Politika Interviews Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Philip Reeker

Belgrade, January 22. 2012.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Philip Reeker. Foto: D. Cirkov, Politika.rs

Transcript of DAS Philip Reeker Interview with Nenad Radičević from Politika

Politika: During your visit, Serbian officials presented President Tadic's Four Point Plan for resolving the Kosovo issue. In recent days we heard the British Ambassador to Kosovo and the French Ambassador to Serbia acknowledge that this could be a good start for negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo. Does the U.S. back that plan? What is your stance?

DAS Reeker: We heard President Tadic when he spoke at the United Nation's last fall and indeed we've seen these four points that he raised. These are issues that need to be considered. There are some outstanding issues obviously in the North. Pristina has issues that they want considered as well in that regard. We did not discuss these in any depth nor is there any particular U.S. position on this. We hope that Serbia will now, at this time, focus on the immediate goal of securing its candidacy status in the European Union.

Politika: Yes, but these Four Points mention a special solution for Serb monasteries, special guarantees for Serbs in the enclaves, a special solution for the North, and addressing the issue of property of the Serbian state and of Serbian citizens. Do you think it is possible to persuade Pristina to negotiate on all four points and to make a deal with that?

DAS Reeker: I really think what needs to be focused on now are the dialogue discussions and negotiations in the dialogue. That's the immediate goal and necessity. There are for both Belgrade and Pristina views and outstanding issues, and those will need to be discussed and addressed, going to the future. So, it's great that everybody has ideas and views and can express those openly, but right now I think the focus should be on the immediate need with the calendar that is before us as we start the new year. Talking is good and useful, but it should be constructive, and it should not try to revisit issues that have already been resolved. It should look to resolve issues that are still outstanding.

Politika: When you visited Pristina, did you request from Pristina to make some concessions? There is the impression in Belgrade that Belgrade has much to lose, its candidate status, while Pristina does not have anything [to lose] in the integration process. Everybody expects from Belgrade to give everything, to step down, but not from Pristina.

DAS Reeker: I think that dialogue is very much...it depends on both Belgrade and Pristina by its very definition. This isn't about anybody stepping down, it's about finding solutions, practical solutions, to common problems that improve the daily lives of the citizens in Kosovo…Serbs, ethnic Albanians, of all citizens in this multiethnic democracy. That's what the EU is doing by leading this dialogue, and we have seen that with focused effort they can come to agreements, and in the case of Pristina they have implemented those agreements impeccably. That's what we would like to see continuing: Implementing the agreements that have been reached and coming to further agreements, as the European Union has said in the conclusions of the European Council, including one on regional representation, regional fora, regional cooperation.

Politika: After your visit to Belgrade and Pristina, can we expect that the date of resumption of the dialogue will be set up soon? I would say that this was your role at the moment.

DAS Reeker: I am surprised analysts say that because the dialogue is a European Union-led construct. In our view the dialogue continues, and we believe that the day of the next round of meetings in the dialogue can be worked out. We support the efforts of the European Union mediator Robert Cooper. It is, I think, important to both Serbia's and Kosovo's EU perspectives that we move the process further along, obviously to produce concrete results.

Politka: In Serbia, especially in December after the EU summit and after Serbia didn't get EU candidacy status, we heard that there was some kind of pressure on Belgrade authorities to give up on UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Did the United States request from Serbia to give up Resolution 1244?

DAS Reeker: No. The simple answer. As we and many in the European Union have said many times, no one is asking Serbia to give up its commitment to UNSCR 1244. What we are asking both sides for is flexibility and creativity to ensure that both Serbia and Kosovo are able to participate in and have their voices heard in regional fora. The Serb negotiator knows this perfectly well.

Politika: When you mention Kosovo's participation in regional and international fora, what is the problem if they have title "Kosovo UNMIK 1244" or something like that, not only "Kosovo"?

DAS Reeker: It's a matter of both sides finding formulas with which they can be comfortable. That's the way a negotiation works. That's the way forward, and we believe that there are solutions that the mediator, Mr. Cooper, has made, many suggestions that are pretty reasonable ways to move forward. Again, no one is asking Serbia to give up its commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and as I said the Serb negotiator knows that perfectly well.

