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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5186
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USOSCE 000346 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY (PRIMARY TAGS) 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/RPM, EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2017 
TAGS: PREL KV YI PGOV SR OSCE UNMIK
SUBJECT: DAS DICARLO DISCUSSES KOSOVO ISSUES WITH OSCE 
SECRETARY GENERAL DE BRICHAMBAUT 
 
 
SIPDIS 
 
REF: STATE 124020 
 
USOSCE 00000346  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: USOSCE DCM Kyle Scott for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary: In an August 29 meeting in Vienna, EUR/SCE 
DAS Rosemary diCarlo and OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin 
de Brichambaut agreed that it would be difficult to deter 
Kosovo from making a unilateral declaration of independence 
if the Troika-led negotiations do not bear fruit.  In the 
event of a UDI, they discussed possible steps should Russia 
deliver on its threat to block the renewal of the mandate of 
the OSCE Mission in Kosovo (OMiK) at the end of this year. 
Under such a scenario, de Brichambaut suggested that UN would 
be the only logical entity to take on the Mission,s 
institution-building and monitoring functions and that many 
of OMiK,s well-trained personnel could wind up transferring 
directly to UNMiK.  With respect to parliamentary and 
municipal elections expected in November, de Brichambaut said 
that OMiK would be "squeezed" for time in helping Kosovo 
authorities prepare, but that the Mission could deliver. 
Noting the destabilizing effect developments in Kosovo could 
have on neighboring Macedonia, de Brichambaut appealed to 
diCarlo for U.S. support in keeping the OSCE,s field office 
in Tetovo open for another year.  End Summary. 
 
Effect of Status Negotiations on OSCE 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C)  DAS diCarlo took advantage of her presence in Vienna 
a day before the August 30 Troika-led negotiations on 
Kosovo,s future status (ref) to touch base with SecGen Marc 
Perrin de Brichambaut and to signal the USG,s desire that 
the OSCE continue to play a significant role in post-status 
Kosovo as part of a strong international presence.  The 
SecGen noted that an OSCE role in post-status Kosovo largely 
depends on how the current negotiation process plays out ) 
he is not optimistic that Belgrade and Pristina will agree to 
a compromise and believes that the chances are growing that 
Kosovo will unilaterally declare independence.  Russia, he 
added, has signaled that it is prepared to block the renewal 
of OMiK,s mandate for 2008 in the event of a UDI. 
Acknowledging this possibility, diCarlo responded that it 
would be very hard at this point to tell Kosovo authorities 
that independence is not an option after Europe, the United 
States and the UN Secretary General supported Ahtisaari,s 
status proposal. 
 
OSCE Contingency Planning for a UDI 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C)  While everyone hopes that an agreement will emerge 
from the current Troika-led round of negotiations, de 
Brichambaut said that OSCE is forging ahead with contingency 
planning for a possible UDI.  The organization's first 
priority is planning for the safety of its personnel, 
particularly those working in Mitrovica and north of the Ibar 
river, in the event that a UDI precipitates violence.  At the 
same time, the OSCE Secretariat is actively considering how 
the organization should go about shutting down its field 
mission in Kosovo if a UDI declaration results in a Russian 
or Serbian refusal to renew OMiK,s mandate at the end of 
this year.  Given likely internal EU division over a UDI, De 
Brichambaut,s view is that the UN is the only logical entity 
to take on the OSCE,s institution-building and monitoring 
responsibilities.  Rather than closing shop as envisioned in 
Ahtisaari,s proposal, UNMiK would have to build back up. 
UNMiK, he suggested, could simply take on many of OMiK,s 
existing personnel, including its more than 600 
well-qualified and seasoned local employees, who now 
constitute the heart of the field mission.  Such a 
development could be problematic, diCarlo observed, given the 
poor regard most Kosovans have for UNMiK and their 
expectation that the UN would get smaller and go away rather 
than expand.  (Comment:  diCarlo noted after the meeting that 
this issue could perhaps be finessed by giving any follow-on 
to the OSCE field mission a new name but not a continuation 
of UNMIK.) 
 
November Parliamentary and Municipal Elections 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4.  (C)  Turning to the subject of long-overdue parliamentary 
and municipal elections, diCarlo acknowledged that there were 
strong arguments in favor of postponing them further until 
after negotiations have ended, but that the USG ultimately 
had come down in favor of scheduling them for this fall as a 
means of preventing Kosovo,s Unity Team from splintering. 
Di Brichambaut said that he expected UN SRSG Ruecker to 
officially call for the elections within the week.  The field 
 
USOSCE 00000346  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
mission is already planning for elections with the 
expectation the polls will be called for late November and 
believes preparations can be made in time; still, the Mission 
would have preferred to have had four full months to help the 
Kosovo authorities get ready.  DiCarlo agreed with de 
Brichambaut prediction that, once officially underway, the 
election campaign will fully pre-occupy Kosovo,s government 
and political parties, stalling any further reform progress. 
(UNMIK has now set November 17 for municipal and 
parliamentary elections). 
 
Keeping the OSCE,s field office in Tetovo open? 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶5.  (C)  In closing, de Brichambaut expressed his concern 
that possible violence in Kosovo related to a final status 
decision or to UDI could spillover and unbalance other parts 
of the western Balkans, particularly Macedonia, which he sees 
as especially &fragile8 under current circumstances.  In 
this respect, he asked the U.S. to re-consider our call to 
close next year the OSCE,s field office in Tetovo (part of 
the OSCE,s Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje). 
 
¶6.  (U)  This cable has been cleared by DAS diCarlo. 
FINLEY