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PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
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DE RUEHBW #0459/01 0951605
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051605Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0582
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 1320
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RXFEAA/HQ AFSOUTH NAPLES IT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 000459 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PBTS KPAO SR MW YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: SERBIA WEEKLY UPDATE (4/2 - 4/5) 
 
 
¶1. (U) This cable summarizes notable events relating to 
Serbia and Kosovo. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary: For the week of April 2, the UNSC meeting attended 
by Prime Minister Kostunica was the dominant event related to Kosovo 
and Serbia.  Both before and after the April 3 session, Belgrade 
media speculated on the level of support for a UNSC resolution based 
on the Ahtisaari plan, as well as whether there will be a UNSC 
delegation to Kosovo as requested by Russia.  Also, the outgoing 
Foreign Minister requested a meeting with the Ambassador to lodge 
again his strong views against Kosovo independence. End Summary. 
 
UNSC: THE VIEW FROM BELGRADE 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) PM Kostunica traveled to New York to represent Serbia at the 
April 3 UNSC meeting on Kosovo.  Before leaving, he said he was 
confident that Russia's support in the UNSC "ensures that Serbia 
will keep its territorial integrity and sovereignty," and that 
Ahtisaari's proposal will "collapse."  In an interview with Russian 
TV, President Tadic reiterated that Serbia cannot accept "full, 
supervised, conditional or any kind of independence." 
 
¶4. (U) Reports from the UNSC session dominated Serbian media on 
April 4.  PM Kostunica's address from New York in which he expressed 
his optimism that Ahtiassari's plan will fail was repeated all day 
on RTS.  Vecernje Novosti's headline read "Independence is losing 
its chance," and pro-Radical Glas Javnosti wrote "Putin won the 
first battle for Kosovo."  PM advisor Aleksandar Simic told B92 that 
Ahtisaari's plan has the support of only a few UNSC members, and 
that it is a good sign that Kosovo President Sejdiu was not allowed 
to speak at the formal session.  Presidential advisor Vuk Jeremic 
told BETA wire service that a lack of support for Ahtisaari's 
proposal is an encouraging signal and that it is obvious that the 
discussion in the UNSC "will be more complex than some expected a 
few months or weeks ago." 
 
¶5. (U) The only criticism of the PM's performance came from rightist 
tabloid Kurir which, under its front page headline "Voja [Kostunica] 
running ahead of himself," writes that political analysts and some 
Kosovo Serb officials believe PM Kostunica's assessment that the 
UNSC has already rejected Ahtisaari's plan is unfounded, and simple 
self promotion.  Kurir quoted Rada Trajkovic, vice-president of the 
Serbian National Council from Kosovo, who criticized PM Kostunica 
for traveling to New York with the motto "I am going to beat 
Ahtisaari" instead of "I am going there to preserve Kosovo." 
 
¶6. (U) In a statement to TANJUG wire service, Ambassador Polt 
asserted that actually the UNSC session was another step toward a 
settlement of Kosovo's status and that he did not believe the UNSC 
would reject Ahtisaari's plan.  "The UN plan proposed by President 
Ahtisaari has already been endorsed by the UN Secretary-General, the 
U.S. and the EU.  It is the best possible solution for the future of 
the people of Kosovo and for the future of Southeast Europe," the 
statement said.  Russian Ambassador Alekseev told TANJUG that the 
UNSC session was very useful, but that Russia believes that 
Ahtisaari's proposal is unilateral and unacceptable.  Alekseev said 
that at the UNSC session, Russia confirmed its stand that it is 
necessary to resume talks without an artificial deadline. 
 
¶7.  (U) Ivan Vejvoda, Director of The Balkan Trust for Democracy and 
possible DS candidate for FM, warned this week that the Serbia 
should not rely solely on hope for a Russian veto.  While the threat 
of a veto might be useful for Serbia, a strategy based on a veto 
could limit Serbia's ability to find a compromise solution, 
according to Vejvoda. 
 
