, and Norway was willing to give it funds in the next calendar year. Langlete said she understood our position and would be happy to help the US release its $150m, but at the moment there was nothing that could be shifted from commitments already made. WHITNEY