Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USNATO330
2009-07-30 13:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Mission USNATO
Cable title:
SERBIAN DEFENSE MINISTER REQUESTS MILITARY
how-toVZCZCXRO0228 OO RUEHSL DE RUEHNO #0330/01 2111327 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 301327Z JUL 09 FM USMISSION USNATO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3253 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0005 RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA PRIORITY 3307 RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO PRIORITY 0171 RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE PRIORITY 3456 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY RUEHNO/USDELMC BRUSSELS BE PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/USNMR SHAPE BE PRIORITY
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)
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
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