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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6183
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RUFOANA/USNIC PRISTINA SR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000481 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE, AND EUR/SSA, NSC FOR BRAUN, 
USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: EU FINALLY GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT KOSOVO 
 
 
Classified By: COM PHILIP S. GOLDBERG FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  The European Union has developed a draft 
discussion paper for an International Civilian Mission in 
Kosovo (ICM) that would form the basis for implementation of 
the final status settlement.  The plan calls for a much 
smaller footprint than UNMIK's current presence, and places 
heavy reliance on the OSCE's existing field presence.  It 
also calls for guidance and direction from an International 
Steering Group that would include the United States and 
Russia.  The discussion paper and the EU's own delay in 
getting people on the ground here in Kosovo do not give us 
much faith that the ICM will be open for business by the time 
UNMIK closes up shop.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Torbjorn Sohlstrom, head of the EU's office in 
Pristina, provided COM with a draft discussion paper dated 
May 22, 2006 for a proposed International Civilian Mission in 
Kosovo (ICM).  Pursuant to the proposal, the mandate of the 
ICM would be to ensure the implementation of whatever status 
settlement obtains from the work of UN Special Envoy on 
Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari.  The draft paper requires a UNSC 
resolution authorizing its work in Kosovo as well as a formal 
invitation from the Kosovo government to supervise 
implementation of the status settlement.  In its 
implementation of the settlement, the draft proposal provides 
that the ICM would work with Kosovo authorities to support 
implementation, exercise unspecified intervention powers 
entrusted to it to ensure full implementation and coordinate 
the roles of other international actors. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The head of the proposed ICM would be an 
International Community Representative (ICR) who would be 
double-hatted as the EU Special Representative (EUSR). 
According to the proposal, the double-hatted ICR/EUSR would 
better ensure the coherence and unity of command in the 
implementation of the ICM's mandate.  The ICM would have only 
deputies, one in charge of status implementation and the 
other responsible for operations of the EU representative 
office in Pristina. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The proposal sets out a clear break with the 
extensive UNMIK presence in Kosovo.  The ICM would only have 
six constituent offices: the Office of Status Implementation 
and Political Affairs; the Office of Legal Affairs; the 
Office of Economic Affairs; a press office; an Office of 
Administrative Support; and a separate entity that would 
manage the EU's rule of law mission and report to the EU's 
Deputy ICR/EUSR.  The plan also eschews UNMIK's sprawling 
physical plant and provides that the ICR/EUSR, the two 
deputies as well as all supporting structures and personnel 
should be co-located.  The plan also provides for the ICM to 
have only one special field office in Mitrovica.  (NOTE: The 
EU's current building would probably not be sufficient for 
this purpose, even if it evicts some of the offices of 
smaller EU member states from the premises.  According to EU 
Rule of Law Advisor Tuomas Oja, 15 of the 24-person planning 
team the EU announced would arrive in Kosovo months ago 
should be here by next week and will work out of an office in 
the Germia district of Pristina.  Reliance on OSCE field 
missions is not a new idea; UNMIK is also currently in the 
process of dismantling its field presence under the terms of 
an agreement with the OSCE.  END NOTE). 
 
¶5. (SBU) The proposal outlines regular bilateral coordination 
meetings with the head of any future international military 
presence to ensure cohesion in the area of security.  It also 
envisions an International Steering Group (consisting of 
France, Germany, Italy, Russia, the United States, the United 
Kingdom, NATO, the EU Council and the European Commission) to 
provide guidance and direction to the ICR/EUSR.  The plan 
would allow other international organizations (such as the 
IMF, World Bank, UNDP, UNHCR and the OSCE) to join the 
International Steering Group as needed. 
 
¶6. (C) COMMENT: While at least a start on EU thinking for 
post-settlement (and post UNMIK) arrangements, the plan needs 
to be fleshed out and the EU needs to come up with personnel 
 
PRISTINA 00000481  002 OF 002 
 
 
to staff even the small structure it envisions.  The EU 
presence, like its mission in a post-status Kosovo, will not 
need to be anywhere near the size of UNMIK.  We will have a 
better idea of how large the ICM needs to be as UNMIK itself 
gets smaller as we approach the final decision on status and 
remaining competencies are transferred to the Kosovo 
government.  According to standards coordinator Bryan 
Hopkinson, the next office at UNMIK to take a large hit will 
be the Office of Communities, Returns and Minorities -- a 
area in which the EU plan appears to leave oversight to UNHCR 
and UNDP after full responsibility for returns is handed over 
by UNMIK to the Kosovo government in the coming months.  The 
delay by the EU in staffing even its initial staff of 24 does 
not give us much reason to hope that its proposal is more 
than a planning exercise at this stage.    END COMMENT. 
 
¶7. (U) U.S. Office Pristina clears this message in its 
entirety for release to U.N. Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari. 
GOLDBERG