Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PRAGUE312
2008-05-22 12:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Prague
Cable title:  

CZECH REPUBLIC RECOGNIZES KOSOVO

Tags:  PREL PGOV UNMIK UN YI KV EZ EUN 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0826
PP RUEHBW RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHPG #0312 1431256
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 221256Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0331
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA 0041
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0157
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0251
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1947
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000312 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR/SCE FOR SSHIRATORI AND CHOH, EUR/NCE FOR ALEX TRATENSEK

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNMIK UN YI KV EZ EUN
SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC RECOGNIZES KOSOVO

REF: A. STATE 34331

B. CARNIE-GARBER E-MAIL DATED 5.21.08

Classified By: Pol-Econ Counselor Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 b+d

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000312

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR/SCE FOR SSHIRATORI AND CHOH, EUR/NCE FOR ALEX TRATENSEK

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNMIK UN YI KV EZ EUN
SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC RECOGNIZES KOSOVO

REF: A. STATE 34331

B. CARNIE-GARBER E-MAIL DATED 5.21.08

Classified By: Pol-Econ Counselor Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 b+d


1. (U) The Czech government, meeting in a cabinet session on
May 21, officially recognized Kosovo. The Czech MFA released
the following statement on May 21:

The Czech Republic has recognized independence of Kosovo

Following the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
the Government expressed on May 21, 2008 its agreement with
the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Republic
of Kosovo, by which the Czech Republic recognized the
Republic of Kosovo as an independent state.

The policy of the Czech Republic proceeds from the conviction
that the recognition of independence of Kosovo will provide
for the strengthening of the overall stability in the region
and for a realistic way out of the untenable situation and
will direct the efforts of the countries of the Western
Balkans on to the challenges arising from their future
membership in the European and Euroatlantic institutions.

The recognition of Kosovo and the establishment of diplomatic
relations will be part of the reply of the Minister of
Foreign Affairs to the letter from the President and the
Prime Minister of Kosovo. By recognizing Kosovo and
establishing diplomatic relations, the Czech Republic will
confirm its active policy in the region of Western Balkans
and its work for its stabilization and democratic development
in the long run.

The Czech Republic will transform its UNMIK Liaison Office in
Pristina into the Embassy of the Czech Republic in the
Republic of Kosovo.
End of statement.


2. (SBU) MFA staff told us on the afternoon of May 21 that
the government had already notified the Serb government of
their decision. It is expected that Jana Hrebickova, head of
the Czech Liaison office in Pristina since August 2007, will
be named Ambassador.


3. (C) Comment: The Czech decision comes much later than the
MFA and other officials had expected. The MFA believed that
the Czechs would follow the first wave of large EU members in
recognizing. However, the issue proved much more politically
sensitive than expected. Following Kosovo's declaration of
independence a majority of government ministers declared
themselves opposed to recognition, led by the Christian
Democrats but including many members of PM Topolanek's party.
This, combined with the prolonged absence of FM
Schwarzenberg following a medical procedure and a confluence
of other differences between Topolanek's ODS and the
Christian Democrats, led the government to put off the
cabinet vote to recognize Kosovo until after the Serb
elections. The outlines of the internal government
compromise that permitted the recognition vote to go forward
this week are not yet known. All Christian Democrats and one
member of ODS voted against recognition. However, Christian
Democratic leaders were relatively restrained in their
comments following the vote.


4. (C) Criticism from the opposition (where pro-Serb
sentiment runs strong) has been much more vocal, and there is
an outside chance there will be more formal criticism from
parliament. However, we do not expect that the hesitation in
going forward with recognition will have any lasting impact
on Czech engagement in the region. The Czechs kept a low
profile in the International Steering Group while the
recognition decision was pending, but are ready to fully
engage. The 500 Czech peacekeepers in Kosovo will remain in
place. Czech business, led by the large Czech electric
utility company CEZ, is also interested in opportunities in
Kosovo; their enthusiasm may have played a significant part
in the government decision to go ahead with recognition. End
comment.
Graber