VZCZCXRO5153
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBW #1956 3380956
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 040956Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9832
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 0627
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS BELGRADE 001956 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT PLS PASS U/S BURNS AND A/S FRIED 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR PREL NATO SR
SUBJECT: PFP REACTIONS UPDATE - GOS Private Reactions 
 
REF: BELGRADE 1943 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  The Ambassador spoke on November 29 with President Tadic, 
FONMIN Draskovic, and DEFMIN Stankovic.  PM Kostunica returned the 
Ambassador's call on November 30.  The Ambassador congratulated his 
interlocutors, noting the Secretary's efforts to forge consensus on 
the issue.  He said NATO and the USG would now be looking for an 
energetic and positive response to this gesture of goodwill towards 
Serbia -- including unstinting efforts to complete ICTY cooperation 
and continue on the path of defense reform.  He also expressed 
disappointment at the GoS official statement and its inaccurate 
linkage of PfP and Kosovo status. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  President Tadic welcomed the PfP invitation and reassured 
the Ambassador that full ICTY cooperation remained a top priority 
for him and his party.  He echoed the Ambassador's disappointment 
over the official GoS response.  Tadic said he was committed to 
finalizing the appointment of reformist Genral Zdravko Ponos as the 
Serbian Chief of the General Staff, noting he had sent a formal 
letter to DEFMIN Stankovic instructing him to forward the 
appointment paperwork.  Tadic said he was committed to doing 
everything in his power "within the limits of the law" to make the 
appointment happen. DEFMIN Stankovic, in his call, thanked the USG 
for helping move the PfP issue forward and avowed to the Ambassador 
that Ponos' appointment would be "no problem." 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Draskovic also welcomed the decision, and agreed that it 
was improper for the GoS to formally link the PfP offer to Kosovo 
status.  Draskovic said he would appreciate a public acknowledgement 
from NATO and the USG of his role in moving the PfP debate forward, 
noting his long commitment to PfP as a tool for apprehending Mladic 
and strengthening reformers in Serbia.  The Ambassador said we would 
look for an opportunity to recognize his contributions in an 
appropriate manner. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Kostunica pointedly reiterated his interpretation of the 
PfP offer as NATO acknowledgement of Serbian territorial integrity 
including Kosovo.  He also stressed that the Alliance decision meant 
that its policy of conditions had failed.  Kostunica hoped that now 
NATO members and partners of Serbia would work with Serbia to 
prevent imposition of Kosovo independence.  The Ambassador warned 
the PM against misinterpretation of this important U.S./NATO 
gesture.  This was an offer of partnership and integration along 
with the expectation that the gesture would be reciprocated by 
Serbia's democratic leaders in a renewed commitment to constructive 
and realistic relations.  U.S. policy on Kosovo, the Ambassador 
noted, had not changed.  The PM and the Ambassador agreed to meet in 
person  the week of December 4 for further discussion. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Meanwhile, all Belgrade media were dominated November 30 
by the PfP decision.  As reported reftel, PM Kostunica commented 
publicly along the lines of his conversation with the Ambassador 
that "as member of PfP, we are much more secure that the integrity 
of Serbia will be preserved and that Kosovo and Metohija will remain 
in Serbia with the appropriate...and essential autonomy."  The PM 
also said that "conditionality is not the way to enter into 
integrations, whether it is PfP or the EU." 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  According to press reports, ICTY chief prosecutor Carla 
del Ponte attacked NATO's decision as a reward for non-compliance 
with the ICTY.  The Embassy received messages from human rights 
NGOs, including especially those dedicated to war crimes issues, 
that they were upset by NATO's sudden change of position.  SRS, 
meanwhile, has been uncharacteristically silent on the PfP issue, 
focusing instead on Seselj's hunger strike.  SPS has made noises 
about the need for a referendum on PfP, but that appears unlikely. 
 
POLT