SERBIA: SCENESETTER FOR THE FEBRUARY 18-21 VISIT OF CODEL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BELGRADE 000244 SENSITIVE CODEL SIPDIS H FOR LYNNEA SHANE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ECON MARR PREL OREP SR SUBJECT: SERBIA: SCENESETTER FOR THE FEBRUARY 18-21 VISIT OF CODEL POMEROY Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Your visit to Serbia comes at a time when Serbia's pro-European government is stable and recently achieved key milestones in its path to EU membership. To keep making progress, however, Serbia must stop allowing the Kosovo issue to undermine its broader foreign policy approach and shift its focus to the economic and political reforms necessary for membership in the EU. Reforms to date have been uneven, with significant progress in the defense sector and many challenges ahead in the economic sphere, particularly as the economic crisis threatens to lead to sustained labor and social unrest. End Summary. Domestic Politics -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Serbia's democratic, pro-European government has remained intact since its installation in July 2008 despite its razor thin parliamentary majority. President Boris Tadic's Democratic Party (DS) is the main party in the ruling coalition, and also controls Serbia's largest city governments. Tadic's ultranationalist rival, the Serbian Radical Party (SRS),splintered in autumn 2008 when top SRS officials split to form the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Claiming a pro-European orientation while cultivating its nationalist electoral base, the SNS is now Serbia's largest opposition party; polls roughly even (at around 30%) with Tadic's DS. However, despite recent local electoral victories and a nationwide petition effort, the opposition is unable to provoke early elections. The main threat to the governing coalition's stability continues to be political infighting among the governing parties. Ongoing Political Reform -------------- ¶3. (SBU) EU accession benchmarks for Serbia require additional improvements in judicial independence and efficiency, improved rule of law, and sustained economic growth, as well as reducing opportunities for corrupt practices. While the current government has made significant progress on reform compared to preceding governments, it relies upon a cumbersome multiparty coalition, which at times leads to poor governmental coordination and fragmented reform efforts. Serbia must approach reform comprehensively -- reducing corruption, strengthening the rule of ;law and embracing good governance and a more active role for ordinary citizens in public decision-making. Euro-Atlantic Integration -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Top Serbian officials have repeatedly emphasized that Serbia's top foreign policy objective is to gain EU membership. Over the past several months Serbia has achieved significant milestones including gaining visa liberalization with Schengen countries on December 19, formally submitting an application for EU membership of December 22, and "unfreezing" and implementing the Interim Trade Agreement with the EU on February 1. (EU ratification of Serbia's Stabilization and Association Agreement remains conditioned on Serbia's full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former YUGOSLAVIA (ICTY); most notably, Serbia must capture and extradite ICTY indictees Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic.) Over the past year, however, Serbia's pro-European foreign policy focus has been blurred by Belgrade's efforts to cultivate closer relations with the BELGRADE 00000244 002 OF 004 Non-Aligned Movement (NAM),China, and Russia. The NAM has been a particular focus as part of Serbia's efforts to slow down Kosovo recognitions, and China and Russia as appreciation for their support on the UN Security Council in regard to Kosovo. ¶5. (SBU) While Serbia cooperates with NATO via the Partnership for Peace Program, it does not intend to pursue NATO membership in the foreseeable future. This is mostly due to lasting public anger over the 1999 NATO bombing campaign which forced then-President Slobodan Milosevic to halt his ethnic cleansing campaign in Kosovo. It also reflects both Serbia's interest in walking a fine line between Russia and the West. Public debate on NATO has increased in recent months as nationalist figures attempt to use the issue to gain political traction and some in the governing coalition make increasingly forward-leaning statements in favor of the Alliance. Russia recently has begun to raise the rhetoric's temperature with anti-NATO op-eds from the local Russian Ambassador, and comments from the Russian Ambassador to NATO that Serbia would have to "choose between NATO and Kosovo." Kosovo and Regional Relations -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Despite the recognition of Kosovo's independence by 65 countries and its membership in international organizations such as the IMF, World Bank and Miss Universe, Belgrade continues to claim that Kosovo is part of Serbia. Since Kosovo's independence in February 2008, Serbia has launched a diplomatic offensive in the UN and around the globe to prevent additional states from recognizing Kosovo. During his May 2009 trip to Belgrade, Vice President Biden clearly stated that the United States and Serbia have "agreed to disagree" over Kosovo's status. This spring the International Court of Justice is expected to issue an advisory opinion to the UN General Assembly on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, as Serbia requested. Regardless of the opinion, Belgrade likely plans to force a reopening of status talks on Kosovo. While we do not expect Serbia to recognize Kosovo, we continue to encourage the Government to find a modus vivendi with its neighbor so it can address the necessary quality of life issues for Serbs in Kosovo as well as serious trans-border issues such as drug trafficking and