 
UNSC MISSION TO KOSOVO? 
----------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) Ambassador Alekseev also told TANJUG that it is "of principal 
importance to have a UNSC mission visit Pristina and Belgrade in 
order to get acquainted with the situation in the field."  President 
Tadic said on April 4 that he supports the Russian proposal and 
added that Serbian officials have been on a constant diplomatic 
offensive since the beginning of the Kosovo status negotiations. 
 
¶9. (U) RTS reported on April 5 that DAS Rosemary DiCarlo said that 
Washington supports the Russian effort to send a UNSC mission to 
Kosovo.  Electronic media reported that State Department 
spokesperson Sean McCormack called the mission "important to 
Russians and is now being seriously discussed." 
 
FM: EURO-ATLANTIC INTEGRATION "IN GRAVE DANGER" 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶10. (SBU) In a meeting he requested with the Ambassador on April 3, 
 
BELGRADE 00000459  002 OF 002 
 
 
outgoing FM Vuk Draskovic warned again that Kosovo independence will 
put Serbia's integration into the EU and NATO "in grave danger."  He 
criticized the international community for allowing the NATO bombing 
campaign to end the humanitarian disaster in Kosovo but doing 
nothing to stop the "second humanitarian disaster on the Serbs" in 
Kosovo.  The Ambassador not only disagreed in general, but stressed 
that it was Milosevic who brought NATO to Kosovo and that KFOR was 
in Kosovo now to protect Serbs.  Draskovic again offered his "one 
country, two systems" plan (which he claims has PM Kostunica's 
support), and hoped that Washington and other Contact Group 
countries would consider it.  The Ambassador regretfully assured him 
that it had no chance. 
 
 
OTHER ACTIVITY 
-------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) EUPT:  The EU Planning Team for Kosovo, led by Casper 
Klynge, called on the Ambassador on April 3.  Klynge said this was 
the team's second visit to Belgrade and that they had been well 
received both times.  The team was scheduled to meet with Tadic 
advisor Damjan Krnjevic-Miskovic and Kostunica advisor Aleksandar 
Simic. (Note: Kostunica advisor Vladeta Jankovic met with the team 
last time but was in the US this week. End note.)  Klynge said the 
team came to be "in partnership" with the GOS and to provide an 
update on their work.  Klynge said that the EUPT's dialogue has been 
"pragmatic" with the GOS despite the "hot time."  The team, he 
explained, was also in contact with police and judicial authorities 
in Serbia but said the former was proving much more productive than 
the latter.  The Ambassador urged the team to open an office in 
Belgrade, which Klynge said will happen if the GOS agrees.  In sum, 
Klynge said, EU unity never more critical for the team's work, but 
that the EU is more united now on Kosovo than it ever has been. 
 
¶12. (U) The Church: Belgrade wires quoted Serbian Orthodox Church 
(SPC) Archbishop Amfilohije statement calling on Russia and China to 
veto to prevent Kosovo independence.  In his Easter message, SPC 
Patriarch Pavle spoke out against Kosovo independence and 
emphasizing the region's importance in Serbian "history, culture and 
statehood." 
 
¶13. (U) Protest: About 200 people protested against Kosovo 
independence in front of the Serbian Parliament in Belgrade on April 
¶3.  The speakers called on Russia and China to veto any resolution 
granting independence. 
 
¶14. (U) UK: British Ambassador to Serbia Stephen Wordsworth told 
reporters on April 3 in Kraljevo that there is "nothing to gain in 
postponing" a Kosovo settlement. 
 
¶15. (U) Croatia & Bulgaria: Serbian media reported that Bulgarian 
and Croatian PMs Stanishev and Sanader support Ahtisaari's proposal, 
calling it the "best" available option considering the positions of 
the parties. 
 
¶16. (SBU) Presevo Valley:  Newly elected MP Riza Halimi made 
comments indicating the possibility of Presevo Valley Albanians 
wanting to unite with Kosovo if Kosovo is partitioned, or if "rights 
of Albanians within Serbian institutions" are not fully implemented. 
 We have conveyed to Halimi that these are unhelpful comments and 
not in line with Contact Group principles.  We understand our 
British counterparts have conveyed a similar message. 
 
POLT