VZCZCXRO0326
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBW #1098/01 2151048
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031048Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1279
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 001098 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PBTS PREL PGOV SR KV
SUBJECT:  Kosovo Weekly Report (July 30 - Aug. 3, 2007) 
 
 
¶1.  (u)  This report covers activities related to Kosovo for the 
week of July 30. 
 
¶2. (sbu) Summary: This week was marked by an anticipatory pause - 
most of the GoS was on vacation, with only Foreign Minister Jeremic 
making waves in the media.  GoS reactions to the UNSYG announcement 
of a new negotiating period and the naming of Troika representatives 
were subdued.  By the end of the week, the GoS strategy was becoming 
clearer, with Kosovo Minister Samardzic announcing the government's 
intent to argue strongly about the format and timeline of the 
negotiations during the first Troika visit, and demand that 
"negotiating rules" be strictly adhered to.  End Summary. 
 
REACTION TO TROIKA; NEGOTIATING STRATEGY LAID OUT 
 
¶3. (sbu) KOSMIN Samardzic declined to comment on Ischinger's 
appointment on July 30, saying only  "the method of the 
negotiations" is important. Samardzic said the role of the Contact 
Group should be to help the UNSC emerge from its impasse, which "was 
caused not by Russia's threat of a veto, but because some permanent 
and non-permanent UNSC members were prepared to break international 
law and draw this body into it."  DSS declined comment on the 
appointment as well, and UNSYG Ban Ki Moon's statement launching the 
talks met with little press interest. 
 
¶4. (sbu) In response to reports in local press on July 31 that the 
EU might be devising a plan to form a confederation of Serbia and 
Kosovo along the lines of the Dayton model, PM Kostunica 
characterized it as "pure nonsense". Kostunica said that "The issue 
of all national minorities in Europe and the world was resolved 
exclusively through different forms of autonomy, and that this 
universal rule had to apply also for the Albanian national 
minority." Also on July 31, Education Minister Loncar (DSS) 
reiterated the new GOS position that "the Kosovo issue does not 
exist," only the "question on the legal degree of autonomy for the 
Albanian national minority." 
 
¶5. (sbu) Kosovo Minister Samardzic told reporters on Thursday that 
the GOS has approved a proposal of rules for the negotiations on 
Kosovo's future status, which will be forwarded to the embassies of 
the CG. He said that the negotiator in the talks must not be allowed 
to violate these rules, stressing that the GOS will insist on these 
rules when the GG troika comes to Belgrade. One of the measures to 
be submitted to the CG is the rejection of Ahtisaari's package of 
measures. 
 
GOVERNMENT OF SERBIA ACTIVITIES 
 
¶6. (sbu) FONMIN Jeremic admitted "great differences" exist between 
Serbia and the U.S. on Kosovo after his visit with the Secretary, 
but local press on July 30 emphasized that the FONMIN and the 
Secretary had agreed there should be "essential negotiations" (a 
 
SIPDIS 
parallel concept to Kostunica's "essential autonomy"), and quoted 
Jeremic as saying that he had "resumed a productive high-level 
dialogue" with U.S. leadership.  Local press also emphasized that 
his visit had produced more understanding in the U.S. of the need 
for a solution for Kosovo based on the UN charter. 
 
¶7. (sbu) In an interview with Glas Javnosti on August 1, Jeremic 
said Ahtisaari's plan had been rejected and that there is no more 
discussion about it.  In an exclusive interview with the BBC on 
August 1, FM Jeremic hinted that Belgrade may consider more 
concessions on Kosovo but did not produce new, significant 
specifics.  Jeremic said that these may include Pristina's "own 
access to the World Bank and the IMF, like the international 
financial institutions, like some kind of representation abroad" but 
that Albanian leaders "need to be prepared to give up something" as 
well. KOSMIN Samardzic defended Jeremic's remarks on August 2, 
saying they were nothing new or dramatic, but part of the Serbian 
platform - in response to Radical party leaders' attacks on Jeremic 
for making offers "far from substantial autonomy." 
 
REPORTED USG STATEMENTS 
 
¶8. (sbu) Kurir and Glas Javnosti reprinted the Ambassador's 
statements from his final interview with daily Danas. The Ambassador 
urged Serbia to "let Kosovo go" and stressed that Kosovo's 
independence will not destabilize the Balkans and Europe. TANJUG 
news agency reported U.S. Envoy Wisner's assessment on August 1 that 
"Ahtisaari's plan is still current and that we should not deviate 
from it much." 
 
DIPLOMATIC ACTIVITIES 
 
¶9. (sbu) Russian President Putin's July 27 statement in support of 
Serbia's "struggle" against Kosovo independence received heavy 
coverage in Serbia over the weekend. 
 
¶10. (sbu) Christina Gallach, spokesperson of the EU Foreign Policy 
and Security Chief Solana, denied on July 31 any knowledge of the EU 
preparing a proposal on Kosovo-Serbia confederation, but instead 
stated that the EU was preparing for the negotiations. 
 
BELGRADE 00001098  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶11. (sbu) Belgrade media reported on July 31 that Russian 
representative Botsan-Kharchenko said that Russia will start from 
the following standpoints: (1) no preset solution for the Kosovo 
status; (2) Belgrade and Pristina positions considered; (3) solution 
must be the result of compromise based on UNSCR 1244; and (4) 
continuing possibility of implementation of UNSCR 1244 and the 
fulfillment of standards set by the international community for 
Kosovo. 
 
¶12. (sbu) Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said on July 31 
that the issue of Kosovo was "an international problem that demands 
an international solution" confirmed by a decision in the U.N. 
Security Council. 
 
¶13. (sbu) On Aug. 1, the Slovenian government denied the allegations 
of the London daily, The Financial Times, that Slovenia would try to 
persuade Serbia to accept the independence of Kosovo. The Slovenian 
government claims that it sees the resolution of the Kosovo status 
and Serbia's EU path as two parallel processes, which could not be 
mutually connected. 
 
¶14. (sbu) In an interview to RTS on August 2, Russian Ambassador to 
Belgrade Alexeyev said that "Ahtisaari's plan is dead," and has been 
taken off the table. He also said that there can be no deadlines for 
ending the negotiations on the province's status. 
 
SIMMONS