Politika: Does the U.S. consider Belgrade responsible for this summer's events in the north [of Kosovo] with the barricades....after 3 months, over the course of 3 days some barricades were removed. Did Serbia lose some kind of credibility in the eyes of the EU and the U.S.? Belgrade says it has no power to control people in the North.

DAS Reeker: I think we all know that Belgrade has significant influence in the north of Kosovo. The fact that it provides funding for personnel and institutions and activities in the north of Kosovo is part of that influence. So, what we are asking Belgrade to do is to use that influence to support stability and progress for all the people of Kosovo, including implementation of the dialogue agreements that will be to the benefit of all people of Kosovo. That's what we are asking Belgrade to do: use its influence and implement the agreements that were reached through the dialogue.

Politika: Why did U.S. request abolishment of so-called parallel institutions in the north of Kosovo when at this moment they are the only legally elected institutional framework in the north of Kosovo?

DAS Reeker: I think what you have to look at very carefully is what institutions we are talking about. There are institutions that are not created within the laws of Kosovo, and there are other institutions which function, like schools and hospitals, that need to be maintained and will be maintained under any situation. The perfect example is in the southern part of Kosovo where Serb communities have been functioning and indeed thriving and even prospering economically, with their institutions protected and serving their needs. So, that's what needs to be done. The focus needs to be on making progress within the construct of Kosovo, so that all the people can feel comfortable and have their needs met as part of a community, not having structures and institutions that are supported purely by Belgrade, making decisions in that context. And of course, as 1244 itself makes very clear, there should be no Serb security structures or security personal in Kosovo.

Politika: During the 1990s and in this century you supported changing the borders of Serbia when Kosovo Albanians decided to declare the independence of Kosovo. Why do you say now that no changes of borders, particularly in the case of Kosovo partition, are possible?

DAS Reeker: I think our position has in fact been very clear and firm all along on this. Due to the nature of events that led to Kosovo's independence, and that includes nine years of United Nations administration of territory, the United States considers Kosovo's independence to be a special case that is not some precedent for other situations. You will see very clearly, if you read it, that Kosovo's constitution provides substantial autonomy for minority communities, and as I mentioned already, Serbs living south of the Ibar are already using those constitutional guarantees and provisions to develop their communities, to promote their interests. We would like to see improved living conditions in the north of Kosovo as well, so that the Serbs who live there and others who live there can achieve a better quality of life for themselves, their children and future generations. And that is really what our focus is on, and it's not conducive to that, to better lives, more stability, to be partitioning or changing borders. In that regard, once you start down that path and then try to raise the question of states being built on ethnicity you put into question the future of many states. All these countries in this region are multi-ethnic. Serbia has always been a multi-ethnic country and can thrive and prosper based on that multi-ethnicity and diversity.

Politika: I can hear the question, which people often ask me: What was and is the American basic interest to support Kosovo independence?

DAS Reeker: You have to look at the history of what went on in Kosovo and...

Politka: There is the impression among the Serbia population that it was very high in your agenda and that you fight for that very strongly.

DAS Reeker: What was high in our agenda was and remains stability, peace, prosperity, our vision of a Europe whole, free, democratic, at peace and hopefully increasingly prosperous. That has been our policy going all the way back to the period after WWII and that is what we want to see for Serbia, that is what we support for Serbia, what we support for all the countries in the Western Balkans and Europe as a whole. And that I think is an important goal, and it is going to continue to be our focus. Kosovo has to be looked at in the context of what went on there and what we have had is peace and stability broadly compared to the wars they experienced a decade ago. And that is what we need to build on and that is why the dialogue is important, coming into agreements, again that we are focused on, improving the daily lives of all people in Kosovo and throughout the region.

Politika: Many experts, such as Erhard Busek, say that the partition of Kosovo would not necessarily create problems in the region. I think that for Washington and Brussels the whole topic is taboo. Why don't Washington and Brussels even want to consider this idea?

DAS Reeker: The best way to say - it is not a question of taboo, it is a question of it being considered and strongly disagreeing with the idea that this would be a good idea. I think the situation in Bosnia is just one of many reasons why we strongly disagree and why we think a partition of Kosovo or a changing of borders is a bad idea. As I said, once you start down that path and raise the question of states being built on ethnicity, you begin to question the viability of any state.

Politika: But you already started with Kosovo.

