VZCZCXRO3947
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHNO #0583 3451611
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111611Z DEC 09
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3730
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0034
RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA 3326
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0217
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 3507
RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA 4582
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHNO/USDELMC BRUSSELS BE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFIUU/USNMR SHAPE BE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS USNATO 000583 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON CNAR PGOV KV SR NATO
SUBJECT: TRANSITIONING KOSOVO AIRSPACE TO CIVILIAN CONTROL 
 
REF: PRISTINA 546 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND COMMENT:  USNATO conveyed reftel 
concerns to the head of NATO's Airspace Management Division 
Georgio Cioni on December 11. Cioni, who chairs the Kosovo 
airspace transition technical panel, insisted that the Kosovo 
Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) does have an equal voice on 
the panel and that he welcomes their input.  Cioni expressed 
surprise that the KCAA was not onboard with the proposed way 
forward, as he said that KCAA representatives have never 
expressed opposition. USNATO will monitor the process to 
ensure the KCAA's voice is heard but recommends strongly that 
the KCAA conveys its objections and ideas within the 
technical panel.  END SUMMARY AND COMMENT. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In response to Embassy Pristina concerns with regard 
to transitioning control of NATO's airspace to civilian 
control (reftel), USNATO approached head of NATO's Airspace 
Management Division Georgio Cioni on December 11 to reinforce 
reftel concerns.  Cioni chairs the technical panel that is 
examining ways forward for transitioning Kosovo airspace to 
civilian control.  We informed him that the Kosovo Civil 
Aviation Authority (KCAA) was not onboard with the recently 
proposed way forward and stressed that the U.S. expects the 
KCAA's voice be heard. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Cioni was taken completely offguard.  He insisted 
that the KCAA does have an equal voice, he welcomes their 
ideas and proposals, and that NATO is not trying to impose a 
solution.  Cioni said the KCAA representatives have never 
expressed opposition to the proposed way ahead in the panel 
or to him off-line.  He claimed they had indicated their 
satisfaction, saying it would advance KCAA control of 
Kosovo's lower airspace and, since it would only be an 
interim solution, would not irreversibly force their hand 
with regard to upper airspace.  Moreover, he said the KCAA 
has been talking with the Albanian National Air Traffic 
Agency to have them represent the KCAA's interests with 
regard to upper airspace in the proposed arrangement. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Cioni's statement that the technical panel does not 
represent an attempt by NATO to impose a solution is 
accurate.  It is a collaborative attempt to bring all 
relevent players together at a technical level in order to 
find a way forward without politicizing the issue.  The U.S. 
endorsed the panel's creation on January 29.  The main ideas 
were to ensure Kosovo a seat at the table and to embed the 
issue within the larger context of Europe's move to integrate 
civil airspace within regional blocs.  In addition to NATO 
and the regional civil air management agencies, the European 
Commission, Eurocontrol, International Air Transport 
Association (IATA), International Civil Aviation Organization 
(ICAO), and the Kosovo ICO/EUSR are all represented on the 
panel. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment: We strongly recommend that the KCAA convey 
its objections and ideas within the technical panel process. 
The panel provides the KCAA an opportunity to sit at the 
table with regional counterparts and international 
organizations and demonstrate that it is a legitimate, 
responsible member of the civil aviation community.  We will 
monitor the process to ensure the KCAA's voice is heard.  We 
caution against overtly inserting ourselves, as doing so will 
draw in the non-recognizers as well as other Allies. 
Further, it would undermine the KCAA's own credibility and 
give the Serbia-Montenegro Air Traffic Agency an excuse to 
withdraw. 
DAALDER