VZCZCXRO3381
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHLJ #0565 2441339
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 011339Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5125
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA 0141

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000565 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNMIK SI YI EU
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA COMMITTED TO NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT ON 
KOSOVO BUT NOT OPTIMISTIC 
 
REF: STATE 059894 
 
Classified By: COM Thomas B. Robertson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Government of Slovenia (GOS) supports the 
goals of a negotiated settlement, though it is somewhat 
pessimistic that current negotiations between Serbia and 
Kosovo will achieve a final solution by the end of 2006. The 
GOS also has concerns about a possible destabilizing effect 
on Serbia, should a decision be made to move forward on 
independence for Kosovo. Above all, Slovenia believes it is 
imperative to help Serbia and Kosovo "become European."  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) Pol/Econ Chief and Econoff delivered reftel points on 
August 24 to Davorin Senicar and Jozef Kecek, both newly 
assigned to the Division for South-Eastern Europe at the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Both Senicar and Kecek have 
recently returned from postings in Belgrade. Senicar thanked 
us for our points, noting that Slovenia agreed with and 
supported the U.S. position. He said the GOS is aware of its 
role in the region and it is doing its part in meetings at 
all levels with Serbs and Kosovars alike. The GOS supports 
the efforts of U.N. Special Envoy Ahtisaari, but Senicar 
emphasized that the situation is so complicated that he is 
afraid that there will be stalemate.  Serbia does not want to 
hear about independence for Kosovo, there is no agreement, 
and the two sides merely talk at each other without any real 
dialogue. Senicar ended by saying that the GOS is sympathetic 
to Serbia but is not optimistic about the process and is 
concerned about increasing radicalism in Serbia. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Slovenia is participating in the drafting of a 
non-paper to be presented at the Visegrad Group meeting in 
Vienna, September 14th, which will focus on Serbia and 
Kosovo. Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica has been invited to 
attend and share the Serbian perspective. 
 
¶5. (C) The Slovenians will encourage a draft that recognizes 
Serbian participation as critical to a successful outcome for 
the negotiated settlement.  It believes that Serbian concerns 
should be listened to more carefully by the international 
community, and that Serbia must help find proposals and 
outcomes that are more agreeable to Kosovo and come closer to 
the desired ends - independence. The means to those ends, 
according to Senicar is to to assist Serbia and Kosovo to 
"become European" and to integrate them into the European 
community. 
ROBERTSON