C O N F I D E N T I A L NICOSIA 000220

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, EUR/SCE (SHIRATORI, PFEUFFER)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2019
TAGS: AORC PREL SE KO CY
SUBJECT: CYPRUS: CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR SERBIA'S ICJ CASE
ON KOSOVO

REF: SECSTATE 29385

Classified By: DCM Jonathan Cohen, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d)

(C) In response to Reftel, PolChief on March 27 engaged Doros
Venezis, the Cypriot Foreign Ministry's Western Balkans Desk
Officer. The RoC continued to oppose Kosovo's 2008
unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) on the strongest
possible terms, Venezis reiterated. Cyprus had supported
Serbia's effort within the UN General Assembly to seek an
advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on
the UDI's alleged illegality, and intended to file a written
statement by the April 17 deadline in line with Belgrade's
claims. Restating the traditional MFA mantra, Venezis
insisted that Kosovo was not a sui generis case, but rather
represented dangerous precedent for countries such as Cyprus
that were confronting separatism.
Urbancic