VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBR #0677 1481505
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281505Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4404

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000677 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL KV BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN KOSOVO WORLD BANK VOTE 
 
REFS: A) STATE 47369 B) STATE 33629 C) BRASILIA 490 D) 
Barrett/Freudenwald 5/5 email 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: An official in the Ministry of Finance confirmed 
that Brazil will not cast a vote on Kosovo's World Bank application. 
The official told Econoff that the Ministry of External Relations 
(MRE) had directed Finance Minister Mantega not to vote on the 
upcoming Kosovo World Bank bid, and cited the pending International 
Court of Justice opinion on Kosovo's independence as the reason why 
Brazil preferred not to participate.  (Note: Brazil did not cast a 
vote on the May 5 Kosovo IMF bid for the same reason.  End note.) 
End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The Ministry of Finance official, a Coordinator General for 
Economic Affairs in the International Affairs Secretariat, relayed 
that Ambassador Marcos Galvao, the International Affairs Secretary, 
understood that not voting at all has the potential to make a larger 
statement than an "abstain vote" since Brazil has effectively chosen 
not to contribute to a quorum.  The official said that Brazil 
believes nonetheless that not voting is the preferred way not to 
participate in the decision. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The Ministry of Finance official said that MRE, as a point 
of foreign policy, does not want to act with respect to Kosovo while 
the International Court of Justice has still not rendered an advisory 
opinion on Kosovo's independence.  MRE contacts have told Embassy 
Brasilia that Brazil does not want to take any position on Kosovo 
until there is a clear UN outcome on its political status.  They 
believe not voting is more consistent with this stance than 
abstention, even though not voting would favor the Serb position. 
 
KUBISKE