NETHERLANDS/OSCE/KOSOVO: RESPONSE TO BERLIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000134

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/RPM, EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2018
TAGS: PREL UNAUS UNMIK PGOV YI EU OSCE NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/OSCE/KOSOVO: RESPONSE TO BERLIN
MECHANISM DEMARCHE

REF: STATE 14284

Classified By: CDA Michael F. Gallagher, reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Summary: The GONL understands from its mission to the
OSCE that Serbia is no longer interested in pursuing an
emergency session under the Berlin Mechanism, but rather will
seek an "extra session" of the Permanent Council to voice its
concerns over a Kosovo declaration of independence.
According to MFA Special Advisor for the OSCE Tony van der
Togt, the OSCE Chairman has already informed the Serbian
ambassador in Vienna that such a Permanent Council session
was possible. Van der Togt discussed these issues with
polmiloff on February 13. End summary.


2. (C) Van der Togt appreciated reftel points, but conveyed
additional information received in a February 12 cable from
the Dutch mission to the OSCE relating a lunch meeting in
Vienna with the Serbian ambassador. According to van der
Togt, the Serbian ambassador made known during this meeting
that Belgrade will pursue an "extra session" of the Permanent
Council following a declaration of independence (DI) by
Kosovo, and had been told by the OSCE Chairman that such an
extra session would be possible.


3. (C) Van der Togt said the Serbian decision to pursue an
extra Permanent Council session apparently followed a recent
national security council meeting in Belgrade; van der Togt
speculated that it was clear during this meeting the Serbs
did not have the required support of 12 participating states
to convene a session under the Berlin Mechanism. Quite
frankly, van der Togt suggested, the Berlin Mechanism angle
"did not make sense," as it was designed during a period in
which the Permanent Council did not meet on a regularly
basis. Now that the Permanent Council meets weekly with
sometimes extra sessions, the need for a Berlin Mechanism
session was no longer necessary. He suspected that Belgrade
was "trying to be clever" by finding a bureaucratic loophole
to justify a special session to air its grievances.


4. (C) Van der Togt said requesting an extra Permanent
Council session was "normal," and did not think it could be
avoided should Serbia pursue it. He agreed that Kosovo was a
special case and should be resolved in New York, and that a
Kosovar DI did not constitute a violation of the Helsinki
Final Act. As such, he expected EU states to simply read the
EU declaration on Kosovo independence in response to any
attempt by Serbia to "blow off steam" during an extra
Permanent Council session.


5. (C) Van der Togt also was not clear whether the extra
Permanent Council session would include experts reinforced
from capitals. If such was the case, he doubted the Dutch
would send experts or high level representatives. That said,
he noted that MFA Director of Security Affairs Robert de
Groot (A/S equivalent) would be in Vienna for the February 21
Permanent Council. Given the anticipated DI date of February
17, van der Togt suggested the timing was such that de Groot
may just be in Vienna when an extra session of the Permanent
Council might be convened.
Arnall