DAS Reeker: Again, Kosovo is a particular case that had its own history, its own series of events that took place there, and that included already nine years of UN administration prior to Kosovo's independence. So, I think you have to look broadly at the situation, and decide what is in the best interest of stability of people of the various countries in the region, whether that is Bosnia or Macedonia. Trying to redraw borders or partition countries to create imaginary ethnic-based countries is simply not a recipe for success, stability and prosperity.

Politika: Some politicians and some experts here in Serbia say that a new Dayton conference for Kosovo should be organized. My impression is that U.S. and EU officials don't want to go over these issues again, that the Balkans are no longer that high of a priority. Why do you think that the Kosovo issue does not require some kind of new Dayton conference?

DAS Reeker: The issue of Kosovo's status and territorial integrity has been resolved. It is an independent state and we are committed to working with our EU partners and others to support Kovoso's sovereignty and territorial integrity. So there is no need for a new international conference on Kosovo. In terms of the broader Balkan region, we continue to be very involved. There are indeed many issues in the world, but I for one am assigned by the Secretary of State to focus on the Balkan region, and we remain very engaged here in partnership with the European Union and with individual countries here as well, including Serbia. While we have differences in views, we believe that we can deal with them diplomatically and with respect. And we can support engagement and processes like the EU's dialogue process to help find solutions to those issues that really affect the daily lives of people in all the countries of the region. Specifically in regards to the dialogue, to improve the lives of all the people in Kosovo and to facilitate the engagement of people between Kosovo and Serbia.

Politika: In one statement you said that you closely cooperate with Germany and Austria. Can we expect that you will lobby Berlin to support Serbia's bid for EU candidacy status? As you know, deadlines are approaching.

DAS Reeker: We are in constant communication with Germany, Austria, and other EU partners, but as you have seen, every country makes its own decisions on its own timeline. Each of those countries speaks for itself and makes its own decisions. The U.S. is a strong supporter of Serbia's EU aspirations, and we've said that all along. We think that Serbia can be its own best advocate by proactively meeting all of the conditions for candidate status that were set out clearly by the European Council in December. We think that is possible and that Serbia will be successful in that.

Politika: American diplomacy is not as active in the region as it was ten years ago. The impression is that some problems remain, Bosnia for instance, stuck in time, because you left the problems to the Europeans. Some analysts see your tour in the region as an effort to be more present in the region and to push things along. How important is the Balkan region to the United States?

DAS Reeker: This region remains important to the U.S. We pay considerable attention to it, over the years we have provided significant assistance – programmatic, financial, and diplomatic – to help the countries of the region achieve their goals, and we work very closely on this with the European Union as partners. We believe that the future of Serbia, and the future of Bosnia, of all the countries in the region, is in the European Union. And I think that if you look at recent polling data, in Serbia for instance, its shows that a majority of Serbian citizens still consider EU membership to be Serbia's top priority. So we strongly support these efforts. The EU set out very clearly the reforms and steps needed to move down that European path. They've made it very clear to Kosovo, as they have to the other countries of the region, that they have a European perspective as well, and it is a matter of working diligently to develop that perspective, and we are committed to doing that. So my trip this time, at the beginning of a new year, was very much designed to meet with our embassies in the region, to meet with officials in the region, and to continue to reiterate our policies, and that includes our support for your European perspective in partnership with the EU and the other countries in the region pursuing those goals.

Politika: Despite EULEX naming former US ambassador-at-large for war crimes John Clint Williamson as head of a group tasked with investigating allegations linking Kosovo officials to organ trafficking, there is the impression in Belgrade that Washington wants to push aside this issue. Why did U.S. lobby against Serbia's request for a special UN body to be set up to investigate the claims of the Dick Marty's report?

DAS Reeker: First of all, we take the Marty report extremely seriously. What is suggested in that report needs to be taken seriously by everybody. Far from sweeping it under the carpet, as you suggest, for our part we have provided for – funded – the best, most qualified person to lead an investigation and review. We have full confidence that it is being undertaken thoroughly, in a transparent, open way. Clint Williamson is incredibly experienced, and experts around the world, including Serbia, have expressed their confidence in his skills and commitment, so we expect that investigation to continue thoroughly and fully. We have every confidence that under EULEX with the leadership of Clint Williamson these allegations will be fully addressed. And I believe Senator Marty has expressed his confidence in that process as well.