VZCZCXRO3996
OO RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHWL #0059/01 0521827
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 211827Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5083
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0074
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0120

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WELLINGTON 000059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2018 
TAGS: PREL UN UNMIK PGOV YI EU KV NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND RESPONSE ON KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE 
 
REF: (A) STATE 16319 (B) WELLINGTON 44 
 
WELLINGTON 00000059  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Embassy Wellington DCM David J. Keegan, reasons 1.4 (b) 
and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary. Charge presented reftel demarche to MFAT 
Deputy Secretary Peter Hamilton who repeated Prime Minister 
Clark's earlier insistence that New Zealand has an 
established practice of not publicly announcing diplomatic 
recognition but allowing it to be inferred over time from its 
actions. Charge noted that New Zealand had publicly 
accelerated the recognition process in a few sensitive cases 
and urged it do so for Kosovo. If it could not, Charge said 
New Zealand should make a public statement expressing support 
for the action taken by the people of Kosovo. Hamilton said 
he would highlight Charge's demarche in a paper for the PM 
later that day. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Charge David Keegan sought an appointment to deliver 
ref A demarche to New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters 
or, in his absence, CEO Simon Murdoch of the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). With both Peters and Simon 
traveling abroad, Charge was scheduled to meet February 21 
with MFAT Deputy Secretary Peter Hamilton, whose 
responsibilities include Europe. Charge had earlier conveyed 
U.S. concerns to Dep. Sec. Carolyn Forsyth, who handles IO 
affairs (ref B). Charge emphasized to Hamilton, as he had in 
that earlier demarche, the importance of New Zealand and 
other democracies demonstrating their support for Kosovo's 
Unilateral Declaration of Independence by announcing 
diplomatic recognition as soon as possible. Hamilton 
responded that New Zealand had a long-standing policy of not 
announcing recognition but allowing its recognition to be 
inferred from its actions. He noted that New Zealand Prime 
Minister Helen Clark had laid out this policy to reporters 
earlier in the week (see para 6 below for text). 
 
¶3. (C) Hamilton emphasized that New Zealand remained 
intensely concerned over developments in the Balkan region, 
noting its participation in the UNMIK process. It had 
followed closely the announcements by the U.S. as well as EU 
and other states regarding Kosovo. It had been approached by 
Russia and received a letter from the President of Serbia, to 
which the PM would respond in due course. 
 
¶4. (C) Charge said that he was not seeking to change New 
Zealand's long-standing policy, but he noted that New Zealand 
chosen to accelerate the establishment of diplomatic 
relations in sensitive cases such as Timor Leste and Latvia. 
Hamilton suggested Croatia could be added to that list. 
Charge urged that Kosovo's special circumstances warrants its 
being added as well. If for whatever reasons New Zealand 
concludes it cannot announce recognition, Charge argued, it 
is important for New Zealand to speak out immediately and 
clearly as a democratic member of the international 
community, expressing support for the decision taken by the 
people of Kosovo and calling on all concerned to act 
peacefully. That could be from the PM or the Foreign 
Minister. Charge provided Hamilton a copy of the Secretary's 
statement included in ref A. 
 
¶5. (C) Hamilton thanked Charge, noting that he was instructed 
to provide a report and recommendations to the PM later that 
day. He promised to highlight the request from the U.S. and 
the call for public support of Kosovo's Unilateral 
Declaration of Independence. He undertook to inform the 
embassy of any next steps by New Zealand regarding Kosovo. 
 
¶6. (U) Prime Minister Clark on Kosovo at weekly Post-Cabinet 
Press Conference, 18 February 2008 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶Q. What is New Zealand's position on Kosovo declaring 
independence from Serbia especially given (inaudible) the 
Security Council, NATO (inaudible) maintain peace 
(inaudible)? 
 
¶A. PRIME MINISTER CLARK: Well we are disappointed what was 
called the Troika Process didn't get results. There was a 
three way process between the United States, Russia and the 
European Union to try and work out an agreed position on 
Kosovo's status and that fell over in December so the 
possibility of Kosovo unilaterally declaring independence has 
been there for a couple of months now. With respect to New 
Zealand's position, it has never been the New Zealand 
government's position to recognize in such circumstances. We 
neither recognize nor not recognize. Over time the way in 
which we deal with those who govern territory will, I 
suppose, imply whether there is recognition, but we are not 
intending to make a formal statement. This is quite a 
 
WELLINGTON 00000059  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
divisive issue internationally obviously, and it is not clear 
to me that all EU states will want to recognize. 
 
¶Q. What about the response from Serbia? Are you concerned 
that tensions might flare up, that there might be more 
violence in that region given the history (inaudible)? 
 
¶A. PRIME MINISTER CLARK: For sure there is a troubled history 
but then Serbia has just had elections, and the candidate 
described as the more moderate of the two, the incumbent 
president, was reelected so we would certainly hope that that 
would be reflected in a more sober reaction to what has 
happened in Kosovo. 
 
¶Q. It certainly remains a volatile situation though? 
 
¶A. PRIME MINISTER CLARK: Oh for sure because Serbia would say 
that they regard Kosovo as being at the heart of traditional 
Serbia. It happens to have a large majority Albanian 
population. It would be tremendously distressing if there was 
now in effect an outbreak of civil war there which would see 
persecution and the death of those in the minority. 
 
(Embassy Public Affairs transcription) 
KEEGAN