VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSN #0182 0451535
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 141535Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9008
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 0069
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0002
RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA PRIORITY 0004
RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA PRIORITY 0010
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE VIENNA AU PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0098
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO  PRIORITY
RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 000182 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2018 
TAGS:            
SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR LEANS TOWARDS KOSOVO RECOGNITION, BUT 
LATER 
 
REF: A. STATE 13716 
 
      B. SAN SALVADOR 51 
      C. STATE 1087 
 
Classified By: The Ambassador, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 1. (C) Summary: El Salvador will almost certainly recognize 
Kosovo's independence, but because of sensitivities 
concerning relations with Moscow, the GOES will not be among 
the first wave of countries to do so.  End Summary. 
 
 2. (C) PolCouns delivered Ref (A) demarche to MFA officials 
February 12.  North America Director Wendy Acevedo, standing 
in for the Deputy Director General for Political Affairs who 
was called away, said El Salvador had hoped a negotiated 
agreement could be reached.  The GOES recognizes that is 
unlikely, so it intends to maintain a "prudent" policy of 
watching and waiting as Kosovo's independence declaration 
plays out, both between Belgrade and Pristina and in the 
international community. 
 
 3. (C) Complicating El Salvador's position, Acevedo said, was 
the GOES' continuing effort to improve relations with Russia. 
 VM Calix visited Moscow last year, and the GOES hopes to 
build on that visit and strengthen relations with Moscow in 
coming months.  San Salvador does not want to jeopardize this 
effort with quick recognition of Kosovo independence. 
 
 4. (C) That said, Acevedo said El Salvador would almost 
certainly recognize Kosovo, just not immediately.  She said 
timing would depend on how things played out in the days and 
weeks after Kosovo's declaration of independence and this 
would inform the MFA's "strategic analysis" paper (Ref (B)). 
 
 5. (C) Comment: Both Acevedo and Amaya acknowledge that 
Kosovo has escaped Belgrade's orbit and that San Salvador 
will eventually recognize Pristina.  While the GOES will not 
recognize Kosovo right away, reaching a critical mass of 
recognitions -- especially in Europe -- will ease that step 
for the GOES.  We will continue to urge that it do so as soon 
as possible. 
GLAZER