VZCZCXRO5507
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPS #0200 0731807
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141807Z MAR 07
FM USOFFICE PRISTINA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7145
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1095
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHFMIUU/AFSOUTH NAPLES IT
RHMFISS/CDR TF FALCON
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEPGEA/CDR650THMIGP SHAPE BE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUFOANA/USNIC PRISTINA SR

UNCLAS PRISTINA 000200 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DRL, INL, AND EUR/SCE, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN FOR 
DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: DISCIPLINED ASSEMBLY SUPPORTS AHTISAARI 
PROPOSAL, UNITY TEAM 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  In contrast to its February 9 marathon 
session that ended in only half-hearted support for the 
Ahtisaari proposal and the work of the Kosovo negotiating 
team (the "Unity Team"), the Assembly on March 14 warmly 
received the report of three Unity Team members on the last 
"elephant round" of negotiations in Vienna on March 10.  The 
session was disciplined and positive, a welcome demonstration 
of what the Assembly is capable of as a decision on Kosovo's 
final status approaches.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) Three members of the Kosovo "Unity Team" -- President 
Fatmir Sejdiu, Prime Minister Agim Ceku and main opposition 
leader Hashim Thaci -- went before a special session of the 
Kosovo Assembly on March 14 to report on the final "elephant 
round" of talks in Vienna on March 10.  The session was held 
the same day President Ahtisaari presented his report to the 
UN.  LDK presidency member Sabri Hamiti chaired the session 
in Speaker Kole Berisha's absence.  President Sejdiu spoke 
first, and said the ball is now in the UN Security Council's 
court.  He called the Ahtisaari proposal a "painful 
compromise" necessary to pave Kosovo's way to independence. 
He stressed that there would be no formal connections with 
Serbia, but that minorities, particularly Serbs, would be 
given strong guarantees.  He expressed his determination to 
implement the agreement and said it would be reflected in 
Kosovo's new constitution. 
 
¶3. (U) PM Ceku focused on his government's "successes" in 
laying the foundation for the status resolution.  He also 
thanked the opposition and Kosovo society for showing unity 
during the process, and said the "reasonable compromises" 
that were made would result in a functional state within 
existing borders.  He said he expected the UNSC to replace 
resolution 1244, support the Ahtisaari proposal, and mandate 
a future international presence for Kosovo. 
 
¶4. (U) Opposition leader Thaci focused on the negotiations, 
saying that Kosovars welcomed the status proposal along with 
the international community, that he hoped the Russians would 
"remain on board," and that the U.S. was "clear on the future 
of Kosovo."  Calling on citizens to maintain unity, Thaci 
emphasized that the proposal was the basis, not the limit, of 
Kosovo's future. 
 
¶5. (U) Caucus leaders' comments followed, each in turn 
expressing support for the Unity Team.  Alliance for the 
Future of Kosovo (AAK) caucus leader Gjylnaze Syla thanked 
Kosovo's friends for helping bring Kosovo into the family of 
the international community.  Democratic Party of Kosovo 
(PDK) caucus leader Jakup Krasniqi said PDK supports the 
process and that the "painful compromise" is in Kosovo's best 
interests.  There were the some critical voices, including 
People's Movement of Kosovo (LPK) leader (and E.O.-listee) 
Emrush Xhemajli, Democratic League of Dardania (LDD) caucus 
leader Ramadan Kelmendi, and PDK gadfly Xhevat Bislimi, who 
criticized provisions of the package and the Unity Team for 
not giving it more of an airing with the Kosovo public. 
However, even these voices were less harsh than usual. 
 
¶7. (SBU) COMMENT:  This special session requested by the 
Unity Team demonstrated that Assembly leaders have it in them 
to run a well-organized show of support for the Ahtisaari 
package.  That is good, because in the coming weeks the 
Assembly will be called upon to maintain this positive 
drumbeat as the UNSC begins the difficult work of getting 
agreement on the package.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶8. (SBU) U.S. Office Pristina clears this cable in its 
entirety for release to U.N. Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari. 
KAIDANOW