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O 191354Z OCT 07
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000749 
 
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SIPDIS 
 
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EUR/ACE FOR DMAYHEW 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PINR EAID PHUM SOCI KV UNMIK
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: COM INAUGURATES US KFOR/USAID PROJECT IN 
PARTES 
 
Classified By: COM Tina S. Kaidanow for reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY.  At the inauguration of a joint USKFOR/USAID 
community development project in the Serb enclave of Partes 
(Gjilan/Gnjilane municipality), COM and other visitors 
witnessed genuine appreciation from local Serbs for 
USKFOR/USG efforts on their behalf.  This project, the first 
official building (other than a police substation) in a town 
that will be the center of a future Serb-majority 
municipality under the Ahtisaari Plan, demonstrated the 
potential for our cooperation in many Serb enclaves. 
Nonetheless, as noted by local political leader Vesna 
Jovanovic, future implementation of Ahtisaari-mandated 
decentralization provisions will remain a challenge, due 
mostly to pressure from Belgrade.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) On October 15, COM traveled to the Serb enclave of 
Partes (Gjilan/Gnjilane municipality) to inaugurate a 
community center and playground built by USKFOR and furnished 
by USAID.  When this project was being developed, the 
community council had identified the need for a place for 
local children to meet outside of school.  The land 
eventually chosen for the building is the former site of the 
town's garbage dump, a fact emphasized by many locals during 
the inauguration ceremony.  USKFOR contributed USD 164,000 
for construction and USAID furnished USD 50,000 to equip the 
facility, as well as provide English language and computer 
training classes.  The center includes a soccer/basketball 
field, a playground for younger children, and a three-room 
building with a computer lab. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) With Serb-language media in attendance, COM and 
COMUSKFOR BG Earhart addressed a lively crowd of locals, 
including many school children.  In comparison with several 
other recent project inaugurations in Serb areas, crowd 
involvement and general atmospherics were much more positive. 
 Serbian List for Kosovo and Metohija (SLKM) Kosovo Assembly 
Member and Serbian Social Democratic Party member Vesna 
Jovanovic, who is from Partes and worked to coordinate this 
project, gave certificates of appreciation to all involved, 
including USOP and USAID, emphasizing the role played by a 
Kosovo Albanian construction firm (which had employed many 
local Serbs).  (Note: Jovanovic, along with her SLKM 
colleagues, is not participating in this year's elections due 
to heavy pressure from Belgrade.  End Note.) 
 
¶4.  (C) After the event, Jovanovic spoke with us about the 
state of affairs in Partes, acknowledging the community's 
almost-complete dependence on USKFOR for survival.  She 
praised USKFOR's work with the local Serb population, noting 
what she considered a real improvement in relations over the 
last three years: "for example, (three years ago) the 
teachers would never have released all the students to attend 
this event." 
 
¶5.  (C) Turning to the upcoming November 17 elections, she 
pointed to the many barriers faced by would-be Serb 
politicians, saying "even in 2004, it was a bloody war trying 
to get people to vote," and pointed to even more difficult 
conditions this time.  While blaming the bleak electoral 
outlook on boycott pressure emanating from Belgrade and lack 
of accurate information about elections and basic information 
in Serb-language media about Kosovo, she also explained that 
her two terms in the Kosovo Assembly had not bought her (or 
anyone else) credibility among Kosovo Serbs.  For example, 
she reported that many Serbs have asked her "What did you do 
in the Assembly?  What laws were you able to change or 
prevent?"  (Note: Despite these feelings, Jovanovic later 
gave an interview to Serb-language Radio KiM, in which she 
called on Serbs to vote in the upcoming elections. End Note.) 
 
¶6.  (C) Jovanovic also acknowledged the negative impact of 
Serb non-participation on the upcoming Ahtisaari-mandated 
decentralization process.  Looking ahead to the possibility 
of a Serb boycott of Kosovo elections and institutions and 
 
PRISTINA 00000749  002 OF 002 
 
 
the prospect of Serb parallel elections, she asked "who will 
you find to work with you (the international community) to 
run these new municipalities?"  Continuing to state an 
opinion she has voiced in the media in recent weeks, she 
called for more "maturity" in Kosovo politics, and said she 
was happy to praise effective Albanian politicians in public. 
 She maintained hope that cooperation with the international 
community would continue regardless of the outcome of the 
upcoming elections or the status process.  We  reassured her 
that it would. 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶7.  (C) The enthusiasm demonstrated by Partes' Serbs towards 
this USG-funded project, along with the active, positive role 
played by local leaders in its execution is a welcome sign. 
Native daughter Vesna Jovanovic's praise has been echoed by 
other Serbs, including even hardline members of Belgrade's 
Coordinating Center for Kosovo (CCK).  We will continue to 
look for such opportunities to work with Serb enclaves, 
particularly in USKFOR's areas of responsibility. 
 
¶8.  (C) Jovanovic's comments on the political situation go to 
the heart of the Kosovo Serb position south of the Ibar - 
pressure from Belgrade and non-participation in Kosovo 
institutions have resulted in a dearth of local leadership 
and representation, which only reinforces pre-existing fears. 
 Despite these challenges, we can encourage Serbs to vote and 
convince them that working with international partners 
(especially the ICO) to implement the Ahtisaari Plan's 
decentralization scheme is the only effective way to preserve 
the Serb presence in Kosovo. 
KAIDANOW