Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE28851
2009-03-25 20:58:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:
OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON RULE OF LAW
how-toVZCZCXRO9937 PP RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR DE RUEHC #8851 0842116 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P R 252058Z MAR 09 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 8661 INFO ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS STATE 028851
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE KKPO KPAO KV SR
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON RULE OF LAW
IN KOSOVO
UNCLAS STATE 028851
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE KKPO KPAO KV SR
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON RULE OF LAW
IN KOSOVO
1. Post is authorized to make the following statement at the
March 26, 2009 meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in
Vienna:
Begin Text:
Thank you, Madame Chairwoman.
Last week here in the Permanent Council, the Ambassadors of
Serbia and the Russian Federation made statements concerning
the fifth anniversary of the worst inter-ethnic violence in
Kosovo since the Kosovo war. We note that last week also
marked the one-year anniversary of the attacks by ethnic Serb
extremists on UN and NATO personnel protecting the UN
courthouse in Mitrovica, Kosovo, which cost the life of a UN
peacekeeper and injured many more UN police officers.
No violence is acceptable, be it Milosevic's brutal
repression of Kosovar Albanians, the 2004 violence, or the
Mitrovica courthouse attacks. The United States welcomes the
acknowledgement of the Government of Kosovo that what
happened in 2004 was unacceptable. On the March 17
anniversary of the violence, Kosovo's Prime Minister Thaci
issued a public statement that the attacks on Serb churches
and homes that took place in 2004 were deeply regrettable and
must never be repeated. Indeed, some of the worst
perpetrators of the 2004 violence were arrested, prosecuted
and jailed. On the same day, Prime Minister Thaci also
repeated his Government's pledge for reconciliation and
cooperation for a brighter future for all of Kosovo's
citizens and for the region. On March 23, Kosovo Foreign
Minister Hyseni underscored this message before the UN
Security Council. The Government of Kosovo is doing more
than just issuing statements. It is building a positive
future in accordance with its progressive constitution that
guarantees far-reaching protections for its ethnic minority
communities.
As Foreign Minister Hyseni outlined to the Security Council,
the Government of Kosovo, with assistance from the U.S. and
other concerned parties, has been actively engaged in efforts
to preserve and reconstruct many of the Serbian Orthodox
churches and monasteries targeted in the 2004 attacks, as
well as other important cultural sites in Kosovo. The
Reconstruction Implementation Committee (RIC),of which the
United States has been a strong supporter, has partially or
fully reconstructed 34 sites, and is scheduled to finish
major reconstruction by the end of 2009. The government of
Kosovo is the largest funder of the RIC. My government has
donated USD 1 million for restoration and preservation of
several cultural heritage sites in Kosovo, including four
Serbian Orthodox sites: the Church of the Presentation of the
Virgin in Lipljan, the St. Sava Church in Mitrovica, the
Church of St. Archangel Michael in Stimlje, and the Budisavci
Monastery in Klina.
The future of Kosovo lies in a multi-ethnic, tolerant society
that works for the benefit of all of its people. We will
continue to work with Kosovo, Serbia and the other countries
of the region to promote lasting peace and prosperity in the
Balkans.
We encourage the government of Serbia to work constructively
with an independent Kosovo and the many willing international
partners engaged in the region to find pragmatic solutions to
the challenges that face them and to look towards their
European and Euro-Atlantic future as peaceful, stable
neighbors.
Thank you, Madame Chairwoman.
End text.
CLINTON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE KKPO KPAO KV SR
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON RULE OF LAW
IN KOSOVO
1. Post is authorized to make the following statement at the
March 26, 2009 meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in
Vienna:
Begin Text:
Thank you, Madame Chairwoman.
Last week here in the Permanent Council, the Ambassadors of
Serbia and the Russian Federation made statements concerning
the fifth anniversary of the worst inter-ethnic violence in
Kosovo since the Kosovo war. We note that last week also
marked the one-year anniversary of the attacks by ethnic Serb
extremists on UN and NATO personnel protecting the UN
courthouse in Mitrovica, Kosovo, which cost the life of a UN
peacekeeper and injured many more UN police officers.
No violence is acceptable, be it Milosevic's brutal
repression of Kosovar Albanians, the 2004 violence, or the
Mitrovica courthouse attacks. The United States welcomes the
acknowledgement of the Government of Kosovo that what
happened in 2004 was unacceptable. On the March 17
anniversary of the violence, Kosovo's Prime Minister Thaci
issued a public statement that the attacks on Serb churches
and homes that took place in 2004 were deeply regrettable and
must never be repeated. Indeed, some of the worst
perpetrators of the 2004 violence were arrested, prosecuted
and jailed. On the same day, Prime Minister Thaci also
repeated his Government's pledge for reconciliation and
cooperation for a brighter future for all of Kosovo's
citizens and for the region. On March 23, Kosovo Foreign
Minister Hyseni underscored this message before the UN
Security Council. The Government of Kosovo is doing more
than just issuing statements. It is building a positive
future in accordance with its progressive constitution that
guarantees far-reaching protections for its ethnic minority
communities.
As Foreign Minister Hyseni outlined to the Security Council,
the Government of Kosovo, with assistance from the U.S. and
other concerned parties, has been actively engaged in efforts
to preserve and reconstruct many of the Serbian Orthodox
churches and monasteries targeted in the 2004 attacks, as
well as other important cultural sites in Kosovo. The
Reconstruction Implementation Committee (RIC),of which the
United States has been a strong supporter, has partially or
fully reconstructed 34 sites, and is scheduled to finish
major reconstruction by the end of 2009. The government of
Kosovo is the largest funder of the RIC. My government has
donated USD 1 million for restoration and preservation of
several cultural heritage sites in Kosovo, including four
Serbian Orthodox sites: the Church of the Presentation of the
Virgin in Lipljan, the St. Sava Church in Mitrovica, the
Church of St. Archangel Michael in Stimlje, and the Budisavci
Monastery in Klina.
The future of Kosovo lies in a multi-ethnic, tolerant society
that works for the benefit of all of its people. We will
continue to work with Kosovo, Serbia and the other countries
of the region to promote lasting peace and prosperity in the
Balkans.
We encourage the government of Serbia to work constructively
with an independent Kosovo and the many willing international
partners engaged in the region to find pragmatic solutions to
the challenges that face them and to look towards their
European and Euro-Atlantic future as peaceful, stable
neighbors.
Thank you, Madame Chairwoman.
End text.
CLINTON