VZCZCXRO3738
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBW #1475 3031722
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301722Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1686
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BELGRADE 001475 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KV SR BH
SUBJECT: SERBIAN LEADERS RALLY SUPPORT FOR REPUBLIKA SRBSKA KIN 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (U) With the dissolution of the Serbian-Montenegrin Union in the 
recent past and the independence of Kosovo around the corner, Serbia 
has seized on political events in Bosnia's Republika Srpska as an 
opportunity to proclaim support for the interests of Serbs 
region-wide.  Serbia's political leaders responded swiftly, 
publicly, and sharply to the reports about new procedural rules that 
Bosnia's High Representative Miroslav Lajcak introduced.  Media has 
dedicated considerable space and airtime to covering the events in 
Republika Srpska and local reactions.  In discussions about Kosovo 
and Republika Srpska, Serbia's leaders argue moral and legal high 
ground for preserving current status and laws that, they believe, 
favor Serbs' rights or Serbia's territory.  End Summary. 
 
Defending Dayton 
---------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Reacting to High Representative Lajcak's introduction of 
three new measures ostensibly intended to stabilize and develop 
Bosnia's democratic institutions, PM Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic 
Party of Serbia (DSS) on October 23 characterized the OHR's reform 
measures as attempts "brutally to abolish Republika Srpska." 
Kostunica's media advisor Srdjan Djuric called on Lajcak to rescind 
the measures or resign.  Interior Minister and DSS Deputy Chair 
Dragan Jocic assigned Lajcak blame, in advance, should relations in 
Bosnia worsen because of the HR's "efforts to dismantle" the Serb 
republic. 
 
¶3.  (U) Although local press reported on October 23 that the meeting 
between Lajcak and RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik diffused tensions 
in the province, if only temporarily, Serbian leaders were slow to 
put down the gauntlet.  Prime Minister Kostunica, October 24, 
accused Bosnia's High Representative (HR) Miroslav Lajcak of 
implementing "policies of force" that would disadvantage ethnic 
Serbs in Bosnia's Republika Srpska (RS).  Kostunica told the press 
that Lajcak sought to amend agreements reached under the Dayton 
Peace Accords. 
 
¶4.  (U) Media reported that President Boris Tadic, in a more 
modulated message, urged Lajcak "to reconsider" the new measures. 
"The voice of the Republika Srpska must be heard and respected," 
Tadic's statement read, "because the Dayton Accords stipulate that a 
change ... must be endorsed by consensus of all three constituent 
nations."  Arguing that the new laws disadvantaged RS Serbs, the 
president noted that, under Dayton, no decisions could be taken "to 
the detriment of any one constituent nation."  Diffusing concern 
that he advocated RS independence, Tadic noted "respect for the 
territorial integrity of all countries...[including] Bosnia." 
 
Media Coverage 
-------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Serbian print and broadcast news outlets covered the 
exchanges between Belgrade and Bosnia, throughout the week.  On 
October 29, all papers ran articles and photos of demonstrations in 
RS, and the daily Politika featured a photo of a marcher carrying a 
placard bearing a larger-than-life image of Russian PM Putin. 
Extensive media coverage came at an unexpected price, however. 
October 28, the DSS spokesperson threatened to cease doing business 
with B92 radio and television outlet for giving airtime to Zeljko 
Kosmic, BiH presidency member, who had reportedly chided Kostunica 
for interfering in Bosnian affairs and had threatened to "wrap [the 
prime minister's] knuckles." 
 
¶6.  (U) Serbian politicians explicitly linked events in RS and 
Kosovo.  Kostunica identified the "preservation" of Kosovo and 
Republika Srpska as political priorities, and argued that 
international agreements protecting the status of each were in 
jeopardy.  "Lajcak's measures have as a goal the abolishing of 
Resolution 1244 and the Dayton Agreement, i.e. the unilateral 
declaration of Kosovo's independence and the abolishing of RS." 
Serbia's Socialist Party, going further, issued a statement calling 
on Serbia to recognize an independent Republika Srpska, should 
Kosovo claim independence. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7.  (U) While some GOS officials may nostalgically pine for the days 
when Serbs dominated a united Yugoslavia, Belgrade's attention to RS 
does not necessarily signal interest in joining all Serbs under one 
roof.  Rather, unfortunate timing of the events in Bosnia provided 
an opportunity to spin the story to depict Serbia alone in a hostile 
neighborhood, with little support (except from Russia), and to paint 
international supervisors in Bosnia and Kosovo as mavericks, with 
little respect for the international agreement, and less for Serbs. 
We expect this theme to reverberate in the weeks leading to the end 
of Kosovo negotiations and to presidential elections.  End Comment. 
 
BRUSH