trafficking in persons. Failure to do so will complicate Serbia's path to the EU. ¶7. (SBU) Serbia has defined regional cooperation as one of its top foreign policy priorities and has claimed to seek to repair relations with its neighbors with mixed results. While improving relations with Hungary and Slovenia, Serbia has yet to come to terms with Macedonia and Montenegro, particularly after the two countries recognized Kosovo in October 2008. Serbia has generally played a constructive role in the Butmir process in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We expect Belgrade to take advantage of the opportunity to improve troubled political relations with Croatia after incoming Croatian president Ivo Josipovic assumes office in mid-February. Security Issues -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Defense reform is a priority of the Serbian government, and an area where significant progress has been made. The Serbian Armed Forces have been right-sized to about 28,000 troops, with further cuts on hold for the time being, pending reevaluation of the security environment. Minister of Defense Dragan Sutanovac (DS) has overseen significant soldier pay increases, training improvements, and legislation to codify defense reform, as well as improvements in strategic planning and procurement. The Ministry has also made progress on disposing of some excess materiel such as MANPADS, which we are funding. Further reforms, including a reduction in civilian staff, are needed. Serbia is an active BELGRADE 00000244 003 OF 004 participant in the National Guard's State Partnership Program with Ohio, which has been publicly well received and touted as an example of successful bilateral cooperation. Economic Issues -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Serbia's economy is still shaped by the wars, sanctions and economic neglect of the 1990's. The country is trying to make up for lost time, but the economic liberalization process has been drawn out, with limited tangible benefits for average Serbians. Average Serbs perceive the privatization process as a disaster, seeing their once prestigious firms sold for fire sale prices to shady investors, who later declared bankruptcy and fled. When the global financial crisis hit, Serbia was quick to reach out to the IMF and in May 2009 signed a $4 billion Stand-By Arrangement. Since then, the Serbian dinar has been relatively stable; however, in recent weeks, the dinar has come under pressure. The IMF agreement constrains the Serbian government budget deficit to 4.5% for 2009 resulting in a freeze on pensions and public sector wages. With limited new foreign and domestic investment over the last two years the economy is struggling to create jobs and labor pressure is building. Strikes and acts of civil disobedience have increased as more companies fall behind on payments and face bankruptcy. Because unions do not have strong central leadership, local pressures have not become national. Bilateral Issues -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Vice President Biden's May 2009 visit to Belgrade added a new impetus to our bilateral relationship, which had been strained following Kosovo's declaration of independence in February 2008. Our diplomatic relations are now slowly returning to a productive level and we are working to reinforce the Vice President's message that we can agree to disagree on Kosovo's status while building on other areas of our bilateral relationship. Our main priorities include assisting Serbia on its path to Europe, building on our positive mil-mil relationship, and expanding economic and business ties. In the coming months we will also be seeking to update a woefully outdated extradition treaty with Serbia. Your Return to Kraljevo -------------- ¶11. (SBU) In contrast to its more prosperous times in the 1970s, the city of Kraljevo today is firmly ensconced in Serbia's rustbelt and suffers from sustained high unemployment exceeding 25%. Kraljevo's once vigorous industries that sustained the local population were sold to unreliable investors that led to the unemployment of thousands of local blue-collar workers. Once a thriving military locale, the drawdown of the local military presence also has diminished employment opportunities. Local politics is infused with resentment stemming from the lack of economic opportunities and aggravation with the influx of displaced persons and refugees from the 1990's who have settled in Kraljevo. Of the municipality's estimated population of 100,000, about 20,000 are displaced persons from Kosovo and roughly 700 are refugees from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. After 2000, Kraljevo's city government was largely run by a bloc of nationalist parties; however, in March 2009, the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) -- the party of Milosevic -- joined forces with Tadic's coalition to give the DS-bloc a one-vote majority in the local assembly. Mayor Ljubisa Simovic (DS) assured us last autumn that his government is stable despite its narrow majority. Potential Turkish investments in roads and Kraljevo's airport may be the start of a revival of a regional role for the historic and proud city. BELGRADE 00000244 004 OF 004 Comment -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Now is an important time for Serbia to decide whether it wishes to spend the year in a quixotic quest to reopen Kosovo status or devote full attention to winning EU candidacy status. Our consistent message to our Serbian interlocutors is the importance of overcoming domestic political rivalries and grievances with neighboring countries in order to demonstrate the political maturity and responsibility necessary for EU membership. Your return visit to Kraljevo after so many years will send an important personal message that we continue to engage with Serbia on all levels and that our friendship is a long-term investment in Serbia and its people. End Comment. WARLICK