ALBANIA PRESSES FOR KOSOVO RECOGNITION AT ISLAMIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 000502

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2018
TAGS: PREL PNAT KISL KV AL
SUBJECT: ALBANIA PRESSES FOR KOSOVO RECOGNITION AT ISLAMIC
CONFERENCE SUMMIT

Classified By: CDA Judith Cefkin for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Summary: The GOA unsuccessfully lobbied the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to recognize
Kosovo's independence at the group's June 16 to 18 meeting of
foreign ministers in Kampala. The GOA believes that several
OIC countries are likely to recognize Kosovo over the next
several months. However, according to a senior Albanian MFA
official, most OIC members remain unconvinced of the merits
of recognizing Kosovo or are reluctant to establish a
principle of self-determination that could be seized upon by
their own restive minorities. The GOA believes slow, patient
diplomacy will be required for additional OIC member states
to recognize Kosovo's independence. End Summary.


2. (C) Econoff met with Islam Lauka, Director of
Multilateral Affairs at the Albanian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs on June 24. Lauka, who attended the June meeting of
the OIC's Council of Foreign Ministers in Kampala with
Foreign Minister Basha, said lobbying the OIC to formally
recognize Kosovo's February 17 declaration of independence
was the main purpose behind the GOA's participation in the
summit. The MFA official said Basha encouraged the OIC to
recognize Kosovo's independence in a speech during the
plenary session and in several bilateral meetings. Basha
pushed for the group's foreign ministers to recognize Kosovo
in the summit declaration. He also spoke approvingly of the
recent adoption of Kosovo's new constitution and described in
detail the guidelines to reconfigure the UNMIK mission in
Kosovo promoted by United Nations Secretary General Ban
Ki-Moon. The Albanians' objective was to convince the OIC to
adopt a declaration recognizing Kosovo or at least taking
notice of important recent developments and provide support
through a declaration of solidarity and a pledge for
development assistance.


3. (C) Basha was unsuccessful in his lobbying efforts.
Lauka said Algeria and Tunisia objected on the grounds that
the GOA's declaration would contravene a resolution regarding
Kosovo adopted by heads of state at the March 13 OIC summit
in Dakar. The Algerians and Tunisians argued that the
Kampala ministerial conference, attended by lower ranking
officials, should not overturn the declaration of OIC heads
of state that only took notice of Kosovo's independence
declaration. However, Lauka said this was a smokescreen for
the majority of OIC members who were not prepared to
recognize Kosovo's independence. The MFA official said this
group included, in addition to Algeria and Tunisia, Egypt,
Iran, Syria, Sudan and Indonesia. With the exception of
Indonesia, Lauka said these countries all openly spoke
against the GOA's resolution. (Note: Lauka said the
Indonesian delegation privately was sympathetic to the
Kosovar issue, but would not recognize Pristina due to
problems with its own internal separatist movements.)


4. (C) Lauka affirmed that many OIC officials did not
understand Kosovo's unique historical circumstances and
confused its situation with secessionist movements in other
regions. The Albanian said a "provincial viewpoint"
dominated this thinking, especially with officials from
countries with restive minority populations. He said the GOA
argued that Kosovo was different from these conflicts and was
not a case of separation or a question of self-determination.
Instead, the Albanians contended that Kosovar independence
was the final stage of the violent, non-consensual
dissolution of Yugoslavia. Lauka said the GOA negotiating
strategy rejected arguments based on self-determination since
these opened the door to other messy and controversial
regional conflicts. The MFA official also said the OIC was
institutionally hampered in its approach to Kosovo due to its
long-standing links to non-aligned movements that stressed
respect for states' national sovereignty. Lauka said
relations with Serbia played a role in the foreign ministers'
deliberations and that the Russians, who enjoy observer
status at the OIC, were effective in lobbying against the GOA
proposal.


5. (C) Lauka said Saudi Arabia and the remaining Gulf states
were prepared in principle to recognize Kosovo. However, the
Saudi delegate said the timing was not yet right for
recognition. The Saudis and the other Gulf states reportedly
promised to recognize Kosovo in the near term, presumably
within the next six months or so. Lauka predicted that seven
to ten OIC members would recognize Kosovo in the coming
months, likely including Pakistan, Malaysia and Azerbaijan,
all of which were supportive of Kosovar independence.
Turkey, which has already recognized Kosovo, was an
influential Kosovo supporter behind the scenes at the
conference. However, the OIC's decision-making process is
consensual and the firm opposition of prominent members such
as Egypt and Iran derailed the Albanians' efforts to garner
OIC recognition or a lesser declaration of support for Kosovo.


6. (C) Comment: The GOA is at a disadvantage in lobbying OIC
countries due to Albania's strong secular traditions. (Note:
Over the years there have been sporadic suggestions within
the Albanian establishment that the country had little in
common with the group and should withdraw. The Embassy has
consistently encouraged the GOA's continued participation in
the OIC as an example of political moderation.) Nonetheless,
the Albanians' approach in lobbying OIC countries was
forceful and strategic in its formulation of presenting
Kosovo independence as separate and distinct from other
divisive regional conflicts. Lauka indicated that convincing
a majority of the 57-member organization to recognize Kosovo
would require patient, coordinated diplomacy. On a lighter
note, the Albanian MFA has provided the new government in
Pristina with a building for the Kosovar embassy in Tirana -
conveniently located between the Serbian and Russian
embassies. End Comment.

CEFKIN