VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNO #0138/01 0611735
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 021735Z MAR 07
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0567
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA PRIORITY 0351
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USDELMC BRUSSELS BE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/USNMR SHAPE BE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0365
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA 3228

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000138 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2017 
TAGS: KCRM NATO PGOV PHUM PREL SR
SUBJECT: NAC-PSC DISCUSSES EU-NATO COORDINATION IN KOSOVO 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Immediately following the February 26 NAC-PSC 
on Bosnia, NAC and PSC Ambassadors (with Cypriot and Maltese 
representatives present) met "informally" to discuss NATO/EU 
coordination in Kosovo.  Both NATO SYG De Hoop Scheffer and 
EU High Representative/SYG Solana called for close 
coordination between the two organizations during the 
transition from UNMIK to an EU Rule of Law mission.  De Hoop 
Scheffer reported that staff talks between NATO and the EU 
regarding technical arrangements on six areas of common 
concern are going well.  Solana stressed that the ESDP could 
not deploy until a UNSCR endorsing the Ahtisaari plan was 
adopted.  Solana cautioned that it was not clear how long the 
Security Council would deliberate, and the period leading up 
to adoption of the SCR would be the most risky for Kosovo. 
Several PermReps urged de Hoop Scheffer and Solana to consult 
with the UN to assure UNMIK's strength is maintained until 
the ESDP mission is in place.  Ambassador Nuland said that 
the EU had invited the U.S. to participate in its ESDP 
mission, and that the USG was looking very carefully at this 
possibility.  The Turkish Ambassador said that his government 
would permit informal NAC-PSC meetings only as warranted and 
according to circumstances, noting that the EU and NATO 
already have an existing framework for consultations.  During 
the formal NAC-PSC the Ambassadors discussed defense reform 
and political developments in Bosnia. End Summary. 
 
Kosovo: NATO and the EU Agree Close Cooperation Needed 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶2. (C) The SYG reported that he and Solana (who had met for 
45 minutes beforehand) agreed that the EU and NATO needed to 
be a "united team" in Kosovo.  De Hoop Scheffer said NATO 
needs to work closely with the pending EU ESDP rule-of-law 
mission, and that cooperation between the two organizations 
in Bosnia should be used as a model for Kosovo.  Staff talks 
between NATO and the EU on preliminary technical arrangements 
on six areas of common concern were going well.  Options for 
higher level political endorsement of these arrangements 
would need to be considered at the appropriate time, fully 
respecting each organization's prerogatives.  The SYG added 
he is confident of KFOR's ability to support UNMIK and 
Kosovar forces. 
 
¶3. (C) HR Solana confirmed that the EU fully supports 
Ahtisaari's mission, and pointed out the need for the 
international community's "coherence" regarding Kosovo.  At 
the same time, the international community needs to treat 
Serbia with "generosity, and with a constructive approach." 
Solana stressed and revealed at several other points, that it 
is "fundamental" that an additional UNSCR be adopted prior to 
any EU ESDP mission deploying to Kosovo.  He reemphasized the 
need for an "appropriate, well-defined" resolution, saying 
the EU mission would be "impossible" without it.  He pointed 
out that, once Ahtisaari has forwarded his proposals to the 
UN, it is not clear how long the Security Council might 
deliberate.    This period of deliberation will be the most 
risky for Kosovo.  During this complex time, KFOR and UNMIK 
will be the international forces responsible for security. 
Solana also stressed the need for the ESDP mission to work 
closely with NATO, both in the field and in Brussels.  He 
noted that a large percentage of police in UNMIK are 
Europeans, and will stay in their positions for the ESDP 
mission.  Solana added that Kosovo was a "unique case," and 
not a "precedent" for other conflicts, alluding to frozen 
conflicts in other regions. 
 
