KOSOVO: NEW MITROVICA MAYOR PROMISES TO URGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000040

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR, EUR/SCE, DRL, INL, AND S/WCI, NSC FOR BRAUN,
USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER, OPDAT
FOR ACKER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2018
TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK KV
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: NEW MITROVICA MAYOR PROMISES TO URGE
RESTRAINT, CALM IN COMING CRITICAL WEEKS


Classified By: COM TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: COM met January 22 with former PM Bajram
Rexhepi, the newly elected mayor of the divided city of
Mitrovica, to urge him to use his moral authority to send a
message of restraint and calm to his constituents in the
run-up to and aftermath of Kosovo's final status resolution.
She noted that Belgrade will most likely take and encourage
provocative actions in the north in retaliation against
Kosovo's independence, and that it was the responsibility of
KFOR, UNMIK and other key international actors to determine
the appropriate response, rather than Kosovo's government or
security institutions. Rexhepi fully agreed, and said he was
working actively to spread this message of calm and restraint
in Mitrovica. Rexhepi also said he was willing to take the
initial steps needed to establish the north Mitrovica
municipality, as set down in the Ahtisaari Plan, and COM
recommended that he discuss this seriously with SRSG Ruecker
and ICO. Rexhepi feared that Belgrade would use the water
resources of Gazivoda lake, which supplies water to both
north and south Mitrovica, to create problems. COM observed
that the interdependence of this water system between north
and south made it an unlikely target, but that KFOR and the
international community were aware of the issue and would
watch it closely. END SUMMARY.

Keep Things Calm in Mitrovica


2. (C) At a January 22 meeting, COM asked newly elected mayor
of Mitrovica and former PM Bajram Rexhepi to use his moral
authority to urge restraint and calm in the run-up to and
aftermath of Kosovo independence. She noted that she was
present last week when President Sejdiu had met with nearly
all of Kosovo's mayors (Rexhepi was not present) and that she
had told them that they all faced a difficult job, as the
eyes of the world would turn to Kosovo in these key weeks and
months. COM said that as the mayor of the divided, troubled
city of Mitrovica, Rexhepi had perhaps the most difficult job
of all. She added that Belgrade will undoubtedly take
actions that will be provocative, likely hoping that Kosovars
will react and take matters into their own hands. While
possible Serbian economic measures, such as closing the
border or cutting off electricity, could prove painful, she
noted, more worrying was the ethnic Albanian reaction to
political steps that might be taken by Belgrade -- for
example holding municipal elections in Kosovo Serb areas or
solidifying the institutional makings of a Serb entity in the
north and in Serb enclaves. COM told Rexhepi that KFOR,
UNMIK and other key international stakeholders would be
responsible for providing security in the north and
determining the best way to handle these provocations, and
that it was critical no one in Kosovo react
counter-productively to Belgrade's own actions.


3. (C) Rexhepi, who is a native of Mitrovica and as a medical
doctor treated both Albanians and Serbs during the conflict,
fully agreed and said he wanted to cooperate closely with
USOP. He was clear on the stakes involved in Kosovo's
reaction to any potential Serbian provocations. To help get
the message of calm and restraint out as widely as possible
in Mitrovica, Rexhepi said he would like to have a small
public relations staff and that he had already asked the UNDP
for funding. He also promised to use his contacts within the
Kosovo Protection Corps, made up largely of demobilized KLA
veterans, to send this message as well. Rexhepi said that he
wanted to see multi-ethnic projects to improve services for
citizens in both parts of the city and was willing to talk to
anyone in north Mitrovica who was interested in this. COM
noted that USAID and thQU.S. government, as well as numerous
other international donors, would be assisting Mitrovica --
north and south -- in a variety of ways in the coming months,
and Rexhepi expressed his gratitude.


4. (C) Having accepted the Ahtisaari Plan, Rexhepi was keen
to know when the provisions dealing with establishing the
municipality of north Mitrovica could be implemented. (Note:

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Ahtisaari's plan calls for the formation of two separate
municipal structures in north and south, with a common joint
municipal board; UNMIK has thus far not taken action to
construct the northern municipal authority, fearing in part
that it might inflame the situation among ethnic Albanians.
Rexhepi's initiative, therefore, constitutes a welcome
opening.) COM responded that this would be an appropriate
subject to take up with SRSG Ruecker and PDSRSG Rossin, and
promised she would also discuss the issue with UNMIK and ICO
during her own meetings with these officials. (In a
subsequent conversation with PDSRSG Rossin, he expressed his
own support for moving forward and said he was encouraging
UNMIK's office in Mitrovica to pursue the idea.)

Fears: Territorial Integrity, Water


5. (C) Rexhepi said that parallel Serbian security structures
in the north were a problem, and feared this could harm
Kosovo's territorial integrity. He also expressed concern
over the security of the large Gazivoda reservoir that serves
as drinking water for both north and south Mitrovica. COM
stressed that KFOR would remain present and active in
northern Kosovo, and that both UNMIK's presence and the
eventual ESDP and ICO missions' presence would provide
continuity in the north, as well. On the water issue, COM
noted that the interdependence of the water supply system
between northern and southern Mitrovica made it an unlikely
target for Belgrade-inspired sabotage, but said that KFOR and
other security agencies were well aware of the issue and
would be keeping a close eye on it.


6. (C) COMMENT: It is a fortunate development that native
son Bajram Rexhepi is the newly elected mayor of Mitrovica.
He is known and respected on both sides of the city -- his
house is actually in the Serb-majority northern section. We
will support him strongly in his efforts to ensure that
Mitrovica does not become a potential flashpoint of
provocation by Belgrade and reaction by Kosovo Albanians in
the critical weeks and months ahead.
KAIDANOW