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RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK
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DE RUEHBW #0072/01 0141655
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141653Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0581
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0014

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BELGRADE 000072 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO SR KV
SUBJECT: Serbia: Prime Minister Protests Bogdanovic Removal from 
Kosovo 
 
REF: PRISTINA 25 
 
Summary 
 
------------ 
 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)   On January 13 the Prime Minister convoked Quint 
Ambassadors and Charges to formally protest Kosovo Minister 
Bogdanovic's expulsion from Kosovo earlier that day (reftel).  The 
government released a statement about the meeting to highlight 
their protest of the action.  The incident received wide press 
coverage.   End Summary. 
 
 
 
PM Calls in the Quint 
 
--------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Prime Minister Cvetkovic called in Quint Ambassadors and 
Charges late on January 13 to protest the removal of Kosovo 
Minister Goran Bogdanovic from Kosovo earlier that day (reftel). 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Political Director Borko Stefanovic 
accompanied the PM.  Cvetkovic said that Bogdanovic had been 
detained near Strpce by more than 40 members of the Kosovo Police 
special forces, in the presence of EULEX and KFOR.  He was escorted 
to Gate 3 (Merdare), in the opposite direction of Bogdanovic's home 
in Kosovo.  The PM protested that this action violated his civil 
rights as Bogdanovic was a "citizen of Kosovo", he had a residence 
in Kosovo and was traveling in a private car with Kosovo plates and 
had an UNMIK issued ID card.  The PM said that Bogdanovic had not 
broken any law and that the Serbian government protested this 
action, which violated Bogdanovic's human rights.   Cvetkovic 
asserted that Bogdanovic had given verbal notification of his 
intention to travel according to established procedures and had not 
received any reply. 
 
 
 
¶3.  (SBU) UK Ambassador Wordsworth replied that it was important to 
gather all of the facts about what happened.  He said that the EU 
Personal Representative's office had been in touch with Bogdanovic 
to advise him that his travel had not been approved and that he 
should not attempt to travel to Strpce.   The PM reiterated the 
assertion that Bogdanovic's travel was purely private and there was 
no reason for his detention and removal.  He also returned to the 
points that Bogdanovic was a resident of Kosovo traveling in a 
private car with Kosovo plates, carrying an UNMIK ID, and had not 
broken any Kosovo laws. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Immediately following the meeting, Cvetkovic's office 
posted a press release.  The text of the release follows: 
 
 
 
Cvetkovic Protests Pristina's Decision to Deny Bogdanovic Visit to 
Strpce.  Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic has urgently 
contacted the ambassadors of Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy 
and the U.S. to convey the Serbian government's protest over the 
decision by Pristina authorities to prevent Minister for 
Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovic from entering the municipality of 
Strpce, in Kosovo-Metohija.   Cvetkovic stressed that such 
violations of human rights and the right of freedom of movement in 
the southern Serbian province cannot be tolerated.  He sought the 
support of these countries for condemning such steps by EULEX and 
KFOR and for efforts to create decent living conditions in 
Kosovo-Metohija. 
 
 
 
Note:  During the meeting Cvetkovic referred only to the presence 
of EULEX and KFOR when Bogdanovic was stopped by the Kosovo police. 
He did not request that the Quint condemn EULEX or KFOR actions. 
End note. 
 
 
 
Kosovo Ministry Officials Admit the Visit Was Not Personal 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------------- 
 
