VZCZCXRO0214
PP RUEHTRO
DE RUEHC #7372/01 1282237
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 082224Z MAY 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 047372 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL KV
SUBJECT: KUDOS AND ACTION REQUEST: VOTING FOR KOSOVO'S 
WORLD BANK MEMBERSHIP 
 
REF: A. STATE 43681/43679 
     ¶B. STATE 33629/33709 
 
¶1. (SBU) On May 6, Kosovo,s membership in the International 
Monetary Fund (IMF) was accepted overwhelmingly with 96 
countries voting in favor of membership and another 32 
casting abstentions.  Kosovo,s membership received 
significant support throughout the world, but especially in 
the Arab world and in Africa.  This global outpouring of 
support reflects the concerted effort of your missions to get 
out the vote, as well as your outstanding coordination with 
the Germans, French, and British in conducting joint 
demarches.  This successful push on Kosovo,s IMF membership 
should provide fresh momentum for further recognitions and 
allow Kosovo to access additional technical and financial 
support from these multilateral institutions. The Department 
is extremely grateful for your collective efforts in this 
important U.S. foreign policy priority. 
 
¶2. (SBU) We seek to leverage this very positive development 
to secure a similar outcome for Kosovo,s application to the 
World Bank. There is a risk that countries wishing to avoid 
controversy surrounding Kosovo's status may choose to ignore 
the vote.  Serbia and other countries are conducting 
intensive diplomatic efforts to discourage participation in 
the vote. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Department instructs Embassies to urge the host 
country's World Bank governor to respond formally and vote by 
the June 3 closing date on Kosovo,s application for Bank 
membership.  Posts should, at their discretion, coordinate 
this demarche with the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, 
and the United Kingdom.  Posts may choose not to deliver this 
demarche if they believe it would be counterproductive. 
Embassies should report results, including how and when host 
country intends to respond to the vote, by cable to EEB and 
EUR before May 27.  Posts that have already reported that the 
host country has returned a World Bank ballot need not reply. 
 See paragraphs 7 - 10 for country-by-country results of IMF 
Kosovo voting.  Please note that the IMF will not publicly 
release the record of votes.  This information is for post,s 
use only and should not be shared publicly. 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) As with the IMF balloting, it is critically 
important that at least 93 countries participate in the 
voting to meet World Bank quorum requirements.  Posts should 
stress the importance of participating in the vote.  While 
posts should encourage all governors to submit a favorable 
response (&yes8), a "no" or "abstain" vote is also 
acceptable because any recorded vote will count toward the 
quorum requirement. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Board of Governors at the World Bank makes the 
final determination on membership decisions.  IMF membership 
is the only prerequisite for World Bank membership.  Each 
member country has one governor (and one alternate governor) 
at the World Bank; the governor casts the country's bloc of 
 
STATE 00047372  002 OF 003 
 
 
voting shares at the Board of Governors.  Finance ministers, 
Central Bank authorities, or planning and development 
ministers typically serve as World Bank governors for host 
countries.  The list of World Bank governors and alternates 
can be found online at http://siteresources.worldbank.org/ 
BODINT/resources/278027-1215526322295/ bankgovernors.pdf.  As 
long as there is a quorum, the World Bank members that have 
recognized Kosovo wield sufficient voting power to achieve 
the simple majority necessary to approve Kosovo's 
application. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Post may draw on the following talking points, as 
needed: 
 
-- Kosovo's success is a high priority for the United States 
and the U.S. Administration. 
 
-- The World Bank Executive Board approved Kosovo,s 
membership application on April 21.  On May 8, the IMF 
announced that its members had approved Kosovo,s membership 
application.  The World Bank Governors are being asked to 
provide their written approval no later than June 3. 
 
-- The United States urges your government to vote in support 
of Kosovo's World Bank membership application.  Kosovo's 
membership in international financial institutions will 
strengthen stability in the Balkans and help integrate 
Kosovo's economy into the global financial system. 
 
-- Even if your government cannot vote &yes8 at this time, 
we ask that you send in a written &abstention8 or &no8 
response by June 3, so that the ballot procedure will meet 
quorum requirements. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The following countries voted &yes8 for Kosovo to 
join the IMF: Afghanistan, Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, 
Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, 
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central 
African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic 
Republic of Congo, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d,Ivoire, 
Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, 
Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, 
Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland, 
Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Latvia, Liberia, 
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, 
Malta,, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Montenegro, Mozambique, 
Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, 
Palau, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, San 
Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South 
Africa, St. Kitts and Nevis,  St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the 
Grenadines, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Togo, Trinidad and 
Tobago, Turkey, United Arab emirates, United Kingdom, United 
States, Vanuatu, Yemen, and Zambia. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The following countries submitted written 
abstentions: Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia 
and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Chile, 
Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Israel, 
Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Lebanon, Mexico, 
Moldova, Morocco, Nepal, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Sao 
Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Switzerland, Thailand, 
Timor-Leste, Tonga, Ukraine, and Uruguay. 
 
9 (SBU) The following countries voted &no8: Angola, 
Azerbaijan, Cyprus, El Salvador, Georgia, Greece, Pakistan, 
 
STATE 00047372  003 OF 003 
 
 
Romania, Slovak Republic, and Venezuela. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The following countries did not participate in the 
IMF vote: Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Bhutan, Botswana, 
Brazil, Cambodia, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, 
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Grenada, Guinea, Guyana, India, Iran, 
Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, 
Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Papua New 
Guinea, Russia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, 
Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, 
Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and 
Zimbabwe. 
POINTS OF CONTACT 
----------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Please contact Treasury staff Daniel Schmerin 
(202-622-0036, or Daniel.Schmerin@do.treas.gov), EEB/ODF 
staff Chip Laitinen (202-736-4586, or LaitinenWH@state.gov) 
or Kosovo Desk Officer Seiji T Shiratori (202-736-7729, or 
ShiratoriST@state.gov) for any necessary further background 
information or argumentation to meet our objectives. 
CLINTON