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OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPS #0167/01 0861311
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 261311Z MAR 08
FM USOFFICE PRISTINA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8167
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1468
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY
RHFMIUU/AFSOUTH NAPLES IT PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR TF FALCON PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEPGEA/CDR650THMIGP SHAPE BE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUZEJAA/USNIC PRISTINA SR PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000167 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, S/CRS, H, NSC FOR BRAUN, 
USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, 
USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV OVIP KV
SUBJECT: CODEL PRICE CONGRATULATES KOSOVO ON ITS 
INDEPENDENCE, OFFERS POSSIBLE SUPPORT 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  On March 15 Representative David Price 
(D-NC) led seven members of the House Democracy Assistance 
Commission (HDAC) on a one-day visit to Pristina, the first 
congressional delegation to visit Kosovo since its February 
17 declaration of independence.  the visit reinforced with 
the Government and Assembly of Kosovo strong USG support for 
independence and encouragement for restraint in the face of 
continued provocation in northern Kosovo.  The CODEL also 
discussed the possibility of establishing a partnership 
between the U.S. Congress and the Assembly of Kosovo, an 
offer eagerly taken up by the Kosovar side.  The delegation 
began its day of meetings with UNMIK PDSRSG Larry Rossin, who 
assured the members that the UN would carry out its UNSCR 
1244 mandate, including in tense northern Kosovo.  The group 
also met with President Fatmir Sejdiu, Prime Minister Hasim 
Thaci, Assembly Speaker Jakub Krasniqi and five Assembly 
caucus leaders.  Both Thaci and Sejdiu expressed optimism 
about Kosovo's future, including future relations with 
Serbia, and affirmed their commitment to protect minority 
communities.  The program concluded at USKFOR's Camp 
Bondsteel, where the members were briefed by Deputy Commander 
of the Multi National Task Force-East (MNTF-E) Col. Richard 
Hays and a "meet and greet" with U.S. troops. End Summary. 
 
2.(U) Led by Rep. David Price (D-NC), the seven member 
delegation from the House Democracy Assistance Commission 
(HDAC), which included Representatives David Drier (R-CA), 
Adam Schiff (D-CA), Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), Lois Capps (D-CA) 
and Judy Biggert (R-IL), visited Pristina on March 15 to 
congratulate Kosovar leaders on their recent independence 
declaration and to explore the possibility of establishing a 
partnership between the U.S. Congress and Kosovo Assembly. 
(Note: Established in 2005, the HDAC has legislative 
assistance programs in 12 countries, including Macedonia, 
Ukraine and Georgia. The program focuses on building 
peer-to-peer cooperation, enhancing accountability, ensuring 
legislative independence, improving access to information, 
and promoting government oversight. End Note.) 
 
¶3. (SBU) The delegation began its visit with a U.S. Office 
Pristina briefing, led by COM and also attended by UN 
Principal Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary 
General (PDSRSG) Larry Rossin.  Rossin gave an overview of 
the situation in northern Kosovo and the implications for 
UNMIK.  Members expressed concern about the north and the 
capacity of UNMIK and KFOR to deal with continuing 
instability.  Rossin reaffirmed that UNMIK would carry out 
its 1244 mandate and work with KFOR to ensure a safe and 
secure environment in all of Kosovo. 
 
4.(SBU) Members later met with President Sejdiu and Prime 
Minister Thaci. The President and the PM expressed optimism 
about Kosovo's future, including future relations with 
Serbia, which Representative Price praised as an encouraging 
sign.  Thaci expressed understanding for the plight of Kosovo 
Serbs, saying they want a future within Kosovo, but are being 
pressured by Belgrade not to engage.  Both Sejdiu and Thaci 
affirmed their commitment to protect minority communities, 
especially Serbs.  Representative Price told the PM and 
President how pleased the members were to be the first U.S. 
delegation to visit "the newest country in the world" and 
explained that the HDAC is interested in partnering with 
Kosovo.  President Sejdiu and PM Thaci welcomed any such 
assistance, and Sejdiu said he was especially interested in 
the assistance that HDAC could provide to the Assembly 
committees and Assembly library resources.  Representatives 
Lois Capps (D-CA) and Judy Biggert (R-IL) expressed interest 
regarding women in government and noted Kosovo's mandated 30 
percent quota for representation in the Assembly. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In a subsequent meeting with Assembly Speaker Jakub 
Krasniqi and Assembly caucus leaders, the HDAC members 
congratulated Krasniqi on the speedy passage of the Ahtisaari 
 
PRISTINA 00000167  002 OF 002 
 
 
laws, which provide strong protections to the Kosovo Serb 
community.  Krasniqi noted that 19 such laws had already been 
passed since the February 17 independence declaration, and 
promised more to come. "Seven Plus" (a coalition of parties 
from the Turkish, Bosniak and Roma communities) caucus leader 
member Dzezair Murati (Bosniak) told the delegation he was 
pleased that minority participation in government is growing 
and noted that such participation was especially significant 
in the Ahtisaari-led negotiations, the drafting of the 
Ahtisaari laws and the Constitution, and in the Assembly 
review of the Ahtisaari laws.  Murati said that his caucus of 
Bosniak, Turk and Roma communities view Kosovo as their state 
and homeland.  Caucus leaders from all of Kosovo's 
parliamentary parties expressed their gratitude to the 
representatives for the USG's support to Kosovo.  In response 
to an offer of assistance from HDAC, Krasniqi was 
enthusiastic and said that he hoped that Kosovo could soon 
send a delegation to Washington.  Identifying areas of 
assistance, Krasniqi said that Kosovo needed support in 
legislative drafting and tools to fight organized crime and 
corruption.  (Note: The Independent Liberal Party (SLS), the 
Kosovo Serb caucus in the Assembly, was invited to this 
meeting but did not attend, having not yet made a definitive 
decision to re-enter the Assembly in the wake of Kosovo 
independence.  The SLS made the decision to re-enter several 
days later.  End Note.) 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment:  CODEL Price's visit helped reinforce the 
USG position of strong support for Kosovo independence and 
the need for continued restraint on the part of Kosovo 
authorities in the face of provocations, especially in the 
Serb-majority north.  We are encouraged to see the U.S. 
Congress, through its HDAC activities, reach out to the 
Kosovo Assembly, and we will follow through with any 
subsequent requirements the Committee might have. 
 
¶7.  (U) CODEL Price did not have an opportunity to clear this 
cable before their departure. 
KAIDANOW