BELGRADE 00000072  002 OF 003 
 
 
---------- 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) On January 14, Kosovo Ministry Assistant Minister Dragan 
Petkovic and Bogdanovic's Chief of Staff Vlada Jovicic told us and 
Deputy of the EU Personal Representative's office, Ben Crampton, 
that the expulsion had further aggravated a delicate situation.  ( 
Both Petkovic and Jovicic were expelled with Minister Bogdanovic on 
January 13.)  Both clearly admitted that they were there to visit 
parallel schools and municipal authorities in Strpce, but said that 
Bogdanovic had wanted to encourage all Serbs in the enclaves to 
work together.  Petkovic said there was increasing pressure "from 
our communities and among the radicals" to show that Belgrade had 
influence. "Even though we cooperate with the international 
community, compared to our predecessors [Samardzic], we are being 
humiliated," Petkovic said.   On the side, both said the 
humiliation was taking its toll on Bogdanovic, who was tiring of 
his job.  "Perhaps people like [northern hardliner] Marko Jaksic 
are right.  If they come to power, then we will see how much the 
international community can do in Kosovo without our help," 
Petkovic said.  Jovicic said he thought Bogdanovic may individually 
call in Quint Ambassadors to express his personal frustration. 
We reiterated that the agreed procedures had been violated and they 
were told beforehand there would be consequences.  We cautioned 
them not to be shortsighted and not to sour their working relations 
with either EULEX or KFOR. 
 
 
 
President's Kosovo Advisor Concerned About Impact on Future Visits 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------------- 
------------------- 
 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) President Tadic's Kosovo Advisor, Mladjan  Djordjevic, 
reiterated to us during a January 14 meeting the government's 
unhappiness with the "poor message" that was sent by the Kosovo 
authorities' decision to expel Bogdanovic.  Djordjevic said that it 
was a contradiction for the international community to tell Serbia 
to influence the Kosovo Serbs and then to have visits denied: 
"there is no influence without access."  Djordjevic also expressed 
concern for the future, saying that he had traveled to Kosovo twice 
without problem under the "new procedures" of informing EU Personal 
Representative Peter Sorensen.  He and Mayor Djilas, who are both 
leaders in the Nasa Srbija Foundation, are scheduled to travel to 
Kosovo at the end of the month or in early February with a 
foudation donation to Decani Monastery and to deliver a truck to a 
village near Prizren, and Djordjevic wondered what impact the 
Bogdanovic incident would have on these plans. 
 
 
 
Press Offers Wide Coverage 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
 
 
¶7.  (U) All Serbian press covered the incident, although some were 
more sensationalist and expressed greater outrage.  Headlines 
ranged from "Minister Attacked!" (Kurir) to "Bogdanovic Did Not 
Respect the 'Procedure'" (Danas).  Most media gave a very 
straightforward account of the event, and some even solicited and 
received exclusive statements from Kosovo authorities.  The daily 
Politika presented arguments from both sides of the debate, quoting 
Kosovo's Ministry of Internal Affairs that Bogdanovic had three 
days earlier "entered Kosovo on private business, which all 
citizens of Kosovo have a right to do, but yesterday began some 
political activities," which brought an end to the legality of his 
visit.  Much of the exchange between Bogdanovic and Kosovo police 
was filmed by Serbian press who were traveling with the Minister, 
and extended excerpts from the exchange were broadcast on evening 
newscasts. 
 
 
 
Comment 
 
------------ 
 
 
 
¶8.  (SBU) While the incident received top coverage on television, 
 
BELGRADE 00000072  003 OF 003 
 
 
it did not make the front page of any Belgrade papers and some 
buried the story as far back as page ten.  Kosovo issues continue 
to slide down the public's priorities even as President Tadic and 
FM Jeremic increasingly focus their rhetoric on the 
post-International Court of Justice opinion environment.  The 
Serbian government's line that Bogdanovic was traveling as a 
private citizen was disingenuous.   Ambassador Wordsworth told us 
that he had spoken with MFA political director Borko Stefanovic 
earlier in the day on January 13 and Stefanovic had admitted that 
Bogdanovic's visit had been a mistake.   Bogdanovic has chafed 
under the visit procedures for months, complaining bitterly at 
every opportunity that his requests had been rejected or had gone 
unanswered.  FM Jeremic will certainly highlight this incident in 
the upcoming January 22 UNSC session on Kosovo.   End Comment. 
PEDERSON