VZCZCXRO3476
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHC #6242/01 2912125
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 182116Z OCT 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 1368
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0180
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 2695
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 5197
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 5223
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 3509
RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA 3302
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 6766

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 146242 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SR YI KO
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST:  ENCOURAGING SERBS TO VOTE IN 
KOSOVAR ELECTIONS AND DISCOURAGING PARALLEL ELECTIONS 
 
 
Classified By: EUR ACTING A/S K. VOLKER. REASONS 1.4 (B), (C) AND (D) 
 
¶1.  (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST FOR EMBASSIES ROME, LONDON, 
PARIS, MOSCOW, BERLIN, BELGRADE AND USOFFICE PRISTINA.  SEE 
PARAGRAPHS 5 AND 6 FOR DETAILS. 
 
¶2.  (C)  BELGRADE LEADERSHIP HAS INDICATED THAT IT MIGHT 
SUPPORT THE IDEA OF SERBS IN KOSOVO HOLDING SEPARATE AND 
PARALLEL ELECTIONS (WITHOUT UNMIK SUPERVISION), POSSIBLY IN 
CONJUNCTION WITH SERBIA,S OWN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.  PARALLEL 
ELECTIONS WOULD BE CONTRARY TO UNSCR 1244, REPRESENT A DIRECT 
CHALLENGE TO UNMIK,S AUTHORITY AND VIOLATE THE SPIRIT OF THE 
POLITICAL COMMITMENT ENTERED INTO BY THE SERB GOVERNMENT IN 
THE &NEW YORK DECLARATION8 ON 28 SEPTEMBER TO REFRAIN FROM 
ANY ACTIVITIES OR STATEMENTS THAT MIGHT JEOPARDISE THE 
SECURITY SITUATION. 
 
¶3.  (C)  BELGRADE HAS ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD NOT 
SUPPORT KOSOVO SERB PARTICIPATION IN KOSOVO'S NOVEMBER 17 
ELECTIONS.  THIS POSITION IS AT ODDS WITH THE KEY USG AND 
CONTACT GROUP AIM OF OBTAINING KOSOVO SERB PARTICIPATION IN 
THE ELECTIONS. 
 
¶4.  (C)  A STRONG, COORDINATED EFFORT BY CONTACT GROUP 
AMBASSADORS IN BELGRADE AND, TO A LESSER EXTENT, IN PRISTINA 
COULD DETER BELGRADE FROM SIGNALLING SUPPORT FOR HOLDING 
SEPARATE AND PARALLEL ELECTIONS IN KOSOVO.  LIKEWISE, A 
COORDINATED CONTACT GROUP APPROACH MIGHT CONVINCE BELGRADE TO 
REVERSE ITS POSITION ON ETHNIC SERB PARTICIPATION IN THE 
NOVEMBER 17 ELECTIONS. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) POSTS IN LONDON, PARIS, ROME, BERLN AND MOSCOW ARE 
THEREFORE INSTRUCTED TO SOLICIT SUPPORT FROM HOST GOVERNMENTS 
TO EMBARK ON A STRONG, COORDINATED APPROACH IN BELGRADE AND 
PRISTINA, USING THE POINTS BELOW AS A GUIDELINE FOR THE 
MESSAGE TO BELGRADE AND PRISTINA 
 
¶6.  (SBU) POSTS IN BELGRADE AND PRISTINA ARE INSTRUCTED TO 
MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS, PREFERABLY, PREFERABLY AT THE 
CHIEF OF MISSION LEVEL AND IN COORDINATION WITH YOUR LOCAL 
COUNTERPARTS FROM CONTACT GROUP COUNTRIES, TO APPROPRIATE 
HOST GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVEL: 
 
BEGIN DEMARCHE POINTS (TO BE MADE IN BELGRADE): 
 
-- KOSOVO IS FACING IMPORTANT ELECTIONS ON 17 NOVEMBER. 
PARTICIPATION IN THESE ELECTIONS BY ALL COMMUNITIES, 
INCLUDING ETHNIC SERBS, IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR A BETTER FUTURE 
FOR EVERYONE IN KOSOVO. 
 
-- AT ITS MEETING IN NEW YORK ON 27 SEPTEMBER, CONTACT GROUP 
MINISTERS EXPRESSED THEIR HOPE THAT ELECTIONS WOULD TAKE 
PLACE WITH THE FULL PARTICIPATION OF ALL COMMUNITIES AND 
AGAINST A CALM AND ORDERLY BACKGROUND. 
 
-- AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, THE COUNTRIES OF THE CONTACT 
GROUP REGRET BELGRADE,S DECISION NOT TO ENCOURAGE 
PARTICIPATION BY KOSOVO,S SERB COMMUNITY IN THE FORTHCOMING 
ELECTIONS.  THEY URGE BELGRADE TO REVERSE THIS DECISION. 
PARTICIPATION IN KOSOVO,S INSTITUTIONS IS VITAL IF THE SERB 
COMMUNITY IS TO PLAY ITS FULL PART IN A MULTI-ETHNIC KOSOVO. 
 
-- THE COUNTRIES OF THE CONTACT GROUP ALSO NOTE WITH CONCERN 
STATEMENTS BY SERB MINISTERS WHICH INDICATE PLANS BY BELGRADE 
TO ORGANISE SEPARATE AND PARALLEL LOCAL ELECTIONS IN CERTAIN 
AREAS IN KOSOVO. 
 
-- SUCH ACTION WOULD BE IN CLEAR CONTRAVENTION OF UNSCR 1244 
WHICH GIVES TO THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL PRESENCE IN KOSOVO THE 
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ORGANISING AND OVERSEEING THE HOLDING OF 
ELECTIONS. 
 
-- IN THE VIEW OF THE CONTACT GROUP, SUCH PLANNING BY 
BELGRADE IS ALSO AT ODDS WITH THE POLITICAL COMMITMENT 
ENTERED INTO BY THE SERB GOVERNMENT IN THE &NEW YORK 
DECLARATION8 ON 28 SEPTEMBER IN WHICH THE SERB DELEGATION 
UNDERTOOK TO REFRAIN FROM ANY ACTIVITIES OR STATEMENTS THAT 
MIGHT JEOPARDISE THE SECURITY SITUATION. 
 
-- THE CONTACT GROUP WISHES TO IMPRESS UPON THE SERB 
 
STATE 00146242  002 OF 002 
 
 
GOVERNMENT ITS EXPECTATION THAT SERBIA WILL CONFORM TO ITS 
INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS IN RESPECT OF UNSCR 1244, AS WELL 
AS TO THE POLITICAL COMMITMENTS ENTERED INTO IN THE CONTEXT 
OF THE TROIKA PROCESS.  THAT MEANS DESISTING FROM PLANS TO 
HOLD PARALLEL LOCAL ELECTIONS IN CERTAIN AREAS OF KOSOVO. 
 
¶7.  (U)  BEGIN DEMARCHE POINTS (TO BE MADE IN PRISTINA): 
 
-- KOSOVO IS FACING IMPORTANT ELECTIONS ON 17 NOVEMBER.  THE 
CONTACT GROUP EXPECTS THAT THESE WILL BE HELD IN COMPLIANCE 
WITH DEMOCRATIC STANDARDS.  PARTICIPATION IN THESE ELECTIONS 
BY ALL COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING ETHNIC SERBS, IS FUNDAMENTAL 
FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR EVERYONE IN KOSOVO. 
 
-- AT ITS MEETING IN NEW YORK ON 27 SEPTEMBER, CONTACT GROUP 
MINISTERS EXPRESSED THEIR HOPE THAT ELECTIONS WOULD TAKE 
PLACE WITH THE FULL PARTICIPATION OF ALL COMMUNITIES AND 
AGAINST A CALM AND ORDERLY BACKGROUND. 
 
-- WE URGE THE KOSOVO AUTHORITIES TO REACH OUT TO THE SERB 
POPULATION AND FACILITATE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN UPCOMING 
ELECTIONS.  KOSOVO CAN DEMONSTRATE ITS COMMITMENT TO A 
MULTI-ETHNIC SOCIETY BY MAKING CLEAR THAT IT WILL RESPECT THE 
RIGHTS OF ALL COMMUNITIES IN KOSOVO AND WORK COOPERATIVELY 
WITH THEM IN DEVELOPING A MORE DEMOCRATIC AND PROSPEROUS 
KOSOVO. 
 
-- THROUGH AN ACTIVE CAMPAIGN TO ENGAGE THE SERB COMMUNITY IN 
THIS EFFORT, KOSOVO CAN ALSO UNDERSCORE ITS WILLINGNESS TO 
ENSURE THAT SERBS MAY LEAD A FULL, ACTIVE LIFE IN KOSOVO. 
 
¶8.  (U) POINT OF CONTACT: DAVID SCHROEDER IN THE OFFICE OF 
SOUTH CENTRAL EUROPE, BUREAU OF EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN AFFAIRS 
(202-647-0310). 
RICE