SERBIAN DEFENSE MINISTER REQUESTS MILITARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USNATO 000330 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2019 TAGS: PREL NATO PGOV MOPS MARR KV YI SUBJECT: SERBIAN DEFENSE MINISTER REQUESTS MILITARY TECHNICAL AGREEMENT CHANGE, CITING SECURITY SITUATION IN SOUTHERN SERBIA REF: DSG(2009)0632 Classified By: A/DCM A. "Hoot" Baez. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) In a letter addressed to NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer, Serbian Minister of Defense Sutanovac requested a modification to the implementation of the Military Technical Agreement (MTA),arguing that modification was necessary in light of recent "terrorist attacks" in the south of Serbia. Sultanovac also used the letter to argue that "the announced downsizing of the KFOR strength" might encourage further extremist activities. ¶2. (C) In a cover note distributing the letter to Allies (ref -- emailed to EUR/RPM),Deputy Secretary General Bisogniero informed Allies that NATO continues to wait for concrete and detailed Serbian proposals on MTA implementation. He said that he did not envision a North Atlantic Council discussion of the topic until such proposals are received from Belgrade. He also said that in his reply to Sutanovac he intended to reiterate the need to resume as soon as possible Joint Implementation Commission meetings at the level of COMKFOR and the Serbian Chief of Defense, as the the appropriate forum for high level military technical discussions on security issues, including those related to southern Serbia. ¶3. (SBU) An unofficial translation of Sutanovac's letter follows: Belgrade, 17th July 2009 Dear Mr. Scheffer, I am writing to you having in mind the terrorist attacks that have recently took place in the south of Serbia, knowing that You (sic) will be able to understand and recognise the gravity of the problem we are commonly facing. I believe that we share the conviction that Serbia and NATO cooperate as reliable partners with the common interest of further promoting this cooperation through the mechanisms of the Partnership for Peace. A specific test of good cooperation is the high professional level of the relations between the Serbian Armed Forces and KFOR, upon which the stability of the entire region depends. Notwithstanding the fact that there is a common willingness to ensure security in the Ground Safety Zone, terrorist acts are becoming more frequent, and through them, the extremists from the regions of Southern Serbia and Kosovo and Metohija are trying to make the achieved results of KFOR and the Republic of Serbia worthless. According to our deep conviction, the announced downsizing of the KFOR strength may encourage the extremists to continue with similar activities. The recent terrorist attack in the village of Lucane near Bujanovac, on the occasion of which two members of the Gendarmerie have been severely injured, as well as the latest bombing attack in Presevo when two persons have been wounded, point to the urgency and complexity of the problem. Serbia will respond to such and similar terrorist attacks in a responsible manner, but with determination, without being tricked into terrorists' provocations. Bearing in mind the provisions of the Military Technical Agreement and the responsibilities of the KFOR Commander in the Ground Safety Zone, Serbia expects NATO to provide assistance to shed light on that terrorist act, since this is mutually beneficial. Unfortunately, such and similar terrorist acts are not rare in the Ground Safety Zone, which is a politically sensitive region to fight terrorism. As it is known, the Military Technical Agreement has confined the sovereignty of the state of Serbia and created a security limbo whose consequences we are observing at the moment. Thus, I consider it necessary to point out once again to the necessity of modifying the implementation of the Military Technical Agreement. Such an initiative would enable Serbia to take an additional responsibility in the stabilisation of the situation in the USNATO 00000330 002 OF 002 region and would considerably help towards the improvement of the existing image of NATO in Serbia. I am confident that you will consider this proposal in a constructive and timely manner, as it has always been the case in our cooperation hitherto. Dragan Sutanovac END TEXT STEIN