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OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHC #4222/01 2741556
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 301552Z SEP 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE IMMEDIATE 0806
RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA IMMEDIATE 4714
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO IMMEDIATE 9933
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE IMMEDIATE 5867
RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB IMMEDIATE 1635
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 104222 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2018 
TAGS: EUN NATO PGOV PREL AL BK HR KV MK MN SR
SUBJECT: A/S FRIED'S MEETING WITH BALKAN MINISTERS ON 
SEPTEMBER 25, 1500, WALDORF ASTORIA 
 
REF: STATE 100723 
 
Classified By: DAS STUART JONES FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D) 
 
¶1. (U) Participants: 
 
U.S. 
---- 
Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried 
Deputy Assistant Secretary Stuart Jones 
Cathy Westley, EUR/SCE 
 
Adriatic Charter 3: 
------------------- 
Albania: Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha 
Croatia: Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic 
Macedonia: Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki 
 
PfP3: 
----- 
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj 
Montenegro: Foreign Minister Milan Rocen 
Serbia: Assistant Foreign Minister Fedor Starcevic 
 
¶2. (C) Summary: The foreign ministers from Adriatic Charter 
countries Albania, Croatia and Macedonia (A3) agreed to 
expand the Adriatic Charter to include Bosnia and Herzegovina 
and Montenegro and to leave the door open for Serbia, during 
a 60 minute meeting on the margins of UNGA September 25. 
Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried called the Charter a success 
important for regional stability.  The A3 also discussed 
difficulties with Serbia over Kosovo recognition and Serbia's 
sometimes inconsistent "pro-Europe" policy direction. 
Macedonian FM said the GoM planned to recognize Kosovo in 
early October, perhaps along with Portugal and Montenegro, 
despite threats from Serbia.  Joining the meeting, the 
Bosnian and Montenegrin FMs expressed gratitude for the 
invitation to join the Charter.  Serbian Assistant FM, who 
also joined later, said Serbia planned to continue active 
Adriatic Charter observer status and step up efforts in the 
PfP framework, but cautioned that Serbia was "burdened" by 
Kosovo's recognition by a majority of NATO countries.  The A3 
and U.S. issued a press release (para 9) noting the decision 
to invite Bosnia and Montenegro.  All agreed on the next 
steps to formalize the expansion of the Adriatic Charter (see 
para 8). End Summary. 
 
Charter Expansion; Macedonia Name Issue 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Meeting first with A3 countries Albania, Croatia and 
Macedonia only, A/S Fried called the Adriatic Charter "a 
two-thirds plus" success.  Croatia and Albania received NATO 
invitations; Macedonia fulfilled its membership requirements 
and would be invited once its bilateral name issue with 
Greece was resolved.  A/S Friend said that NATO enlargement 
should continue to include other countries in the region when 
they are ready and if they want it.  Montenegro is in good 
shape; political stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is 
eroding.  Serbia is a good neighbor on some days and 
threatening on other days.  A/S Fried concluded that 
expanding the Adriatic Charter to include Montenegro and 
Bosnia with an door open to Serbia will help strengthen 
regional cooperation and stability. 
 
¶4. (C) The A3 representatives agreed.  Macedonian FM 
Milososki expressed gratitude for the Adriatic Charter's 
success.  Macedonia would continue working on its name issue 
with Greece and welcomed expanding the Charter.  Croatian FM 
Jandrokovic noted the Charter's importance for regional 
cooperation and said Croatia is ready to invite Bosnia and 
Montenegro to join.  Fully supporting Macedonia's NATO 
aspirations, he urged that compromise be found with Greece 
regarding the name issue and said he pressed Greek Foreign 
Minister Bakoyannis as well.  Milososki responded that, 
according to a recent poll, 85 percent of the Macedonian 
public supports NATO accession.  However, when asked whether 
Macedonia should change its name to accomplish NATO 
membership, 75 percent responded no.  Albanian FM Basha said 
he felt the GoA had an obligation to continue and expand the 
Charter to assist additional countries.  Basha continued that 
Albania is willing to take more ownership of the Adriatic 
Charter but still wanted U.S. involvement.  FM Milososki 
 
STATE 00104222  002 OF 003 
 
 
offered that Macedonia, as the current Adriatic Charter 
chair, would draft a diplomatic note on behalf of the A3 
formally inviting Bosnia and Montenegro to join. 
 
