SERBIA: CONGRESSMAN POMEROY PROMOTES SERBIA'S EU PATH AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BELGRADE 000302

CODEL
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON SR
SUBJECT: SERBIA: CONGRESSMAN POMEROY PROMOTES SERBIA'S EU PATH AND
GROWING BILATERAL COOPERATION

Summary

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1. (SBU) During his Feb 18-21 visit to Serbia, Representative
Pomeroy expressed strong support for Serbia's EU integration and
encouraged leaders to find a modus vivendi on Kosovo. In separate
meetings, Prime Minister Cvetkovic, Deputy Prime Minister Djelic
and Foreign Minister Jeremic, conveyed consistent messages in
support of Serbia's EU aspirations but insisted Serbia would not
give up on its diplomatic fight for Kosovo. Serbian officials also
underscored their interest in deepening cooperation with the United
States, including in the areas of law enforcement and scientific
cooperation. National Assembly Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic encouraged
greater interaction between the U.S. Congress and Serbia's National
Assembly. During Congressman Pomeroy's return journey to the
central Serbian city of Kraljevo, where he was an exchange student
in 1973, media covered the long historic ties of friendship between
the United States and Serbia. Pomeroy's visit highlighted
opportunities for deepening bilateral relations beyond traditional
government to government discussions. End Summary.



Prime Minister Cvetkovic: EU is Serbia's Goal

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2. (SBU) Prime Minister Cvetkovic told Representative Pomeroy that
EU integration is the key pillar of the government coalition and
emphasized that Serbia's recent EU candidacy application
demonstrated that Serbia's future is in the EU. Cvetkovic said
that it would be difficult for Serbia to receive EU candidacy
status in 2010, quoting a Serbian saying: "if you want something
Friday, make a plan for Wednesday". Cvetkovic said Serbia was
fully committed to complying with the Hague Tribunal and said that
should not be an impediment to Serbia's EU aspirations.




3. (SBU) Cvetkovic identified three additional pillars of the
governing coalition's policies: (1) openness to regional
cooperation, (2) economic recovery, and (3) anti-corruption
measures. Cvetkovic said that 2009 was a difficult year for Serbia
economically, and expressed optimism the country would see modest
growth in 2010. Cvetkovic highlighted unemployment as the most
significant economic challenge, followed by the need to decrease
public spending, notwithstanding public pressure to lift freezes on
public salaries and pensions. Cvetkovic said Kosovo remained an
additional priority for the government, but insisted that Serbia
would only use diplomacy and peaceful means to fight for Kosovo.




4. (SBU) Pomeroy congratulated Cvetkovic on Serbia's progress
towards EU integration including the achievement of visa
liberalization, the acceptance on the interim agreement on trade,
and the submitting of Serbia's candidacy to the European Union.
Pomeroy asked about WTO accession efforts, particularly in the
agricultural arena. Cvetkovic said he was hopeful the WTO process
would be successfully completed in the near future and called
Serbia's non-WTO compliant GMO law "a technical issue that will be
resolved shortly".



Deputy Prime Minister Djelic: Greater Cooperation

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5. (SBU) Deputy Prime Minister Djelic told Pomeroy that after
Vice-President Biden's visit to Serbia in May 2009, relations
between the United States and Serbia had moved forward, but Djelic
said relations could be deeper. Djelic said that Serbia was
proving that it was a responsible and reliable partner, firmly on
the path to EU integration. Djelic cited the GoS's recent efforts
to improve regional cooperation and partnership such as: proposing

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a parliamentary resolution on Srebrenica, supporting the
territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and supporting the
fight against organized crime, including coordinated efforts with
the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.




6. (SBU) Djelic said that the status of Kosovo was a key issue on
which the United States and Serbia disagreed, but said Serbia
wanted to work with the United States on this issue. Djelic
described Kosovo as "Serbia's Jerusalem" and said as a domestic
political issue it would be impossible to compromise Serbia's
position on Kosovo. Djelic acknowledged that Serbia could not, and
did not want, to administer Kosovo directly, but also that Kosovo
Serbs did not want to be administered from Pristina. Pomeroy
reiterated the United State's support for Kosovo's independence and
territorial integrity. Djelic said that international pressure on
President Boris Tadic on the issue of Kosovo was unhelpful, as
Serbian government leaders had to find a solution which would be
politically palatable to the Serbian public.




