US embassy cable - 02ROME5093

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2012 
TAGS: PREL, SR, MN, IT, OSCE 
SUBJECT: GOI AGREES WITH USG ON NEED FOR SERBIAN ELECTION 
REFORM 
 
REF: STATE 202845 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  05093  180852Z 
 
1.  (C)  ON OCTOBER 16, MFA BALKAN OFFICE DIRECTOR MAURIZIO 
MASSARI TOLD POLOFF THAT THE GOI AGREED COMPLETELY WITH USG 
THE USG VIEW EXPRESSED REFTEL THAT THE IC MUST PUT PRESSURE 
ON SERB PM DJINDJIC TO RECONVENE PARLIAMENT IN ORDER TO AMEND 
THE ELECTORAL LAW IN LINE WITH ODIHR RECOMMENDATIONS. 
MASSARI HAD JUST RETURNED FORM A MEETING IN BRUSSELS ON 
OCTOBER 15 DURING WHICH HE HAD WORKED WITH HIS EU MEMBER 
STATE COUNTERPARTS TO CRAFT HIREP SOLANA'S TALKING POINTS FOR 
HIS CALL TO DJINDJIC REFERRED TO IN REFTEL. 
 
2.  (C)  MASSARI SAID THAT DJINDJIC'S POINTS WERE STRONG, BUT 
PERHAPS NOT AS STRONG AS HE WOULD HAVE WANTED.  NEGOTIATION 
AT 15 IN THE EU TENDS TO MOVE STATEMENTS TOWARDS THE "LEAST 
COMMON DENOMINATOR," CONTINUED MASSARI, BUT NONETHELESS, THE 
POINTS WILL COMMUNICATE TO DJINDJIC THE EU'S VIEW THAT SERB 
ELECTION LAWS SHOULD FALL INTO LINE WITH OSCE/ODIHR 
RECOMMENDATIONS ASAP. 
 
3.  (C)  THE GOI PLANS TO DELIVER ITS OWN MESSAGE THROUGH ITS 
EMBASSY IN BELGRADE TO DJINDJIC AND OTHER SERB LEADERS.  THE 
STATEMENT WAS STILL IN DRAFT FORM, SO MASSARI WAS NOT 
SPECIFIC ON THE WORDING OR RECIPIENTS OTHER THAN DJINDJIC, 
BUT THE DEMARCHE "WOULD BE STRONGER" THAN THE ONE DELIVERED 
BY SOLANA.  MASSARI PROMISED POLOFF A READOUT OF THE SERB 
REACTION TO THE DEMARCHE AS SOON AS IT WAS AVAILABLE. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002ROME05093 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL