JEREMIC OSCE SPEECH GENERATES LITTLE FIREWORKS

UNCLAS USOSCE 000048

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PREL UNMIK SR KV
SUBJECT: JEREMIC OSCE SPEECH GENERATES LITTLE FIREWORKS



1. (SBU) Summary: Serbian Foreign Vuk Jeremic's February 19
OSCE address to protest Kosovo's independence was passionate
but reasoned, and met with a surprisingly muted response. Of
the six participating States to take the floor following his
speech, only two - Russia and Azerbaijan - supported
Jeremic's arguments that Kosovo's declaration of independence
is illegal and constitutes a dangerous precedent. End
Summary.


2. (U) At a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council
on February 19, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic exhorted
OSCE participating States to uphold the principles of the
Helsinki Final Act by condemning Kosovo's "unilateral and
illegal declaration of independence." How the OSCE reacts to
this "flagrant violation of the core norms of international
conduct," Jeremic asserted, would determine the future course
of the OSCE and the values which it upholds.


3. (U) Jeremic repeatedly condemned what he characterized
as a "might makes right" approach to resolving the Kosovo
conflict. He argued that Kosovo's independence, if left
unchecked, would constitute a fundamental attack on the
sovereign equality of states. It would also establish a very
troubling precedent on a number of levels: by legitimizing
the imposition of solutions to ethnic conflicts and
unilateral acts of secession; by transforming the right to
self-determination into a right to independence; and by
violating the commitment to the peaceful resolution of
disputes. Kosovo's independence would also fuel numerous
other separatist movements, including those in Spain, Cyprus,
and Romania.


4. (U) Jeremic pledged Serbia's readiness to continue talks
with the Kosovo Albanians at any time and place. While
Serbia is ready to give Kosovo the broadest autonomy
possible, it would "remain part of Serbia forever," the
foreign minister concluded.


5. (SBU) The reaction to Jeremic's emotional rhetoric was
relatively low key. The EU managed to maintain unity and read
out a statement that repeated significant portions of the
February 18th GAERC statement. None of the EU member states
spoke in a national capacity, which ensured that the doubters
such as Spain, Cyprus and others did not break the accord.


6. (SBU) Only Russia and Azerbaijan publicly repudiated
Kosovo's independence and endorsed the foreign minister's
conclusions. The Russian Federation, predictably, was the
most forceful, condemning Kosovo's declaration of
independence as the "outright flouting of international law
and a gross breach of the UN Charter, UNSCR 1244, and the
Helsinki Final Act," and warned of the "extremely negative
consequences" Kosovo's separation could have for peace in the
Balkans.


7. (SBU) Albania, in a somewhat unhelpful intervention
stressed the historical background (dating from 1917) of the
conflict, was clearly pleased about how things had turned
out, and called on Serbia to look at the split with Kosovo as
the "end of a bad marriage." Switzerland made a strong pitch
for the continuation of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.
FINLEY