ENGAGING CARICOM STATES ON KOSOVO RECOGNITION

UNCLAS STATE 073869

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KV
SUBJECT: ENGAGING CARICOM STATES ON KOSOVO RECOGNITION

REF: STATE 29385


1. (SBU) This is an action request for posts in CARICOM
member states. See paragraph 2.

Objectives
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2. (SBU) Sixty-two countries have now recognized Kosovo. It
is a high U.S. priority to obtain new recognitions to
strengthen Kosovo,s international position, especially ahead
of UNGA and before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
hears oral arguments in December on Serbia,s request for an
advisory opinion on Kosovo,s declaration of independence.
Thanks to posts, effective lobbying, many CARICOM countries
joined the overwhelming vote in favor of Kosovo membership in
the IMF and World Bank in June. Also, the United States
Congress has shown continued interest in this issue; most
recently three senior Members of Congress wrote to a number
of Latin American Presidents and Prime Ministers urging
Kosovo recognition, including to the following CARICOM
members: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados,
Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St.
Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname,
and Trinidad and Tobago. On July 11, the Dominican Republic
recognized Kosovo, the second Caribbean state (after Belize)
to do so. Jordan recognized a few days earlier. Building on
this new momentum, Department requests that, at the highest
appropriate level, posts urge CARICOM states to recognize
Kosovo now. Posts may, at their discretion, coordinate this
approach with British, French, and/or German counterparts.

REPORTING DEADLINE
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3. (SBU) Embassies are requested to report results of efforts
by front channel cable before July 31.

BACKGROUND AND SUGGESTED POINTS
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4. (U) Posts can draw from the following points:

--- Kosovo is a high priority for the United States. Its
full development as a peaceful, multiethnic, democratic and
independent state is a critical element in the international
community's long-standing efforts to bring stability to the
Balkans region.

--- Sixty-two countries have recognized Kosovo, including the
vast majority of the EU, NATO and Kosovo's neighbors, and all
the G-7 members. The Dominican Republic was the most recent
country to recognize Kosovo. Kosovo joined the IMF and the
World Bank on June 29, having received positive affirmative
votes for their candidacies from an overwhelming majority of
the International Financial Institutions members across the
world, including in Latin AMERICA and the Caribbean.

--- As Kosovo's political and diplomatic situation has
stabilized and strengthened, the Government of Kosovo has
begun to focus intensively on economic development.

--- The UN mission in Kosovo has significantly downsized, and
the EU has deployed a rule of law mission to assist Kosovo,s
police and judicial institutions.

--- IF RAISED: Last fall, the UNGA adopted a
Serbian-sponsored resolution seeking an advisory opinion from
the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the narrow
question of the legality of the manner in which Kosovo
declared independence. We are confident that Kosovo,s case
for independence is strong, but the fact that the ICJ
process is ongoing does not in any way bar new recognitions.
A number of states have recognized Kosovo since the question
was referred, including the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia
and Jordan.

POINT OF CONTACT
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5. (SBU) For a list of countries that have recognized Kosovo
see the following SIPRnet website
http://www.state.sgov.gov/s/crs/
index.cfm?fuseaction=public.display&shortcut= I9B9. Please
contact Kosovo Desk Officers Seiji Shiratori at 202-647-7729
or Marianne Toussaint at 202-647-9173 for additional
information.


6. (U) Minimize considered.
CLINTON