Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE47372
2009-05-08 22:24:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Secretary of State
Cable title:
KUDOS AND ACTION REQUEST: VOTING FOR KOSOVO'S
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 047372
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL KV
SUBJECT: KUDOS AND ACTION REQUEST: VOTING FOR KOSOVO'S
WORLD BANK MEMBERSHIP
REF: A. STATE 43681/43679
B. STATE 33629/33709
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 047372
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL KV
SUBJECT: KUDOS AND ACTION REQUEST: VOTING FOR KOSOVO'S
WORLD BANK MEMBERSHIP
REF: A. STATE 43681/43679
B. STATE 33629/33709
1. (SBU) On May 6, Kosovo,s membership in the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) was accepted overwhelmingly with 96
countries voting in favor of membership and another 32
casting abstentions. Kosovo,s membership received
significant support throughout the world, but especially in
the Arab world and in Africa. This global outpouring of
support reflects the concerted effort of your missions to get
out the vote, as well as your outstanding coordination with
the Germans, French, and British in conducting joint
demarches. This successful push on Kosovo,s IMF membership
should provide fresh momentum for further recognitions and
allow Kosovo to access additional technical and financial
support from these multilateral institutions. The Department
is extremely grateful for your collective efforts in this
important U.S. foreign policy priority.
2. (SBU) We seek to leverage this very positive development
to secure a similar outcome for Kosovo,s application to the
World Bank. There is a risk that countries wishing to avoid
controversy surrounding Kosovo's status may choose to ignore
the vote. Serbia and other countries are conducting
intensive diplomatic efforts to discourage participation in
the vote.
3. (SBU) Department instructs Embassies to urge the host
country's World Bank governor to respond formally and vote by
the June 3 closing date on Kosovo,s application for Bank
membership. Posts should, at their discretion, coordinate
this demarche with the embassies of France, Germany, Italy,
and the United Kingdom. Posts may choose not to deliver this
demarche if they believe it would be counterproductive.
Embassies should report results, including how and when host
country intends to respond to the vote, by cable to EEB and
EUR before May 27. Posts that have already reported that the
host country has returned a World Bank ballot need not reply.
See paragraphs 7 - 10 for country-by-country results of IMF
Kosovo voting. Please note that the IMF will not publicly
release the record of votes. This information is for post,s
use only and should not be shared publicly.
BACKGROUND
--------------
4. (SBU) As with the IMF balloting, it is critically
important that at least 93 countries participate in the
voting to meet World Bank quorum requirements. Posts should
stress the importance of participating in the vote. While
posts should encourage all governors to submit a favorable
response (&yes8),a "no" or "abstain" vote is also
acceptable because any recorded vote will count toward the
quorum requirement.
5. (SBU) The Board of Governors at the World Bank makes the
final determination on membership decisions. IMF membership
is the only prerequisite for World Bank membership. Each
member country has one governor (and one alternate governor)
at the World Bank; the governor casts the country's bloc of
STATE 00047372 002 OF 003
voting shares at the Board of Governors. Finance ministers,
Central Bank authorities, or planning and development
ministers typically serve as World Bank governors for host
countries. The list of World Bank governors and alternates
can be found online at http://siteresources.worldbank.org/
BODINT/resources/278027-1215526322295/ bankgovernors.pdf. As
long as there is a quorum, the World Bank members that have
recognized Kosovo wield sufficient voting power to achieve
the simple majority necessary to approve Kosovo's
application.
6. (SBU) Post may draw on the following talking points, as
needed:
-- Kosovo's success is a high priority for the United States
and the U.S. Administration.
-- The World Bank Executive Board approved Kosovo,s
membership application on April 21. On May 8, the IMF
announced that its members had approved Kosovo,s membership
application. The World Bank Governors are being asked to
provide their written approval no later than June 3.
-- The United States urges your government to vote in support
of Kosovo's World Bank membership application. Kosovo's
membership in international financial institutions will
strengthen stability in the Balkans and help integrate
Kosovo's economy into the global financial system.
-- Even if your government cannot vote &yes8 at this time,
we ask that you send in a written &abstention8 or &no8
response by June 3, so that the ballot procedure will meet
quorum requirements.
7. (SBU) The following countries voted &yes8 for Kosovo to
join the IMF: Afghanistan, Albania, Antigua and Barbuda,
Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin,
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central
African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d,Ivoire,
Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt,
Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany,
Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Latvia, Liberia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives,
Malta,, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Montenegro, Mozambique,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,
Palau, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, San
Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South
Africa, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Togo, Trinidad and
Tobago, Turkey, United Arab emirates, United Kingdom, United
States, Vanuatu, Yemen, and Zambia.
8. (SBU) The following countries submitted written
abstentions: Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Chile,
Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Israel,
Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Lebanon, Mexico,
Moldova, Morocco, Nepal, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Sao
Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Switzerland, Thailand,
Timor-Leste, Tonga, Ukraine, and Uruguay.
9 (SBU) The following countries voted &no8: Angola,
Azerbaijan, Cyprus, El Salvador, Georgia, Greece, Pakistan,
STATE 00047372 003 OF 003
Romania, Slovak Republic, and Venezuela.
10. (SBU) The following countries did not participate in the
IMF vote: Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Bhutan, Botswana,
Brazil, Cambodia, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Grenada, Guinea, Guyana, India, Iran,
Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania,
Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Papua New
Guinea, Russia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia,
Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and
Zimbabwe.
POINTS OF CONTACT
--------------
11. (SBU) Please contact Treasury staff Daniel Schmerin
(202-622-0036, or Daniel.Schmerin@do.treas.gov),EEB/ODF
staff Chip Laitinen (202-736-4586, or LaitinenWH@state.gov)
or Kosovo Desk Officer Seiji T Shiratori (202-736-7729, or
ShiratoriST@state.gov) for any necessary further background
information or argumentation to meet our objectives.
