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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSF #1185/01 2760644
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 030644Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4367
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SOFIA 001185 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL ECON EAID SR HR EUN MI RO BU GR BK MW YI TU
UNMIK 
SUBJECT:  SEECP FOREIGN MINISTERS: REGIONAL COOPERATION AND 
TRANSITION TO REGIONAL COOPERATION COUNCIL FULLY ON TRACK 
 
Ref:  Zagreb 00427 
 
Summary 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Meeting on September 14, SEECP Foreign Ministers and 
UNMIK/SRSG renewed their commitment to an operational regional 
cooperation agenda, building on the future Regional Cooperation 
Council (RCC) and its secretariat in Sarajevo.  There was a familiar 
discussion of Kosovo, with the group agreeing on the need for the 
SEECP and Contact Group troikas to dialogue on the region's concerns 
about Kosovo status issues.  By signing the RCC headquarters 
agreement, the Ministers and UNMIK/SRSG set in motion the process of 
formally opening the RCC office in Sarajevo on October 10 and 
allowing initial staffing the Secretariat as of January 1, 2008. 
There was a consensus to push meaningful regional cooperation on 
disaster preparedness and response in view of the past summer's 
destructive wildfires and the heavy flooding of 2006.   NATO's 
importance to the region was also highlighted as Adriatic-3 FMs all 
spoke expectantly of NATO membership invitations at the NATO summit 
in Bucharest in April.  The group opted to leave the question of 
possible observer status for Ukraine in a study mode.  Stability Pact 
Special Coordinator Busek and his team received uniform praise for 
the effectiveness of the Pact's work to ensure a smooth transition to 
the regionally led RCC framework.  Although not discussed openly, 
Ministers remain concerned that, after Bulgaria's active SEECP CiO 
year (para 12 below) , incoming 2008 CiO Moldova, which lacks clear 
EU and NATO accession perspectives, may do less well in sustaining 
the regional cooperation momentum generated by the Stability Pact-RCC 
transition process.  Looking ahead, for their parts, Busek and RCC 
Secretary General Biscevic will be seeking to visit Washington in 
 
SIPDIS 
January to brief on the transition and the future program of the RCC. 
 End Summary. 
 
 
A Meeting on the Move 
 
¶2.   (SBU)  The Ministers and UNMIK SRSG Ruecker and guests met on 
the former Bulgarian royal train as it made its way from Sofia to 
Plovdiv where the seat agreement signing took place.  The meeting 
consensus: that the regional cooperation agenda, like the royal 
train, was very much on track.  The meeting was preceded on September 
13 by a meeting of SEECP Political Directors, joined with 
representatives of the Stability Pact, the EU Presidency, the 
European Commission, and Slovenia (as incoming EU President). 
 
