ICELAND RECOGNIZES KOSOVO'S INDEPENDENCE

UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000034 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR P, EUR, EUR/SCE, EUR/NB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KV IC SUBJECT: ICELAND RECOGNIZES KOSOVO'S INDEPENDENCE REF: REYKJAVIK 0027 ¶1. (U) On March 5, 2008, Iceland recognized the Republic of Kosovo as an independent state. ¶2. (SBU) Comment: Although the recognition comes almost two weeks after the initial date the Foreign Minister suggested to the Ambassador (see reftel),it falls neither first nor last among the Nordic countries, which is where the Icelanders wanted to be. When poloff asked about the delay today, an MFA official said the issue was "complicated," but offered no substantive explanation. Van Voorst