CLINTON
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL KV
SUBJECT: KUDOS AND ACTION REQUEST: VOTING FOR KOSOVO'S
WORLD BANK MEMBERSHIP
REF: A. STATE 43681/43679
B. STATE 33629/33709
1. (SBU) On May 6, Kosovo,s membership in the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) was accepted overwhelmingly with 96
countries voting in favor of membership and another 32
casting abstentions. Kosovo,s membership received
significant support throughout the world, but especially in
the Arab world and in Africa. This global outpouring of
support reflects the concerted effort of your missions to get
out the vote, as well as your outstanding coordination with
the Germans, French, and British in conducting joint
demarches. This successful push on Kosovo,s IMF membership
should provide fresh momentum for further recognitions and
allow Kosovo to access additional technical and financial
support from these multilateral institutions. The Department
is extremely grateful for your collective efforts in this
important U.S. foreign policy priority.
2. (SBU) We seek to leverage this very positive development
to secure a similar outcome for Kosovo,s application to the
World Bank. There is a risk that countries wishing to avoid
controversy surrounding Kosovo's status may choose to ignore
the vote. Serbia and other countries are conducting
intensive diplomatic efforts to discourage participation in
the vote.
3. (SBU) Department instructs Embassies to urge the host
country's World Bank governor to respond formally and vote by
the June 3 closing date on Kosovo,s application for Bank
membership. Posts should, at their discretion, coordinate
this demarche with the embassies of France, Germany, Italy,
and the United Kingdom. Posts may choose not to deliver this
demarche if they believe it would be counterproductive.
Embassies should report results, including how and when host
country intends to respond to the vote, by cable to EEB and
EUR before May 27. Posts that have already reported that the
host country has returned a World Bank ballot need not reply.
See paragraphs 7 - 10 for country-by-country results of IMF
Kosovo voting. Please note that the IMF will not publicly
release the record of votes. This information is for post,s
use only and should not be shared publicly.
BACKGROUND
--------------
4. (SBU) As with the IMF balloting, it is critically
important that at least 93 countries participate in the
voting to meet World Bank quorum requirements. Posts should
stress the importance of participating in the vote. While
posts should encourage all governors to submit a favorable
response (&yes8),a "no" or "abstain" vote is also
acceptable because any recorded vote will count toward the
quorum requirement.
5. (SBU) The Board of Governors at the World Bank makes the
final determination on membership decisions. IMF membership
is the only prerequisite for World Bank membership. Each
member country has one governor (and one alternate governor)
at the World Bank; the governor casts the country's bloc of
STATE 00047372 002 OF 003
voting shares at the Board of Governors. Finance ministers,
Central Bank authorities, or planning and development
ministers typically serve as World Bank governors for host
countries. The list of World Bank governors and alternates
can be found online at http://siteresources.worldbank.org/
BODINT/resources/278027-1215526322295/ bankgovernors.pdf. As
long as there is a quorum, the World Bank members that have
recognized Kosovo wield sufficient voting power to achieve
the simple majority necessary to approve Kosovo's
application.
6. (SBU) Post may draw on the following talking points, as
needed:
-- Kosovo's success is a high priority for the United States
and the U.S. Administration.
-- The World Bank Executive Board approved Kosovo,s
membership application on April 21. On May 8, the IMF
announced that its members had approved Kosovo,s membership
application. The World Bank Governors are being asked to
provide their written approval no later than June 3.
-- The United States urges your government to vote in support
of Kosovo's World Bank membership application. Kosovo's
membership in international financial institutions will
strengthen stability in the Balkans and help integrate
Kosovo's economy into the global financial system.
-- Even if your government cannot vote &yes8 at this time,
we ask that you send in a written &abstention8 or &no8
response by June 3, so that the ballot procedure will meet
quorum requirements.
7. (SBU) The following countries voted &yes8 for Kosovo to
join the IMF: Afghanistan, Albania, Antigua and Barbuda,
Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin,
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central
African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d,Ivoire,
Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt,
Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany,
Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Latvia, Liberia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives,
Malta,, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Montenegro, Mozambique,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,
Palau, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, San
Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South
Africa, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Togo, Trinidad and
Tobago, Turkey, United Arab emirates, United Kingdom, United
States, Vanuatu, Yemen, and Zambia.
8. (SBU) The following countries submitted written
abstentions: Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Chile,
Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Israel,
Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Lebanon, Mexico,
Moldova, Morocco, Nepal, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Sao
Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Switzerland, Thailand,
Timor-Leste, Tonga, Ukraine, and Uruguay.
9 (SBU) The following countries voted &no8: Angola,
Azerbaijan, Cyprus, El Salvador, Georgia, Greece, Pakistan,
STATE 00047372 003 OF 003
Romania, Slovak Republic, and Venezuela.
10. (SBU) The following countries did not participate in the
IMF vote: Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Bhutan, Botswana,
Brazil, Cambodia, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Grenada, Guinea, Guyana, India, Iran,
Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania,
Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Papua New
Guinea, Russia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia,
Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and
Zimbabwe.
POINTS OF CONTACT
--------------
11. (SBU) Please contact Treasury staff Daniel Schmerin
(202-622-0036, or Daniel.Schmerin@do.treas.gov),EEB/ODF
staff Chip Laitinen (202-736-4586, or LaitinenWH@state.gov)
or Kosovo Desk Officer Seiji T Shiratori (202-736-7729, or
ShiratoriST@state.gov) for any necessary further background
information or argumentation to meet our objectives.
CLINTON