 
FMs: Interest in Dialogue with Contact Group, Coordination on 
Disaster Response 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Discussion was largely routine. Bulgarian FM Kalfin opened 
the exchange with a focus on Kosovo.  He reported on his September 13 
meeting with EU troika rep Ischinger, who committed to brief the 
SEECP troika on Kosovo developments during the UNGA in New York.  On 
the Stability Pact-RCC transition, Kalfin led what became a steady 
chorus of appreciative statements of the work accomplished by SP 
Special Coordinator Busek and the new RCC SecGen Biscevic.   Croatian 
FM Grabar-Kitarovic argued for regional coordination on disaster 
response management as a common SEECP project, without making 
specific reference to Croatian PM Sanader's August letter to EC 
President Barroso proposing such a center be established in Croatia. 
Completing the SEECP Troika interventions, Moldovan FM Stratan 
pointed to political dialogue and regional cooperation as upcoming 
Moldovan SEECP CiO themes.  He welcomed EU involvement and support 
given that it enhanced regional cooperation possibilities. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Beginning his remarks with a weak Hercules Poirot Orient 
Express joke, BiH FM Alkalaj argued that having the RCC secretariat 
in Sarajevo would help the reform process in BiH.  He pointed to the 
common interest in addressing disaster response planning as evidence 
that the region was not divided.  Alkalaj invited FMs to join him on 
October 10 for the opening of the RCC Secretariat office in Sarajevo. 
Acknowledging the impasse over crucial reforms in BiH, Alkalaj said 
that OHR Lajcak would need to step in to break the deadlocks. 
Albanian FM Basha spoke positively of Albanian relationships with the 
EU and NATO.  He offered support for the creation of a regional fire 
response center and highlighted the meeting of the Stability Pact 
working tables in Tirana on December 3-4.  Speaking strongly in favor 
of the Ahtisaari plan for Kosovo, Basha did not raise issues 
regarding the seat agreement text, as did his PolDir in the previous 
day's meeting (para 11 below). 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Given strong Macedonian interest in seeing progress in 
developing Corridor VIII (Black Sea to Adriatic) infrastructure, FM 
Milosovki expressed the hope for a future ride on a Sofia-Skopje 
train (there is still no through track on the route).  He welcomed 
RCC priorities but emphasized Macedonian interest in transportation 
infrastructure, energy and justice and home affairs as SEECP and RCC 
action areas.  Milosovski weighed in with a statement of support for 
the Ahtissari plan for Kosovo.   Serbian Assistant Minister Delevic 
underscored Serbia's quick progress on SAA negotiations and welcomed 
the prospect on September 18 of a visa facilitation agreement with 
 
SOFIA 00001185  002 OF 004 
 
 
the EU.  An adverse resolution of the Kosovo status issue would be an 
extreme development for Serbia and the region and prejudging the 
outcome of status talks and the establishment of deadlines did not 
help.  Endorsing the RCC lead priorities, Delevic added a focus on 
refugee returns, mentioning the (moribund) Sarajevo declaration of 
January 2005 as in need of revival. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  UNMIK/SRSG Ruecker's remarks focused on the need to ensure 
that Kosovo was fully part of the SEECP process.  He expressed 
appreciation for Kosovo's inclusion in major energy and regional 
trade accords, and noted that this helped to underpin progress and 
reform within Kosovo.  Further progress was needed, particularly with 
regard to IDPs.  The Ahtisaari plan was a solid basis for the way 
forward after eight long years of uncertainty.  There was a need for 
prudent planning for mid-December and the period to follow.  Ruecker 
briefed on preparations for local elections in Kosovo, arguing the 
strong need for the elections to buttress local government legitimacy 
given the political dynamics over the period since the previous 
elections.  Kosovo Serb participation was important and he urged the 
Belgrade leadership to support such participation. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Ministers were perhaps most attentive when EU Enlargement 
Deputy DG Truszczynski spoke. Firmly critical of Bosnia-Herzegovina, 
Truszczynski asserted that the EC wanted to see BiH fully on track 
and that there should be a BiH political agreement by the end of 
September to enable the SAA to be concluded.  More generally, he said 
that further enlargement in the region was an issue for the medium to 
long-term. With that in mind, the European Commission was adjusting 
its support instruments and focusing on key priority areas.  He noted 
the November 6 date for the next EC progress assessments.  He argued 
that the EU's interest was in seeing results from Belgrade-Pristina 
talks and that otherwise it would be hard to see progress on regional 
cooperation.  The EU would spare no effort to achieve a positive 
outcome for Kosovo within the regional cooperation scheme and he 
reiterated the EC position that Kosovo must be fully integrated into 
regional cooperation.  Thanking Stability Pact Special Coordinator 
Busek for his contribution, Truszczynski stressed that the Commission 
was looking to the RCC and Secretariat to become a solid interlocutor 
on regional cooperation issues and programs. EC priorities (within 
the Instrument for Pre-Accession program) closely matched those of 
the RCC.  He challenged the Ministers and RCC SG Biscevic to work 
together to develop specific projects, and emphasized tht disaster 
response could be good place to startgiven that the EC was beginning 
to stand up its wn EU disaster monitoring unit. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)   EU Pesidency Rep Tanger of Portugal spoke positively o 
progress in the region with respect to EU integation.  The exception 
was Bosnia-Herzegovina, wih Tanger highlighting the government's 
failure t achieve police and constitutional reform.  He praied 
Macedonia as doing an excellent job and confimed that Serbia had 
completed the technical aspets of the SAA negotiations with only the 
signingprocess remaining. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)   Completing the rund of Ministerial statements, Greek 
Political Diector Christides highlighted the Greek proposed Reional 
Development Center in Thessaloniki as a prvate sector focused 
support to the RCC economic genda. New Turkish FM Babacan pointed to 
the Ahtisaari report as the basis for moving forward on Kosovo.  He 
said that Turkey would try to be helpful via its links to both 
Belgrade and Pristina, and that Turkey was supportive of Serbia's EU 
and Euro-Atlantic integration.  Romanian State Secretary Buga 
endorsed the consensus in favor of the region's EU and EuroAtlantic 
integration, but reiterated Romani's familiar position on Kosovo 
status.   Montenegrin FM Rocen had little to say, other than to 
express appreciation for the support for Montenegro's entry into the 
SEECP last May. 
 
