ITALY AGREES ON KFOR: IN TOGETHER, OUT TOGETHER

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000341 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/RPM CHRIS DAVY E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2019 TAGS: PREL MARR NATO KPKO KV IT SUBJECT: ITALY AGREES ON KFOR: IN TOGETHER, OUT TOGETHER REF: STATE 26179 Classified By: A/DCM Barbara A. Leaf for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Charge took the opportunity of a March 17 lunch with MFA Director General for Europe Laura Mirachian to conduct a wide-ranging review of Kosovo, prefiguring reftel demarche. Charge urged Italy to stay the course in Kosovo and not to make any precipitous moves to reduce or end participation in NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR). Mirachian assured Charge that Italy fully agreed on an "in together, out together" approach to Kosovo, shared our assessment that the job there remains incomplete, and said KFOR should maintain its current configuration and force strength at this time. ¶2. (C) Mirachian did note that there were some in the GOI -- particularly the uniformed military -- who have pressed for reducing the KFOR footprint, in part out of a desire to reposition those forces elsewhere. Mirachian emphasized, however, that this was not GOI policy, which she insisted is identical to that outlined reftel. Mirachian assured Charge that finishing the job in the Balkans was a top Italian security concern and that Italy would continue to argue for a robust KFOR presence until such time as a robust EULEX mission is up and running. ¶3. (C) Poloff subsequently raised the same points with MFA NATO Desk Officer Carlo Batori, who said that Italy was dismayed by the Spanish decision to break ranks and unilaterally draw down its KFOR contingent. (Spain has troops in the sector commanded by Italy.) Batori said Italy is actively urging other allies not to follow suit. He stressed that Italy is not opposed to a discussion about KFOR draw down timetables and benchmarks, but strongly opposes unilateral, uncoordinated actions like that of the Spanish. Italy agrees that EULEX and the KSF need to be more firmly rooted before allies can begin withdrawing. DIBBLE