NETHERLANDS/EU: OPPOSING SAO FOR SERBIA, PLANNING

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000059 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2017 TAGS: PREL EU NL KV YI SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/EU: OPPOSING SAO FOR SERBIA, PLANNING FOR KOSOVO CDI Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Schofer for reasons 1.5(b) an d (d) ¶1. (C) On January 17, MFA Deputy EU Correspondent Rochus Pronk gave Poloff a read-out of the January 16 Dutch-Slovene bilateral on an SAO for Serbia. FM Verhagen reportedly told FM Rupel that "conditionality stands" (i.e. requiring Serbia to cooperate with the ICTY) and that the "arguments against are not convincing." The Netherlands is "okay" with the EU presidency proposal for a task force to monitor Serbian cooperation but does not want to delegate evaluation of Serbian cooperation to the task force. ¶2. (C) According the Pronk, the EU's political directors agreed last week that the January 28 GAERC will not focus on an SAO signing, but may agree to a Council meeting immediately after a declaration of independence by Kosovo. Pronk had heard the CDI would be on February 6.The GAERC may also agree on an joint action for the ESDP Chad mission. Gallagher