¶10.  (SBU)   As regional participants, Busek and Biscevic 
concentrated on current tasks and future challenges, respectively. 
Busek recapped the upcoming intense series of Ministerial Meetings on 
SP initiatives (CEFTA, Employment, Education, and Information 
Society) as well as meetings on Justice and Home Affairs, defense 
reform (RACVIAC) and disaster management.  On the latter, he pointed 
to his earlier letter to regional Prime Ministers and pressed hard 
for clear and decisive action to replace the desultory attitudes of 
regional governments in the past.  For his part, and concluding the 
session, Biscevic outlined the RCC Secretariat budget (three million 
euros annually) and staff (26 in Sarajevo and five in the Brussels 
liaison office). He explained the timetable for hiring personnel and 
for completing the legalities of formally establishing the Sarajevo 
and Brussels office.  The latter will take some month given 
cumbersome Belgian government procedures, but could move quicker 
given Belgian helpfulness. 
 
 
Political Directors Validate Stability Pact-RCC transition, Endure 
Albanian Clumsiness 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  The September 13 session of SEECP Political Directors 
focused on the Stability Pact-RCC transition and the Bulgarian SEECP 
CiO program of meetings and its linkages to the range of Stability 
 
SOFIA 00001185  003 OF 004 
 
 
Pact regional initiatives.  The sole discordant note was struck by 
the Albanian delegation which, as it had done in the most recent 
PolDir and FM meetings, clumsily raised issues related to Kosovo 
status.  This most recent case was perhaps the most vexing, with the 
Albanians demanding the deletion from the title of the RCC seat 
agreement of a UNSCR 1244 reference to UNMIK, despite the text's 
consistency on the matter and the fact that all other delegations had 
already submitted the agreement (and title page) for government or 
parliamentary ratification.  A stern reprimand from the Bulgarian 
chair left the Albanians to seek Tirana guidance and the issue faded 
the next day when Albanian FM Basha signed the seat agreement 
uneventfully with the other Ministers. 
 
 
Bulgarian SEECP Agenda: Helpful to the Stability Pact/RCC Transition 
 
¶12.  (U)  Discussion of the Bulgarian CiO program of meetings 
underscored the particular importance of meetings scheduled for the 
initial months after the operational opening of the RCC secretary in 
late February.  Stability Pact Deputy Special Coordinator Mozur 
emphasized the need for the SEECP and the RCC secretariat to ensure 
successful meetings of SEECP Ministers of Environment and of Civil 
Defense/Disaster Management in March and of Defense in April.  On the 
latter, he stressed the need for SEECP MoDs to highlight the regional 
cooperation dimension and to work to gain the recognition and support 
of NATO and the Bucharest Summit for stepping up the regional agenda 
in the defense area. 
 