A3 on Serbia and Kosovo Recognition 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Milososki said the GoM planned to recognize Kosovo 
soon despite threats from Serbia.  Jandrokovic said Serbia 
had also threatened Croatia over Kosovo recognition. 
Milososki said that Macedonia may recognize Kosovo as a group 
with Portugal -- and hopefully Montenegro if the GOM is ready 
-- in early October.  Basha added that Serbian officials told 
him that they would be more upset with Montenegro recognizing 
Kosovo than Macedonia. 
 
PfP 3: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) During the second half of the meeting, Bosnian FM 
Alkalaj welcomed the invitation to join the Charter.  He 
noted that with the start of its Intensified Dialogue with 
NATO, Bosnia was ready to participate.  Montenegrin FM Rocen 
said it was a "great day for Montenegro and the region," 
noting Montenegro's participation is both a recognition of 
its progress and a great obligation.  He congratulated 
Albania and Croatia for receiving NATO invitations and said 
he hoped Macedonia could overcome the name issue with Greece. 
 He emphasized it was important for Serbia to join when 
"dynamics improve." 
 
¶7. (C) Serbian Assistant FM Starcevic apologized that FM 
Jeremic could not attend and read a two-page prepared 
statement in English.  He said Serbia welcomed such meetings 
as an opportunity to discuss common issues.  Serbia plans to 
continue its active observer status in the Adriatic Charter 
and step up its involvement with PfP activity.  Serbia will 
formalize its participation in PfP at the October 1 signing 
of a framework agreement and move ahead on an Individual 
Partnership Action plan.  However, he noted, Serbian 
activities are "burdened" by Kosovo's recognition by a 
majority of NATO countries.  Nevertheless, Serbia's active 
cooperation in Western Balkans regional activities was 
consistent with Serbia's EU aspirations.  A/S Fried replied 
that the U.S. takes seriously Serbia's willingness to 
cooperate and emphasized the door was open when Serbia was 
ready; there are no roadblocks to Serbia's European 
integration. 
 
Next Steps to Expand the Adriatic Charter 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) A/S Fried said he was prepared to attend a 
minister-level meeting of the expanded Adriatic Charter 
before the end of 2008, perhaps on the margins of the OSCE 
foreign ministerial in Helsinki in early December.  The FMs 
agreed.  Participants agreed to the following process to 
formally expand the Charter: 
 
-- As current rotating chair, Macedonia would draft a 
diplomatic note invitation to Bosnia and Montenegro, 
circulate it to the A3 and the U.S., and, when finalized, 
deliver it to Bosnia and Montenegro; 
 
-- Bosnia and Montenegro will reply back via diplomatic note 
in the affirmative; 
 
-- Each country will pulse their MFA legal departments to 
gain clarity on the exact mechanism to codify the expansion, 
i.e., an addendum to the Charter, joint statement or other 
mechanism; 
 
-- Once the mechanism is decided, language will be circulated 
beforehand to be agreed upon prior to the expanded meeting in 
Helsinki; 
 
-- An expanded Adriatic Charter meeting and signing ceremony 
will be held in Helsinki on the margins of the OSCE Foreign 
Ministerial December 4-5. 
 
¶9. (U) Full text of joint statement from Albania, Croatia, 
Macedonia and the U.S. on expansion of the Adriatic Charter 
follows. 
 
Begin Text: 
 
For Immediate Release 
2008/788 
 
STATE 00104222  003 OF 003 
 
 
September 25, 2008 
 
Statement by Sean McCormack, Spokesman 
 
Invitation to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to Join 
Adriatic Charter 
 
At a ministerial meeting on September 25 in New York, under 
the chairmanship of Macedonia, the Member States of the 
Adriatic Charter -- Albania, Croatia, Macedonia and the 
United States -- decided to extend an invitation to Bosnia 
and Herzegovina and Montenegro to join the Charter. 
 
This decision was made in the firm belief that this expansion 
of the Charter will further strengthen mutual cooperation and 
advance Euro-Atlantic integration. 
 
End Text. 
RICE