7. (SBU) Djelic welcomed the progress which had been made towards
completing a bilateral agreement on science and technology
cooperation, said he planned to visit the United States in April,
and hoped to visit research centers and sign the finalized
agreement in Washington.



Foreign Minister Jeremic: EU and Kosovo

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8. (SBU) Describing the situation in Serbia as "infinitely
better" than just a few years ago, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic
told Pomeroy that the two national elections in 2008 were referenda
that "calmed down our demons" and set Serbia on the path toward
European integration. EU integration was Serbia's "central
strategic priority," Jeremic said, adding that he was concerned
that political and economic developments in the EU may slow the
process of EU enlargement. Noting that the December 2009 Brammertz
report showed Serbia in compliance with its obligations toward The
Hague Tribunal, Jeremic voiced confidence that Serbia's efforts
would lead to the capture of Hague-indictees Ratko Mladic and Goran
Hadzic.




9. (SBU) Responding to the Congressman's assertion that Kosovo
status had been decided and that Serbia should focus on its EU
accession, Jeremic asserted that Serbia could enter the EU without
resolving Kosovo's status. Jeremic noted that both Cyprus and
Ireland had joined the EU despite unresolved territorial disputes
and said Serbia could not accept Kosovo's unilateral declaration of
independence because doing so would "open a precedent that would
destabilize Serbia's other provinces." Jeremic urged Pomeroy to
"recognize the realities" of international law and said that not
all inhabitants of Kosovo wished to live under Pristina, echoing
similar coordinated comments by the PM and Deputy PM. Jeremic
emphasized that Serbia's Kosovo policy would be "patient and
peaceful." Jeremic said that while Serbia and the United States
disagreed about the trajectory for Serbia, both nations agreed on
the end goals of prosperity, stability, and European integration.



Assembly Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic: Deepening Cooperation

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10. (SBU) Speaker of the Serbian National Assembly Slavica
Djukic-Dejanovic said the coalition parties were united by a
commitment to join the EU, improve the lives of citizens, and fight
organized crime. Djukic-Dejanovic said that Vice President Biden's
visit had opened a new chapter in U.S.-Serbian relations. She said
she was grateful for current USAID assistance and welcomed
increased cooperation with the U.S. Congress to assist the National

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Assembly as it made reforms. She cited recent parliamentary
efforts establishing the Assembly's financial independence from the
government, and developing several independent bodies working on
anti-corruption, citizens' rights, and transparency.
Djukic-Dejanovic said parliamentary exchanges such as a recent
International Visitors Program were useful. She invited Speaker of
the House Nancy Pelosi to visit Serbia and said she would follow up
with a formal invitation. In a follow up dinner with several MPs
from the American Friendship Caucus, all expressed to Pomeroy a
greater interest in fostering stronger relations between the
National Assembly and Congress.



Pomeroy's Return to Kraljevo

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11. (U) On February 20, Congressman Pomeroy traveled to the
central Serbian city of Kraljevo, where he and Deputy Chief of
Mission Brush had been exchange students in 1973. Together with
the mayor, they toured the city and discussed the current local
economic climate and potential opportunities for further
cooperation.




12. (U) Pomeroy then participated in a casual reunion with the
Kraljevo host families who had sponsored American students in 1973.
In his remarks, which were extensively covered by the national
media, Pomeroy stated continued support for bilateral exchanges
which fostered greater people to people understanding.



Comment

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13. (SBU) Representative Pomeroy's visit to Serbia helped to
reinforce our message that the United States firmly supported
Serbia's EU aspirations, while also encouraging Serbia to find a
pragmatic manner to move beyond the issue of Kosovo. The open,
positive reception he received from the Government, the Assembly
and Serbian citizens showed a growing interest in further engaging
with the United States in both governmental and cultural fora.
Pomeroy's personal connection to Serbia demonstrated the
significant impact of such exchanges, even decades after the first
encounter. End Comment.




14. (U) This cable was cleared by Representative Pomeroy.
WARLICK