¶13.  (U)  The Bulgarian SEECP program encompasses an active series of 
meetings through mid-2008, when its CiO term concludes: 
 
* July-November: Various events organized by the Ministry of Regional 
Development and Public Works, focusing on infrastructure projects in 
the region; 
 
* October: Joint Meeting with the Central European Initiative (CEI) 
Ministers for Transport and SEECP Ministers for Transport organized 
by the Bulgarian CEI Presidency and with the participation of the 
Bulgarian SEECP CiO; 
 
* December: Meeting of the SEECP Political Directors Committee and 
Seminar on regional cooperation and possible synergy between the 
SEECP, Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), 
RCC, CEI, the Danube Cooperation Process with the participation 
representatives of the Stability Pact, European Commission and 
non-governmental organizations; 
 
* 2008 (dates tbc): Meetings in the field of Justice and Home Affairs 
and on parliamentary cooperation 
 
* February 2008: Meeting of the SEECP Ministers for Foreign Affairs 
(and PolDirs) in cooperation with the Slovenian EU Presidency, 
back-to-back with the first meeting of the RCC and the final meeting 
of the Regional Table of the Stability Pact; 
 
* February: Round Table of the SEECP Ministers for Tourism/Presidents 
of Agency for Tourism, organized be the Bulgarian State Agency for 
Tourism 
 
* March: Meeting of the SEECP Ministers for Environment; 
 
* March-April: Meeting of the SEECP Speakers of Parliament 
 
* Meeting of the SEECP Ministers for Defense 
 
* April: Spring Meeting of the Stability Pact Disaster Prevention and 
Preparedness Initiative (DPPI); 
 
* April: Conference, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
Ministry of Education and Science and Ministry of Culture, in 
cooperation with the Bulgarian Balkan Political Club, focused on 
building human capital and implementation of new technologies 
together with the contribution of education, research, business and 
public administration; 
 
* May: Meeting of Heads of State and Government, preceded by meetings 
of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Poldirs 
 
* June 2008: 16th Meeting of the SEE Health Network 
 
Comment: Regional Framework Strengthening; Busek-Biscevic Washington 
Visit 
 
14:   (SBU)   The message from the Foreign Ministers meeting was 
positive, a message of a region moving forward, like the venue 
itself.  Kosovo cast its certain shadow as always.  But the basic 
work of bringing the region closer together, including via the 
Stability Pact transition to the regionally owned and let RCC, is 
continuing and with excellent prospects for success and thus real 
impact for the good of the region's development and stability.  For 
his part, appointed RCC Secretary General Biscevic, who will continue 
 
SOFIA 00001185  004 OF 004 
 
 
as Croatian MFA State Secretary through the late November elections 
in Croatia, is making his presence and leadership felt in the 
preparations for establishing the RCC and its Secretariat operation. 
He has worked closely with the Stability Pact team and demonstrated 
flexibility and understanding for the need for a transparent and 
competitive approach to hiring Secretariat staff.  But he has also 
begun to set out his vision and priorities, with economic development 
and notably infrastructure heading the list. 
 
¶15.  (SBU)   Looking ahead, several issues will need Washington 
attention.  First, as part of their relationship building with key 
RCC partners, Busek and Biscevic will be looking to make a joint 
visit to Washington, with January the notional target.  They are 
hoping for a program to include the senior level at State and USAID, 
and possibly at Defense, in addition to calls on the Hill, with the 
World Bank and think tanks.  Within the regional cooperation agenda, 
there will be interest in achieving recognition of the RCC - and its 
relevant defense reform activities -- within the NATO summit 
declaration.  Here, NATO international staff in Brussels is 
supportive, viewing the existing Stability Pact initiatives as a 
valuable contribution to the overall defense reform process in the 
region.  Lastly, and more operationally, it would be helpful to the 
establishment of the RCC secretariat if the US financial commitment 
could be disbursed soon after the required RCC administrative 
arrangements are in place. End Comment. 
 
BEYRLE