KOSOVO: SERBIAN FM JEREMIC CONFIDANT OF EULEX DEAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001007 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC UNMIK SR SUBJECT: KOSOVO: SERBIAN FM JEREMIC CONFIDANT OF EULEX DEAL 1.(SBU) Summary. A buoyant Foreign Minister Jeremic told Ambassador Khalilzad on 10/31 he is confidant involved parties will achieve a "win/win" agreement on the six point dialogue that will allow the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) to deploy throughout Kosovo, including in Serb enclaves. From Serbia's point of view, a one-line Security Council Presidential Statement (PRST) that "endorses" the SYG's report would grant a "full legal mandate" for EULEX deployment. Ambassador Khalilzad told Jeremic that while the U.S. wants to be flexible, the U.S. also wants a workable agreement that will have Kosovar buy in. Khalilzad said frankly that he was not certain of Serbian intentions, given that Serbia had been adding conditions for its acquiescence to EULEX. He also expressed doubt that the Council could find language acceptable to all parties on a PRST. Jeremic responded that he "expected the Quint to be flexible as well", and hoped we recognized that Serbia had to sell any arrangements to the Kosovo Serbs, "who can be quite stubborn". Ambassador DiCarlo made clear that the arrangements specified in the current Serbian proposal are not workable, and Serbia would need to accept Quint-proposed changes in order for the agreement to be acceptable to the U.S. End Summary. 2.(SBU) Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told Ambassador Khalilzad and Ambassador DiCarlo on 10/31 he expected to achieve a "win/win" agreement between the EU and Serbia within the next 48 hours on the so-called six point dialogue. The Serbian proposed deal with the UN and EU would involve inserting the text of an agreement on temporary arrangements related to EULEX deployment that would be inserted into the SYG's report on the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). He hoped the Security Council would issue a Presidential Statement "endorsing" the arrangements at its November 7 meeting. UN Council Secretariat High Representative Solana and Serbian President Tadic would then exchange letters agreeing to the arrangements. Jeremic told Khalilzad he had spoken with the French and Russian PermReps who were optimistic of an agreement on the six points. After the Security Council endorsed the SYG's report with a "one-line PRST", Serbia would have the "full legal mandate conferred by the Security Council". The Foreign Minister and President Tadic plan to travel to New York on Friday November 7 to attend the Security Council briefing on UNMIK. 3.(SBU) Ambassador Khalilzad told Jeremic the U.S. is skeptical about Serbian intentions. Khalilzad reminded the Foreign Minister that when they had spoken earlier in the year, Jeremic said that a successful passage of the ICJ resolution would open the way for Serbia to be more accommodating on EULEX deployment. Then we heard that Serbia wanted agreement on the six-point dialogue. Now we understand that in addition to six point dialogue, Serbia needs a PRST that endorses an agreement. Khalilzad assured Jeremic that the United States values its relationship with Serbia and wants to be flexible on arrangements, but he reinforced that we also want a good, workable agreement, and one that the Kosovars can accept. 4.(SBU) Ambassador Khalilzad also said he was skeptical that the Security Council could agree on a PRST that is acceptable to all 15 members in the time that remains before the November 7 meeting. The Quint, Pristina and Belgrade have not yet agreed on an acceptable text of the six point agreement to be inserted in the SYG's report. The Kosovars also must approve the final arrangement. A PRST text needs to be agreed by Council members. Khalilzad noted that President Tadic had canceled a meeting sought by Quint Ambassadors on October 31, and was not planning to see them until Monday, November 3. This did not give much time to complete the necessary work to get an agreement. 5.(SBU) Jeremic acknowledged the need for Serbian flexibility, but countered that the Quint also needs to be flexible. He said the arrangements need to be workable for Kosovo Serbs, who he said can be quite stubborn. Relations with Kosovo Serbs are delicate, and we need a smart text, he said. "We don't want something the Kosovo Serbs will burn the next day." He recalled that in a meeting between President Tadic and NSA Steve Hadley, Tadic had said he wanted to help EULEX become operational in Kosovo. When Hadley asked if that meant EULEX throughout Kosovo, including the north, Tadic replied that he wanted "smart deployment" in the north. 6.(SBU) Khalilzad reiterated that the arrangements need to be workable, and that the United States would need to bring the Kosovars along. Ambassador DiCarlo added that, as currently formulated, the United States sees the Serbian proposed text on arrangements as unworkable, and the United States could not accept it. She encouraged Jeremic again to be flexible in addressing the edits that the Quint had offered to SRSG USUN NEW Y 00001007 002 OF 002 Zannier to be given to Belgrade. Khalilzad