DUTCH CONFIRM EU PLANS FOR MINISTERIAL TROIKA

1.(C) DUTCH MFA UKRAINE/BELARUS OFFICERS CONFIRMED THAT THE
FRENCH EU PRESIDENCY IS ASSUMING THE EARLIER EU TASKING TO
THE PORTUGESE FOR A MINISTERIAL TROIKA VISIT TO MINSK BEFORE
THE FALL ELECTIONS. THEY ATTRIBUTE THE IMPETUS FOR THIS HIGH
LEVEL VISIT TO OSCE AMG HEAD AMB WIECK'S EARLIER APPEALS TO
THE EU FOR HIGH LEVEL POLITICAL SUPPORT. THEY NOTE THAT,
WHILE THE NETHERLANDS PREFERRED A POLITICAL DIRECTOR LEVEL
VISIT, MOST EU STATES OPTED FOR THE MINISTERIAL LEVEL BECAUSE
THEY CONSIDERED THE CURRENT ELECTION WINDOW SUCH A HIGH
PRIORITY. ADDITIONALLY, THEY COMMENTED THAT THE PREVAILING
SENTIMENT WITHIN THE EU IS THAT A VISIT TO MINSK MUST OCCUR
BEFORE LUKASHENKO PROMULGATES A NEW ELECTION FRAMEWORK,
OPERATIONALLY MEANING THE VISIT SHOULD OCCUR WITHIN THE NEXT
TWO WEEKS.


2.(C) AS FOR THE VISIT'S GUIDELINES, THE DUTCH MFA OFFICIALS
SAID THE TROIKA MINISTERS WOULD HEW CLOSELY TO THE OSCE
TROIKA'S FOUR CONDITIONS AND COMMENTED THAT THE NETHERLANDS
UNDERSTANDS THE NEED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO SPEAK
TO LUKASHENKO WITH ONE VOICE. THEY ADDED THAT THE
NETHERLANDS WAS DEEPLY CONCERNED BY LUKASHENKO'S "BLATANT USE
OF JUDICIAL PROCESSES TO MARGINALIZE AND LIMIT HIS POLITICAL
OPPOSITION."


3.(C) ON A BILATERAL NOTE, MFA UKRAINE DESK OFFICER HANS
SCHUTTE REMARKED THAT THE NETHERLANDS HOPES THE NEAR-TERM
VISIT OF FOREIGN MINISTER VAN AARTSEN TO KIEV WILL CONTRAST
POIGNANTLY THE WESTERN COMMUNITY'S EMBRACE OF UKRAINE WITH
ITS VERY CRITICAL ENGAGEMENT OF BELARUS. SCHUTTE EXPLAINED
THAT VAN AARTSEN PLANS TO PRAISE UKRAINE-NATO COOPERATION,
SUCH AS THE RECENT SOFA FINALIZATION AND UKRAINIAN KFOR
CONTRIBUTIONS, AS WELL AS DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE.




TOKOLA