Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10USNATO59
2010-02-09 07:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Mission USNATO
Cable title:
SERBIA REQUESTS NATO GO SLOW ON KFOR DRAWDOWN
how-toVZCZCXRO9518 PP RUEHSL DE RUEHNO #0059 0400759 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 090759Z FEB 10 FM USMISSION USNATO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3844 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0041 RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA PRIORITY 3333 RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO PRIORITY 0224 RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE PRIORITY 3516 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RUDKSR/EUCOM PLANS AND ANALYSIS STUTTGART GE PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHNO/USDELMC BRUSSELS BE PRIORITY RHMFISS/USNMR SHAPE BE PRIORITY RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000059
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2020
TAGS: PREL NATO PGOV MOPS MARR KV YI
SUBJECT: SERBIA REQUESTS NATO GO SLOW ON KFOR DRAWDOWN
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission John Heffern. Reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000059
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2020
TAGS: PREL NATO PGOV MOPS MARR KV YI
SUBJECT: SERBIA REQUESTS NATO GO SLOW ON KFOR DRAWDOWN
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission John Heffern. Reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).
1. (C) Serbian Ambassador to NATO Milinkovic approached
USNATO Deputy Chief of Mission Heffern on February 8 to
express Belgrade's concern that NATO intended to draw down
KFOR too quickly. Amb. Milinkovic said he had heard from the
Defense Ministerial meeting in Istanbul that NATO was
considering moving in "60 days" from Gate 1 (10,000 troops)
to Gate 2 (5,500 troops) of deterrent presence. He said
Belgrade was alarmed at such a prospect, which it viewed as
potentially destabilizing to Kosovo and the region.
2. (C) DCM Heffern responded that the U.S. shared Serbian
concerns and favored a gradual, conditions-based approach to
the KFOR drawdown. Heffern relayed that the U.S. would like
to see the hard political tasks tackled while KFOR still had
sufficient forces on the ground. Amb. Milinkovic said
Belgrade strongly endorsed such an approach. He said that in
Belgrade's view the hard political tasks, as well as the
transfer of the first few KFOR-guarded patrimonial sites to
the Kosovo Police, should be addressed before movement to
Gate 2.
3. (C) EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) Head of
Mission de Kermabon offered a different view at a
French-hosted dinner on February 9. While very cautious
about the timing of unfixing sites and working issues in the
north, de Kermabon repeated several times that KFOR's
drawdown should "advance."
DAALDER
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2020
TAGS: PREL NATO PGOV MOPS MARR KV YI
SUBJECT: SERBIA REQUESTS NATO GO SLOW ON KFOR DRAWDOWN
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission John Heffern. Reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).
1. (C) Serbian Ambassador to NATO Milinkovic approached
USNATO Deputy Chief of Mission Heffern on February 8 to
express Belgrade's concern that NATO intended to draw down
KFOR too quickly. Amb. Milinkovic said he had heard from the
Defense Ministerial meeting in Istanbul that NATO was
considering moving in "60 days" from Gate 1 (10,000 troops)
to Gate 2 (5,500 troops) of deterrent presence. He said
Belgrade was alarmed at such a prospect, which it viewed as
potentially destabilizing to Kosovo and the region.
2. (C) DCM Heffern responded that the U.S. shared Serbian
concerns and favored a gradual, conditions-based approach to
the KFOR drawdown. Heffern relayed that the U.S. would like
to see the hard political tasks tackled while KFOR still had
sufficient forces on the ground. Amb. Milinkovic said
Belgrade strongly endorsed such an approach. He said that in
Belgrade's view the hard political tasks, as well as the
transfer of the first few KFOR-guarded patrimonial sites to
the Kosovo Police, should be addressed before movement to
Gate 2.
3. (C) EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) Head of
Mission de Kermabon offered a different view at a
French-hosted dinner on February 9. While very cautious
about the timing of unfixing sites and working issues in the
north, de Kermabon repeated several times that KFOR's
drawdown should "advance."
DAALDER