¶4. (C) Several PermReps (Estonia, Czech Republic, Hungary, 
the Netherlands, UK, Bulgaria, Portugal, and Sweden) 
supported further NAC-PSC discussions on Kosovo, and called 
for close EU-NATO relations.  Ambassador Nuland also welcomed 
the informal session, noting that when Allies and the two 
SYGs confer and reach agreement it sends a strong message. 
She urged Allies to repeat these common positions in Moscow, 
Pristina, the UN and in Belgrade.  The U.S. is doing its part 
in Kosovo, she added, and encouraged flexibility on the part 
of the EU and Allies.  Ambassador Nuland emphasized the need 
for UNMIK to remain in Kosovo until an ESDP mission is in 
place (a view echoed by several other PermReps), adding this 
will have the benefit of providing a "surge" during a time of 
transition.  She said that the EU had invited the U.S. to 
participate in its ESDP mission and that the USG was looking 
very carefully at this possibility. 
 
¶5. (C) The UK PermRep described progress on NATO-EU technical 
planning as "encouraging," adding that transparency of plans 
will encourage countries to participate more fully.  The 
Czech Ambassador noted the need for full coverage of crowd 
control capabilities, as well as sufficient border control. 
The Swedish Ambassador emphasized the need to define 
responsibilities for crowd and riot control.  The Belgian 
Ambassador asked that protection of religious and cultural 
sites be a priority.  Both the Dutch and Swedish Ambassadors 
called for the SYGs to stress to the UN the need to maintain 
UNMIK police levels until the ESDP mission was in place.  In 
response, Solana said that he was in contact with the UNSYG 
and his team towards this end. 
 
¶6. (C) The Turkish PSC Ambassador told PermReps not to "get 
carried away" with coordination through informal meetings of 
the NAC-PSCs.  He argued that informal meetings warrant 
themselves only according to circumstances, saying that the 
EU and NATO already have existing frameworks for exchanges. 
 
 
Bosnia: Slow Progress on Defense Reforms 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) During the formal session de Hoop Scheffer noted that 
the NATO Senior Civilian Representative has been engaging 
senior Bosnian leaders to move defense reforms forward. 
While the effort has been somewhat successful, the 
identification of redundant military officers and the slow 
transfer rate of military assets has hindered progress.  The 
formation of a new Bosnian government may pressure the 
military to speed reforms.  The SYG noted the process of 
assigning general officers should not be politicized.  He 
underscored the importance of implementing a new force 
structure, as well as the demilitarization process, noting 
there are 8 million euros available in a trust fund. 
 
¶8. (C) Solana said that, four months after elections, there 
is still no Bosnian government at the federal level, which is 
"not good news."  He described the security situation as 
"stable," adding that the political developments of the last 
year were "disappointing."  EUFOR is being reconfigured for 
the situation on the ground, with one battalion based in 
Sarajevo, but maintaining a presence throughout Bosnia. This 
force has the capacity to react immediately, he said, 
including using "over the horizon" forces. 
 
¶9. (C) Comment: Due to long-standing theological issues the 
agenda for formal meetings of the NAC/PSC is limited to 
generally sterile discussions of Bosnia.  This means that 
member states of the EU and NATO cannot discuss any other 
issue, no matter how pressing.  We have sought to get around 
this conundrum by holding "informal meetings."  This 
mechanism has been used for the NAC and PSC to discuss Darfur 
and the February 26 discussion of Kosovo.  While future 
"informal" discussions of Kosovo are possible, arranging them 
will be cumbersome as each one will require agreement of all 
member states of both organizations, most notably France and 
Turkey. 
 
Missile Defense: We've Consulted the Russians 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (C) Under AOB during the formal NAC-PSC, Ambassador 
Nuland circulated an information sheet listing U.S. 
approaches to Russia on missile defense.  She pointed out 
that recent Russian complaints about not having been 
consulted are not true; the U.S. has consulted with Russia 
ten times in the last year, and had been discussing the issue 
with Moscow for fifteen years. 
 
 
NULAND