JORDAN INCHES TOWARDS RECOGNIZING KOSOVO

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 001364

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV KV ID TT JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN INCHES TOWARDS RECOGNIZING KOSOVO

Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) The Ambassador again urged Jordan to recognize Kosovo
during meetings with PM Nader Dahabi, FM Nasser Judeh, and
Royal Court Chief Nasser Al-Lozi in recent conversations.
All three reiterated the point that recognition was "only a
matter of time" and hinted that it would likely occur in
July. The MFA sent a decision memo to the PM about Kosovo
recognition on June 14.


2. (C) According to contacts in the MFA, the memo outlines
two scenarios for recognition. The first is complete, formal
recognition and the dispatch of an Ambassador to Pristina.
The second option presented to the PM stops short of formal
recognition and provides instead for a conscious process of
increased high level contacts and engagement in international
forums. MFA officials explained that Jordan pursued the
second option with East Timor in an effort to join the
international consensus without angering Indonesia, a fellow
Muslim state and ally. It is unclear whether the memo
suggested one particular scenario or another.


3. (C) The Ambassador will follow up with the PM, Chief of
the Royal Court, and FM directly to try to ensure that Jordan
formally recognizes Kosovo unequivocally and without
qualification.
Beecroft