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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000165 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y (UPDATED RI FOR OIC COLLECTIVE) 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SE (SSHIRATORI), IO (AMORRISON), INFO NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2014 
TAGS: EAID KISL OFDP OVIP PREL SA KO XF
SUBJECT: ALBANIANS REPORT SUCCESS IN MOVING DRAFT 
RESOLUTION ON KOSOVO THROUGH OIC PREPARATORY MEETING 
 
REF: JEDDAH 0163 
 
JEDDAH 00000165  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Consul General Martin R. Quinn for reasons 1.4(b) and (d 
) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: At a May 4-6 OIC preparatory meeting in 
advance of the upcoming Damascus ministerial conference, the 
OIC has passed an Albanian-submitted resolution encouraging 
its 57 member states to consider diplomatic and economic ties 
with Kosovo. According to the Albanian ambassador, Egypt 
worked hard to derail the process after general debate had 
finished and copies of the resolution were distributed, 
possibly demonstrating pique with the US over Israeli action 
in Gaza. While some changes to the language of the draft are 
still possible, momentum behind the Kosovo resolution appears 
strong and likely to remain intact through the preparatory 
meeting and move straight to the OIC in Damascus conference, 
May 23-25. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) RESOLUTION ON KOSOVO APPEARS TO HAVE PASSED WITH ONLY 
MINOR CHANGES  Albanian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Admirim 
Banaj, was pleased to report in May 6 telcon that the 
resolution submitted by Albania supporting OIC members to 
consider establishing diplomatic and economic ties with 
Kosovo appears to have passed.  The resolution was pushed 
through the OIC May 4-6 preparatory in Jeddah in advance of 
the May 23-25 ministerial in Damascus.  Ambassador Banaj 
cautioned that there still is a chance for additional changes 
to the resolution (see para 3 and 4 below on Egypt), but the 
resolution has moved forward.  Banaj noted the one 
substantive change: the 2nd part of para 4(which reads "Notes 
that OIC member states will decide in accordance with their 
own national practice and international law on their 
relations on Kosovo") was dropped. The Albanian options for 
the communique were not discussed, and Banaj thinks there may 
not be a communique emerging from Damascus (reftel). 
 
¶3. (C) EGYPT THE OBSTACLE: According to Banaj,"the one 
obstacle is Egypt." After copies of the approved resolution 
were returned from the Secretariat after being translated and 
copied, and only at this point, Egypt raised concerns, which 
Banaj describes as mere "excuses." He continued: "Egypt tried 
to sabotage everything that had been done." The Egyptian 
delegation asked for time to go back to Cairo to seek 
additional guidance. Banaj pointed to one OIC official as 
orchestrating the affair: "I think in one way or another it 
is the brain of this Fathallah," referring to OIC Director of 
Political Affairs, Egyptian diplomat Mahdi Fathallah. 
 
¶4. (C) "REVENGE" FOR GAZA: While not perfectly clear on 
Egypt's motivations in trying to block the Kosovo resolution, 
Banaj personally suspects that Egypt's action may be 
"revenge" for the recent hostilities in Gaza, implying that 
Egypt holds the US accountable for the Gaza situation and is 
opposing the Kosovo resolution in defiance of US recognition 
efforts. Banaj feels that the Egyptian delegate's behavior is 
typical of an Egyptian government working to obscure the real 
issues.  The Albanian expressed his personal frustration: "I 
was very angry with the Egyptians. I wanted to tell them that 
they cannot play games with an issue like this." 
 
¶5. (C) ALGERIA, AZERBAIJAN FALL IN LINE: Algeria, expected by 
the Albanians to pose a significant obstacle to the passage 
of the Kosovo resolution, in the end turned out not to put up 
a major fight. Algeria apparently requested minor 
alterations, but nothing changing the overall tone of the 
draft. For their part, the Azerbaijanis initially asked for 
time to go back to Baku, but quickly received an OK from 
their home government. 
 
¶6. (C) BROAD SUPPORT, ROLE OF SYRIAN CHAIR CRITICAL: Banaj 
singled out the role of the Syrian chairman for pushing the 
resolution forward.  The Syrian declared that the resolution 
had passed in principle, that comments or changes could be 
 
JEDDAH 00000165  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
considered, but that the resolution itself is moving forward. 
He reported wide support among OIC member states: "We found 
the atmosphere very positive. It was very smooth the way it 
was conducted." 
 
¶7. (C) DAMASCUS MEETING NOT LIKELY TO CHANGE OUTCOME: The 
annual OIC ministerial in Damascus is not likely to change 
the outcome of the decision made at the preparatory meeting 
according to Banaj, who noted that no votes are likely -- nor 
any vetoes -- with the resolutions expected to pass by 
consensus and concerned states abstaining. Banaj held open 
the possibility that the Egyptians might still "raise the 
issue of postponement," but probably will not be able to 
marshal any great impact. 
 
¶8. (C) COMMENT: The ease with which the OIC has been able to 
pass a resolution supporting Kosovo among member states, many 
of whom still have not recognized the country, may be a sign 
of the significant role that Saudi Arabia's recognition of 
Kosovo has played in influencing others.  Egypt's combative 
stance against the Kosovo resolution is apparently not 
drawing in much support, even among Arab nations.  It may be 
encouraging that Syria, a country clearly sharing Egypt's 
concerns over Gaza, has not allowed this factor to influence 
its view towards Kosovo. The Albanian ambassador's suggestion 
that the Egyptians are not being clear about the real reason 
for their opposition may make more sense than his own belief 
that this is somehow tied to U.S. support for the Israeli 
incursion in Gaza.  Banaj did not report any effort by the 
Iranian delegation to derail the resolution. END COMMENT. 
QUINN