FRANCE LOBBYING OSCE CAPITALS ON KOSOVO ISSUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000258 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2018 TAGS: PREL UNAUS UNMIK PGOV YI EU OSCE FR SUBJECT: FRANCE LOBBYING OSCE CAPITALS ON KOSOVO ISSUE REF: STATE 14284 Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT FOR REASO NS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) Camille Grand, MFA DAS-equivalent for OSCE affairs, thanked the U.S. on February 13 for its engagement with capitals on efforts to prevent Serbia from invoking the Berlin Mechanism at the OSCE over the Kosovo issue. Grand explained that Paris began similar demarches in OSCE capitals last week, targeting primarily non-EU countries. French ambassadors have been instructed to make the demarche with their Quint counterparts when possible. Grand noted that, thus far, only the Italians appeared to have firm instructions; Grand hoped that the Americans and British would now be more mobilized in the effort. The Germans, Grand noted, are opposed to the use of the Berlin Mechanism but do not attach a great deal of importance to the issue and are not actively lobbying against it. Poloff assured Grand that the U.S. fully shares France's position on the issue and has sent demarche instructions (reftel) to all OSCE capitals with the exception of Moscow and Belgrade. ¶2. (C) While France is being careful to allow the Slovenes the lead in the EU on the issue, Grand told us that a bilateral, very discreet, demarche is now underway in Madrid due to continuing concern that the Spanish will support the Serbian government's efforts to invoke the Mechanism. France is making demarches in many small states as well, such as Andorra and Liechtenstein, where the GOF believes a certain amount of education on the issue will prevent those countries from being manipulated by Serbia and Russia due to a lack of understanding. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm STAPLETON