BAHAMAS VOTES FOR KOSOVO AT IMF

C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 000291

SIPDIS

TREASURY FOR DAN SCHMERIN; DEPT EEB/OMA FOR DAVID
FREUDENWALD, EEB/ODF CHIP LAITINEN, KOSOVO DESK SEIJI
SHIRATORI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2019
TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL KV BF
SUBJECT: BAHAMAS VOTES FOR KOSOVO AT IMF

REF: A. STATE 43679

B. NASSAU 231

C. NASSAU 251

Classified By: Charge Zuniga-Brown for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Prime Minister Ingraham, also Finance
Minister, has decided to support Kosovo's membership in the
IMF. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that the
GCOB's decision does not constitute a change in policy on
recognition, however. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Charge d'Affaires reemphasized reftel demarche points
on Kosovo's membership in international financial
institutions to Prime Minister Ingraham,s Senior Policy
Advisor, Teresa Butler, May 1. The Prime Minister is also
the Minister of Finance and the IMF governor for The Bahamas.
Butler confirmed May 4 that the GCOB understood the need for
a quorum in the IMF vote and that The Bahamas had voted in
favor of Kosovo,s membership.


3. (C) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) soon confirmed
the outcome, noting that the final decision was the Prime
Minister's. The MFA also clarified that the GCOB vote in the
IMF was not indicative of a change in policy on Kosovo's
recognition and should not be construed as such. Post
thanked the GCOB for their assistance and reiterated the U.S.
desire to engage fully on Kosovo and other global issues, in
line with previous demarches and the Obama administration's
emphasis on diplomatic engagement with partner nations.


4. (C) COMMENT: The GCOB's posture on Kosovo remains
non-commital in the absence of a CARICOM consensus (ref B).
The positive vote at the IMF, however, signals the Prime
Minister's willingness to accommodate U.S. requests at a time
when Ingraham is CARICOM's point man for lobbying Congress on
pending tax haven legislation (ref C).
ZUNIGA-BROWN