171516Z FEB 08
FM USOFFICE PRISTINA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7999

UNCLAS PRISTINA 000076 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S, P, EUR and L/EUR 
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESIDENT'S TRAVELING PARTY AND 
NSC FOR BRAUN 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KV
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: REQUEST FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS 
WITH THE UNITED STATES 
 
¶1. On February 17, the Assembly of Kosovo declared the independence 
of Kosovo.  Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu has asked that we convey 
immediately to President Bush the following request for U.S. 
recognition of Kosovo's statehood and the establishment of 
diplomatic relations with the United States (para 2).  The actual 
text of the declaration of independence follows in para 3. 
 
¶2. Text of the letter from Kosovo President Sejdiu follows: 
 
//BEGIN LETTER TEXT// 
 
Dear President Bush: 
 
Kosovo now prepares to take its rightful place among the community 
of nations.  As a democratic, secular, and multi-ethnic state, we 
will be guided by the principles of the rule of law, the protection 
of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the equality of all 
our citizens.  We will protect and promote the rights of all our 
ethnic communities and create the conditions necessary to facilitate 
their active participation in public life.  Kosovo seeks to provide 
for all its citizens the highest standards of democracy, and will 
continue to develop public institutions committed to good governance 
and accountability. 
 
In our Declaration of Independence, Kosovo also commits to full 
implementation of its obligations under the Comprehensive Proposal 
for the Kosovo Status Settlement of UN Special Envoy Martti 
Ahtisaari.  We will pursue immediately a vigorous agenda to realize 
this commitment in both law and practice, and will adopt a 
constitution that enshrines the principles of democracy upon which 
our state is based.  I would like to reiterate to you, Mr. 
President, this unconditional pledge, and express our full 
cooperation with the international presences that will supervise the 
fulfillment of our obligations under the Ahtisaari Plan.  Kosovo 
also welcomes and invites the continued operations in Kosovo of the 
NATO-led international military presence and its contribution to a 
safe and secure environment for all the people of Kosovo. 
 
As we stated in our Declaration, we affirm clearly, specifically, 
and irrevocably that Kosovo shall be legally bound to comply with 
the provisions contained in the Declaration, and that your 
government is entitled to rely upon this affirmation.  Our 
Declaration of Independence also affirms that we undertake the 
international obligations of Kosovo, including those concluded on 
our behalf by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in 
Kosovo, as well as the treaty and other obligations of the former 
Yugoslavia to which we are bound as a former constituent part.  In 
this regard, we hereby reaffirm our commitment to abide by the terms 
of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna 
Convention on Consular Relations in our relations with the United 
States of America. 
 
On behalf of the people of Kosovo, I respectfully extend this 
request to you, Mr. President, to recognize Kosovo and to establish 
full diplomatic relations with us on the basis of these assurances. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
President Sejdiu 
President of the Republic of Kosovo 
 
// END LETTER TEXT // 
 
¶3. Text of the Kosovo Declaration of Independence follows: 
 
//BEGIN DECLARATION TEXT// 
 
Kosovo Declaration of Independence 
 
Convened in an extraordinary meeting on February 17, 2008, in 
Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, 
 
Answering the call of the people to build a society that honours 
human dignity and affirms the pride and purpose of its citizens, 
 
Committed to confront the painful legacy of the recent past in a 
spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness, 
 
Dedicated to protecting, promoting and honouring the diversity of 
our people, 
 
Reaffirming our wish to become fully integrated into the 
Euro-Atlantic family of democracies, 
 
Observing that Kosovo is a special case arising from Yugoslavia's 
non-consensual breakup and is not a precedent for any other 
situation, 
 
Recalling the years of strife and violence in Kosovo, that disturbed 
the conscience of all civilised people, 
 
Grateful that in 1999 the world intervened, thereby removing 
Belgrade's governance over Kosovo and placing Kosovo under United 
Nations interim administration, 
 
Proud that Kosovo has since developed functional, multi-ethnic 
institutions of democracy that express freely the will of our 
citizens, 
 
Recalling the years of internationally-sponsored negotiations 
between Belgrade and Pristina over the question of our future 
political status, 
 
Regretting that no mutually-acceptable status outcome was possible, 
in spite of the good-faith engagement of our leaders, 
 
Confirming that the recommendations of UN Special Envoy Martti 
Ahtisaari provide Kosovo with a comprehensive framework for its 
future development and are in line with the highest European 
standards of human rights and good governance, 
 
Determined to see our status resolved in order to give our people 
clarity about their future, move beyond the conflicts of the past 
and realise the full democratic potential of our society, 
 
Honouring all the men and women who made great sacrifices to build a 
better future for Kosovo, 
 
¶1. We, the democratically-elected leaders of our people, hereby 
declare Kosovo to be an independent and sovereign state. This 
declaration reflects the will of our people and it is in full 
accordance with the recommendations of UN Special Envoy Martti 
Ahtisaari and his Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo Status 
Settlement. 
 
