Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03THEHAGUE1847
2003-07-22 10:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:  

OSCE: A/S JONES' MEETINGS IN THE HAGUE

Tags:  GG KCRM MD NL PREL UP OSCE 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001847 

SIPDIS

OSD FOR DASD IAN BRZEZINSKI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2013
TAGS: GG KCRM MD NL PREL UP OSCE
SUBJECT: OSCE: A/S JONES' MEETINGS IN THE HAGUE

REF: DALY-EUR EMAILS

Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES DANNY R. RUSSEL FOR REAS
ONS 1.5 (b) and (d)

(A/S Jones cleared this cable.)

(U)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001847

SIPDIS

OSD FOR DASD IAN BRZEZINSKI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2013
TAGS: GG KCRM MD NL PREL UP OSCE
SUBJECT: OSCE: A/S JONES' MEETINGS IN THE HAGUE

REF: DALY-EUR EMAILS

Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES DANNY R. RUSSEL FOR REAS
ONS 1.5 (b) and (d)

(A/S Jones cleared this cable.)

(U) 1. During a July 15 visit to The Hague, A/S Jones met
with Daan Everts, director of the Dutch OSCE office, to
discuss Moldova, Georgia, and the December 2003 ministerial.
OSCE was also raised in her meeting with parliamentarians
from the Labor party (PvdA). Other issues reported septels.

MOLDOVA
--------------

(C) 2. A/S Jones and Everts agreed that the OSCE (and the
Dutch as CiO) must "leave no stone unturned" to achieve a
peace settlement in Moldova by year's end, and doing so will
require U.S. and European pressure on all parties. A/S Jones
said the U.S. line with Russia is, "you can't possibly want
to perpetuate instability on your southern border; now is the
time to end the frozen conflicts." She asked Everts whether
there were particular points Deputy Secretary Armitage could
raise during counter-terrorism talks with Russian deputy FM
Trubrikov July 22-23 in Williamsburg.

(C) 3. Everts described Russia as unpleasantly surprised by
the peace consolidation concept, and underscored the
importance of getting the Russians on board, especially
before an August summit among Putin, Moldova's Voronin and
the Ukraine's Kuchma, and Putin's visit to Chisinau in
October. He said that the Russians appear to be hopeful that
a settlement will not/not happen, allowing them to maintain
the status quo at year's end and obtain OSCE blessing to keep
the Russian-led peacekeeping arrangement in place. The CiO
wants to avoid this at all costs; A/S Jones reiterated U.S.
agreement with the Dutch on this issue.

(C) 4. Everts said the U.S. could help convince Russia that
there is no chance the OSCE would bless the current
peacekeeping arrangement, and encourage Russia to make good
on its claim that it wants to comply with its Istanbul
commitments before the Maastricht ministerial in December.
Likewise, the Russians should understand that settling
Moldova is an opportunity to work more closely with the EU.

Everts added that it would be helpful for the U.S. to make
clear to Smirnov that a federal system is necessary and that
there is no chance of support for the sort of arrangements
existing between Serbia and Montenegro. A/S Jones and Everts
also discussed collaborating on a demarche to the Ukrainians.

(C) 5. In envisioning the way forward, Everts said agreeing
on the basic structure of the federation is the prerequisite
for a peace settlement, which in turn is the prerequisite for
the EU agreeing to provide peacekeepers. The OSCE must work
to guarantee that, upon agreement of a peace settlement, any
future EU peacekeeping operation in Moldova would fall under
an OSCE umbrella and conform to Berlin-plus. He said work is
underway in Brussels, including formats that engage the
Russians. (Note: Deputy Political Director Herman Schaper
called POL Counselor July 16 (ref emails) to clarify that the
Dutch presented the EU and Russia with a "food for thought"
paper, which included the idea of EU peacekeepers along with
other options, but that no decision has been made yet in
favor of an EU force. End note.) Everts and Jones discussed
the possibility of naming a senior statesman to bring talks
to a conclusion.

GEORGIA
--------------

(C) 6. Everts, noting that he was working in conjunction with
ODIHR, outlined CiO thinking on Georgian elections. He said
the OSCE cannot assume operational charge for these
elections, and should not be seen as doing so. Nevertheless,
the OSCE has an interest in helping to organize the Georgian
effort to ensure that what is done locally conforms as much
as possible with international standards. This can be done
by: ensuring early deployment of long-term advisors;
secunding an elections expert to the mission in Tbilisi to
alert the OSCE of problems and bring in short-term assistance
to solve them (the expert was due to arrive July 21);
maintaining a constant stream of high-level visits (CiO will
visit in October); assisting in the efforts of George Soros
to organize a local NGO election monitoring group, and
encourage NDI and others to assist in this area.

(C) 7. A/S Jones described James Baker's recent trip,
describing both his efforts and the ongoing political issues
in passing a Unified Election Code in Parliament. Baker
worked hard to push the Georgians to take responsibility for
their own elections rather than rely on the international
community. A/S Jones noted it is disheartening to see how
little faith the Georgian political parties have in
themselves. The issue of identifying an individual to serve
as chairman of the central election commission remains a
stumbling block to passage of the Code, but the U.S. is
urging the OSCE to take on this responsibility. A/S Jones
said intensive collaboration among the OSCE, COE, the local
ambassadors' group in Tbilisi, and other interested parties
is necessary, and noted that Baker's visit had encouraged
Shevardnadze. Everts raised Abkhazia, saying the group of
Western friends needed prodding and that the CIO's role is
limited by the fact that the UN has the lead. He said the
Dutch are focused on a police presence and on the return of
IDPs in Gali.


Trafficking in Persons
--------------

(U) 8. A/S Jones said it was important that we find ways to
cooperate on anti-trafficking programs and initiatives in the
OSCE. Amb. Everts noted the OSCE was focused on encouraging
the adoption of anti-trafficking in persons measures
throughout the OSCE area. At the December 2003 Maastricht
Ministerial, the Dutch would like to see the OSCE appoint a
high-ranking special representative to work on this issue.
At an earlier meeting with Dutch parliamentarians from the
Labor party, Nebahat Albayrak, rapporteur for the OSCE
parliamentary group's human dimension, also expressed
support.


December 2003 Maastricht Ministerial
--------------

(C) 9. Deputy Political Director Herman Schaper urged that
the Secretary attend the December 2003 OSCE Ministerial in
Maastricht, Netherlands. A/S Jones stressed that
streamlining the summit was key to persuading the Secretary
to attend. The U.S. had proposed that the Ministerial
Communique and regional statements be agreed prior to the
Ministerial to avoid forcing ministers to negotiate texts.
The U.S. also hoped that the reading of prepared texts by
ministers would be replaced by more directed discussion of a
small number of topics, especially the "frozen conflicts" in
the former Soviet Union. A/S Jones noted that she would
raise these specific suggestions at the OSCE during her July
16-17 visit to Vienna.
RUSSEL