SWEDEN DECLARES INTENTION TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000135 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV SW YI SUBJECT: SWEDEN DECLARES INTENTION TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO REF: A. STOCKHOLM 118 ¶B. STOCKHOLM 84 ¶C. STATE 12026 Classified By: Ambassador Wood for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (u) Both Prime Minister Reinfeldt and Foreign Minister Bildt made statements February 18 declaring Sweden's intention to recognize the independence of Kosovo. Because of internal political processes, formal recognition is expected to occur only following a special March 4 meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council chaired by the King. Sweden thus meets the criteria for inclusion in the Kosovo Steering Group and expects to be invited by the Quint to the February 28 initial meeting, per ref C. End Summary. Intention and Procedure on Recognition -------------- ¶2. (u) On February 18, both Prime Minister Reinfeldt and Foreign Minister Bildt made statements to the Swedish press declaring Sweden's intention to recognize the independence of Kosovo. The clearest statement came from Bildt (Embassy informal translation): "Both Fredrik Reinfeldt and I said today that the government will refer this to the Foreign Affairs Council with the recommendation to recognize Kosovo's supervised independence in the context of the continued validity of (UNSC) Resolution ¶1244. If nothing dramatic happens at the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council March 4, a more formal decision on recognition will be possible immediately thereafter." ¶3. (u) This statement, which was published in Swedish on Bildt's blog (carlbildt.wordpress.com),was complemented by Reinfeldt's February 18 statement to Swedish news agency TT that he was "ready to recognize Kosovo." Reinfeldt added that recognizing Kosovo is complicated with reference to international law; noted that state building is a long-term process; and said it was important to discuss the consequences in detail. ¶4. (c) MFA Deputy Director for the Balkans Tobias Axerup told Polcouns February 20 that the MFA was referring inquiries on Sweden's view on Kosovo recognition to Bildt's blog and to the statements made to the press by Bildt and Reinfeldt. Axerup said Sweden had assured Kosovo Contact Group members France, Germany, and the UK -- and wanted to convey to the U.S.-- that Sweden fully intended to recognize Kosovo and it is just a matter of internal procedural requirements that will make formal recognition possible only following the March 4 meeting of the Foreign Policy Council. (Note: The Foreign Policy Council is an advisory board chaired by the King and including leaders from all seven parliamentary parties. It is a constitutionally mandated body that is convened only rarely to consider foreign policy issues such as the recognition of new states. It was consulted in connection with the earlier recognition of other states that formerly made up Yugoslavia.) ¶5. (c) Separately, Moderate Party parliamentarian Gustav Blix told Polcouns February 20 that he will be attending the March 4 meeting of the Foreign Policy Council and he expected no problem on achieving substantial consensus on the recognition of Kosovo. ¶6. (c) Indeed, the only criticism we have seen from one of the parliamentary parties regarding recognition of Kosovo came from the leading opposition party Social Democrats -- who criticized the Government in the press for not having immediately and summarily recognized Kosovo. Moderate Parliamentarian Henrik von Sydow told us February 20 that if the Government had done so, the Social Democrats would have criticized them on the failure to hold a meeting of the Foreign Policy Council and seek consensus. Comment -------------- ¶7. (c) Sweden has declared its intention to recognize Kosovo and we expect it to do so formally following the March 4 meeting. Sweden thus meets the criteria for inclusion in the Kosovo Steering Group and expects to be invited by the Quint to the February 28 initial meeting, per ref C. WOOD