NATO: EULEX CHIEF SEEKING KOSOVO-WIDE DEPLOYMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000312

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2018
TAGS: PREL NATO PGOV MOPS KV
SUBJECT: NATO: EULEX CHIEF SEEKING KOSOVO-WIDE DEPLOYMENT
AND PRAGMATIC COOPERATION WITH KFOR

Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Walter S. Reid for reason
s 1.4 (b and d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX)
Head of Mission Yves de Kermabon told NATO Permanent
Representatives on 2 September that EULEX intends to deploy
throughout Kosovo in accordance with the UNMIK-EULEX
transition schedule, but is working to get a buy-in from
Serbia to move into northern Kosovo. De Kermabon said he was
looking for pragmatic, tactical coordination with KFOR and
assured the Allies that he understood KFOR was the third
responder for primary security and that he was working to
ensure there would be no policing gap. De Kermabon assessed
Kosovo to be stable but fragile and said EULEX was working to
establish a rapport with Kosovars and with Belgrade. END
SUMMARY

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EULEX SEEKING TO ENGAGE SERBS
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2. (C) The EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) Head of
Mission Yves de Kermabon on 2 September briefed NATO Perm
Reps on the EULEX mission. De Kermabon assessed Kosovo as
stable but fragile and expressed concern about the potential
for provocations, economic unrest, or organized crime to
aggravate the situation. He said EULEX needs a working
relationship with Kosovar Albanians and Serbs but also some
cooperation from Belgrade to deploy throughout Kosovo. De
Kermabon expressed optimism that he was gaining Kosovar Serb
buy-in by establishing contacts and doing local media
interviews in order to allay suspicions about EULEX and hoped
to go to northern Kosovo soon. He was also hopeful that,
with a pro-EU Serbian government and some signs of change in
Belgrade, Serbia would come around to accepting an EULEX
presence in northern Kosovo but said this would require more
EU and EULEX engagement with Belgrade beginning this month.

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EULEX INTENDS TO DEPLOY THROUGHOUT KOSOVO
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3. (C) De Kermabon said his end-state goal is for EULEX to be
deployed and working throughout Kosovo. EULEX will begin a
phased deployment of groups of 60-100 personnel after 20
September and expects to reach initial operating capability
by late November or early December. EULEX would then be
ready to take over leadership from the UN Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK) and would reach full operating capability Kosovo-wide
at some point afterward. De Kermabon said work remains to be
done to define the EULEX-UNMIK division of labor, especially
regarding the EULEX presence in northern Kosovo, and to
obtain UN privileges and immunities (P/Is) for EULEX
personnel.

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LOOKING FOR NOD FROM BELGRADE
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4. (C) In response to Ambassador Volker's and other Allies'
requests for a more detailed UNMIK-EULEX transition timeline
and EULEX's plans for moving into northern Kosovo, de
Kermabon said that his intent was to deploy EULEX throughout
Kosovo as quickly as possible but that developments on the
ground could cause delays. De Kermabon said that EULEX needs
some signals from Belgrade because it cannot move into the
north by force. He was working to remove Serbian objections
by arguing that EULEX was a technical mission and had already
exchanged some technical data with Belgrade on these grounds.
In response to a Norwegian query, de Kermabon stated that
EULEX personnel would probably work initially in the field in
the north under UNMIK authority and then transition over time
directly under EULEX.


5. (C) De Kermabon responded to a Czech request for clarity
on EULEX's role by stating that, unlike UNMIK, EULEX would
focus on mentoring Kosovar authorities, although it will have
some executive authority to remove officials. EULEX will
perform institution-building in the police, customs, and
justice sectors and considers its major challenge to be in
restoring Kosovar confidence in the justice system.

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KFOR IS THIRD RESPONDER; NO POLICING GAPS
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6. (C) De Kermabon stressed the need for "pragmatic"
KFOR-EULEX coordination in the field and did not raise the
lack of a formal cooperation agreement. He said that, as
former KFOR commander, he was committed to the idea that KFOR
was the third responder for primary security. He did not
foresee any security gap in the transition that could force
KFOR to assume policing duties because UNMIK would stay in
place and not downsize until EULEX was ready to take the
lead. Ambassador Volker welcomed de Kermabon's assurances
that EULEX would deploy throughout Kosovo, KFOR would remain
the third responder, and that there would be no security gap.



7. (C) The Turkish Perm Rep said he was pleased with the idea
of pragmatic KFOR-EULEX cooperation on the ground, something
required by NATO's Comprehensive Approach. The British Perm
Rep added that it would be important for NATO to agree to a
revision of KFOR's Operations Plan (OPLAN) to establish a
clear KFOR-EULEX relationship. France noted that getting
NATO-EU cooperation right was important and a priority of the
French EU Presidency, and Norway called for a NATO-EU
coordination mechanism at the highest levels. The SYG closed
in saying de Kermabon's visit was itself an important
contribution to NATO-EU relations.


VOLKER