(SBU) DPKO PROPOSES NEW KOSOVO GAME PLAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000385 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2018 TAGS: PREL UNSC UNMIK YI SUBJECT: (SBU) DPKO PROPOSES NEW KOSOVO GAME PLAN REF: USUN 367 Classified By: Ambassador Alex Wolff, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This telegram contains an action request -- see para 7. ¶2. (C) Summary: UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) Europe and America's Director David Harland told USUN on April 28 that DPKO is about to table a Kosovo GAME plan under which the UN will unilaterally withdraw partially or entirely from Kosovo, opening the door to EU deployment, perhaps under UN cover at first. He stressed that this plan would be workable so long as key players, including Russia, do not "wildly object." Harland asked USUN to seek a reaction from Washington, adding that Under Secretary-General Guehenno intends to unveil the plan in Pristina and Belgrade shortly after his May 1 meeting in New York with Quint Balkan Directors. Harland also said that DPKO has authorized SRSG Rucker to re-open gates 1 and 31 along Kosovo's border with Serbia. END Summary. ¶3. (C) DPKO Europe and America's Director David Harland told USUN Deputy PolCounselor and Poloff on April 28 that DPKO has a close-hold Kosovo GAME plan for meeting the UN's objective of concluding its interim mission in Kosovo in the context of EU arrival by withdrawing partially or entirely from Kosovo. He stressed that this approach would be workable so long as key players, including Russia, do not "wildly object," adding that DPKO had reasonable hope the plan will meet that minimal standard. ¶4. (C) Harland stated that soon after Serbian elections in Belgrade May 11, Secretary-General (SYG) Ban will likely issue an unsolicited report or letter containing the GAME plan stating that he has consulted with all major stakeholders, including Belgrade, Pristina, Washington, Moscow and Brussels. He said Ban might refer to paragraph 17 of UNSC 1244 for the EU to play an important stabilization and security role in Kosovo as a legal hook for opening the door to an expanded EU role. Recognizing that stakeholders would be unlikely to unanimously support a greater EU role, Ban, Harland said, would package what he intended to do as a reconfiguration of the mission consistent with past UN practice in Kosovo. ¶5. (C) Harland said that one question that is still being debated internally is whether UNMIK should stay on in the Serb areas of Kosovo or depart entirely in a "clean break." He allowed that he personally is a "clean breakist" and would prefer to have UNMIK leave all of Kosovo even if that meant leaving KFOR and EULEX to deal with an extremely difficult aftermath. He concluded that an asymmetric arrangement with some residual presence in Albanian areas and a larger presence in Serb areas might also be an option. ¶6. (C) Harland asked Deputy PolCounselor to seek a reaction from Washington. (Note: He also renewed his request, reftel, for elements of any USG/Quint vision of Kosovo as of June 16, ¶2008. END note.) Harland also said that, from discussions with some Quint missions on the margins of a recent Quint meeting in New York, he understands that some Quint members do not see a role for UNMIK in Kosovo Albanian areas after June 15. He would like U.S. views on what UNMIK should do in Kosovo Serb areas in as much detail as we can provide. He stressed that if the entire Quint can give DPKO a clear request regarding preferred DPKO/UNMIK actions on reconfiguration issues, DPKO and Ban would be inclined to meet the request. ¶7. (C) Deputy PolCounselor asked Harland about the status of gates 1 and 31 along Kosovo's border with Serbia, and he responded that DPKO has authorized SRSG Rucker to reopen them, but noted that Serbian elements have threatened that if UNMIK blocks the border they will un-block it forcefully. ¶8. (SBU) Action Request: USUN seeks Department views on the DPKO plan as described by Harland. Khalilzad