¶2. We declare Kosovo to be a democratic, secular and multi-ethnic 
republic, guided by the principles of non-discrimination and equal 
protection under the law. We shall protect and promote the rights of 
all communities in Kosovo and create the conditions necessary for 
their effective participation in political and decision-making 
processes. 
 
¶3. We accept fully the obligations for Kosovo contained in the 
Ahtisaari Plan, and welcome the framework it proposes to guide 
Kosovo in the years ahead. We shall implement in full those 
obligations including through priority adoption of the legislation 
included in its Annex XII, particularly those that protect and 
promote the rights of communities and their members. 
 
¶4. We shall adopt as soon as possible a Constitution that enshrines 
our commitment to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms 
of all our citizens, particularly as defined by the European 
Convention on Human Rights. The Constitution shall incorporate all 
relevant principles of the Ahtisaari Plan and be adopted through a 
democratic and deliberative process. 
 
¶5. We welcome the international community's continued support of our 
democratic development through international presences established 
in Kosovo on the basis of UN Security Council resolution 1244 
(1999). We invite and welcome an international civilian presence to 
supervise our implementation of the Ahtisaari Plan, and a European 
Union-led rule of law mission. We also invite and welcome the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization to retain the leadership role of the 
international military presence in Kosovo and to implement 
responsibilities assigned to it under UN Security Council resolution 
1244 (1999) and the Ahtisaari Plan, until such time as Kosovo 
institutions are capable of assuming these responsibilities. We 
shall cooperate fully with these presences to ensure Kosovo's future 
peace, prosperity and stability. 
 
¶6. For reasons of culture, geography and history, we believe our 
future lies with the European family. We therefore declare our 
intention to take all steps necessary to facilitate full membership 
in the European Union as soon as feasible and implement the reforms 
required for European and Euro-Atlantic integration. 
 
¶7. We express our deep gratitude to the United Nations for the work 
it has done to help us recover and rebuild from war and build 
institutions of democracy. We are committed to working 
constructively with the United Nations as it continues its work in 
the period ahead. 
 
¶8. With independence comes the duty of responsible membership in the 
international community. We accept fully this duty and shall abide 
by the principles of the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final 
Act, other acts of the Organization on Security and Cooperation in 
Europe, and the international legal obligations and principles of 
international comity that mark the relations among states. Kosovo 
shall have its international borders as set forth in Annex VIII of 
the Ahtisaari Plan, and shall fully respect the sovereignty and 
territorial integrity of all our neighbors. Kosovo shall also 
 
refrain from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent 
with the purposes of the United Nations. 
 
¶9. We hereby undertake the international obligations of Kosovo, 
including those concluded on our behalf by the United Nations 
Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and treaty and 
other obligations of the former Socialist Federal Republic of 
Yugoslavia to which we are bound as a former constituent part, 
including the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic and consular 
relations. We shall cooperate fully with the International Criminal 
Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. We intend to seek membership in 
international organisations, in which Kosovo shall seek to 
contribute to the pursuit of international peace and stability. 
 
¶10. Kosovo declares its commitment to peace and stability in our 
region of southeast Europe. Our independence brings to an end the 
process of Yugoslavia's violent dissolution. While this process has 
been a painful one, we shall work tirelessly to contribute to a 
reconciliation that would allow southeast Europe to move beyond the 
conflicts of our past and forge new links of regional cooperation. 
We shall therefore work together with our neighbours to advance a 
common European future. 
 
¶11. We express, in particular, our desire to establish good 
relations with all our neighbours, including the Republic of Serbia 
with whom we have deep historical, commercial and social ties that 
we seek to develop further in the near future. We shall continue our 
efforts to contribute to relations of friendship and cooperation 
with the Republic of Serbia, while promoting reconciliation among 
our people. 
 
¶12. We hereby affirm, clearly, specifically, and irrevocably, that 
Kosovo shall be legally bound to comply with the provisions 
contained in this Declaration, including, especially, the 
obligations for it under the Ahtisaari Plan. In all of these 
matters, we shall act consistent with principles of international 
law and resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations, 
including resolution 1244 (1999). We declare publicly that all 
states are entitled to rely upon this declaration, and appeal to 
them to extend to us their support and friendship. 
 
//END DECLARATION TEXT// 
 
KAIDANOW