CANADA STILL NOT READY TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO -- YET

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000246 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2018 TAGS: PREL UN UNMIK YI EU KV CA SUBJECT: CANADA STILL NOT READY TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO -- YET REF: A. STATE 16319 ¶B. OTTAWA 219 Classified By: DCM Terry Breese, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Ambassador has a call in to Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier, who is on an official visit to Colombia (followed by Haiti and South Korea) so Ambassador can convey ref a demarche. DCM discussed recognition of Kosovo with Deputy Foreign Minister Len Edwards on February 15, and Edwards reiterated that Canada would eventually recognize. ¶2. (C) Separately, DFAIT's Director General for Central, East, and South Europe Robert Hage explained on February 19 to PolMinCouns that Canada had been surprised by the vehemence of Spain's position, and, to a lesser degree, that of Romania. At the same time, comments by Quebec separatists have begun to turn the Kosovo issue into more of a domestic political issue than had been the case before. Canada will watch very closely for upcoming recognitions -- in particular by the Netherlands and Norway -- and would welcome any additional information we can provide about current and upcoming recognitions, especially in Europe, according to Hage. He noted that, with FM Bernier now away until at least February 25 and Parliament on recess this week, the Cabinet was unlikely to meet and discuss until at the earliest February 26, but more probably in early March. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada WILKINS