VZCZCXYZ0024
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBW #1030/01 1781508
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 271508Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8899
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BELGRADE 001030 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/16 
TAGS: PGOV PREL INRB SR
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH NEW DPM 
DULIC-MARKOVIC 
 
 
Classified by Ambassador Michael C. Polt, 
reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary:  The Ambassador's June 23 
meeting with newly-appointed Deputy PM Ivana 
Dulic-Markovic revealed the new DPM as a deeply 
idealistic technocrat eager for positive change 
but uncertain of how to use her new position to 
effect it.  The Ambassador encouraged Dulic- 
Markovic to speak her conscience to try to 
energize a population poorly served by its 
leadership in recent months.  We expect Dulic- 
Markovic to be extremely receptive to our policy 
priorities, and we will encourage her to use her 
bully pulpit to speak out on behalf of Serbs who 
want to move forward. End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (c)  Newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister 
Ivana Dulic-Markovic invited the Ambassador to 
her office June 23 to exchange views on hot 
button policy issues and to seek the 
Ambassador's input into how she could help move 
the pro-reform agenda forward.  She informed the 
Ambassador she will maintain the portfolios held 
by her predecessor, including EU integration, 
serving on the Kosovo negotiating team, and 
economic issues. 
 
¶3.  (c)  Dulic-Markovic said she is firmly 
committed to Serbia's future in Europe and the 
Euro-Atlantic community, but she sees "two 
Serbias" existing side by side - a (largely 
silent) majority, which wants to see Serbia 
progress, and a strong, vocal minority that is 
eager to side with the Radicals.  She knows, she 
added, that the majority of Serbs are 
disappointed with their government, and she 
believes it is necessary to energize them by 
addressing core concerns like creating economic 
opportunities and strengthening judicial reform. 
To this end, she said, she and her G-17 Plus 
party leaders are formulating a road map of 
priorities for Serbia, including operational 
steps, to present to Tadic and Kostunica. 
 
¶4.  (c)  Dulic-Markovic expressed dismay over 
Kostunica's recent remarks to the Ambassador and 
in the press that attempted to shift blame for 
his recent failures onto the international 
community.  She surmised that the PM may be 
looking for a "way out" of his current difficult 
political situation through nationalist 
retrenching.  The Ambassador urged her to speak 
with Kostunica about his upcoming trip to 
Washington to meet the Secretary, expressing his 
disappointment with the PM's refusal to meet 
jointly with Tadic.  The Ambassador emphasized 
that Kostunica will need to present the 
Secretary constructive ideas about the future, 
 
SIPDIS 
and not repeat well-worn legalistic arguments 
about Kosovo and Serb victimhood.  Dulic- 
Markovic promised to speak with him, but 
cautioned she was leery of pushing him too hard, 
as she fears he is increasingly willing to side 
with the Radical (SRS) Party. 
 
¶5.  (c)  On Kosovo, Dulic-Markovic recognized 
the inevitability of independence by the end of 
the year.  She agreed that it would be difficult 
to explain the outcome to the Serbian people if 
the government continued to maintain its firm 
stance against independence.  She thought the 
government's current planning looks to be to 
hold elections in the spring, in the hopes they 
can use elections to forestall a status decision 
on Kosovo until after elections are held.  The 
Ambassador reiterated that a status decision was 
likely by the end of the year, and the 
international community would not allow Serbian 
internal politics to drive the timetable. 
Dulic-Markovic said she is prepared to call 
elections anytime, but said her influence on the 
process was extremely limited due to the 
weakness inherent in the position.  The 
Ambassador encouraged her to use her "bully 
pulpit" to speak her mind on important issues of 
Serbia's future, and offered to assist her 
efforts wherever possible. 
 
¶6.  (c)  COMMENT:  Dulic-Markovic is uncertain 
in her new role, acknowledging that her position 
in the government is a relatively marginal one. 
 
Nevertheless, she is a committed reformer and 
idealist, and has never in the past pulled back 
from speaking her mind - most famously when, as 
AGMIN, she complained that Milosevic's SPS had 
frittered away opportunities to focus on 
economic integration by transporting Albanian 
corpses instead of Serbian produce exports in 
its refrigerator trucks.  She recognizes her 
political career may be short, and expressed 
willingness to take risks for the sake of 
creating improvements on the ground here.  We 
will continue to support her efforts, and 
encourage her to give some voice to that silent 
majority of Serbs who want to move forward. 
 
POLT