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