SUBJECT: APRIL 15 U.S.-EU TROIKA CONSULTATIONS ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001766

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2014
TAGS: PREL EAID PGOV XI EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: APRIL 15 U.S.-EU TROIKA CONSULTATIONS ON
THE MAGHREB (COMAG)


Classified By: USEU Poloff David Armitage for reasons 1.4 (b,d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. On April 15, NEA/ENA Director Greg Berry led
discussions on the Maghreb with the EU's Troika (COMAG).
Issues discussed were:

-- The Barcelona Process and European Neighborhood Policy: EU
officials shared their views on the existing Barcelona
Process and their new Neighborhood Policy in the context of
their vision of an EU strategic partnership with the
Mediterranean and Middle East.

-- Greater Middle East Initiative: The US provided a
read-out of latest thinking. EU officials cautioned that the
G-8 should not go beyond a "statement of principles" at the
Sea Island Summit.

-- Algeria: Everyone agreed that the elections reflected the
general will of the Algerians. The EU believed that Algeria
wanted to catch up with others in the region and hoped that
the Association Agreement (yet to be ratified) would be a
step in the right direction.

-- Libya: The EU was encouraged by developments leading to
Qadhafi's renunciation of WMD, but cautioned that the La
belle disco and Bulgarian cases were acting as a constraint
to formalizing EU-Libyan relations.

-- Syria: The EU provided an update on the status of its
Association Agreement with Damascus. The agreement, the
"last one in the ring" of the existing European-Mediterranean
Partnership countries, also was the first one to include the
WMD clause. The EU believed that Syria is interested in
ratifying to justify internal reforms, but the EU believed it
would be delicate to get the wording and presentation right.
END SUMMARY.


EU Delegation
--------------

2. (U) The Irish EU Presidency was represented by
Director-General for the Maghreb, Barcelona Process and the
Gulf States Eamonn MacAodha, Deputy Director Paul Gunning,
and Counselor to the Irish EU Mission Fergal Mythen. The
upcoming Dutch Presidency was represented by Middle East
Department Director W.R. Beelaerts van Blokland, Middle East
Desk Officer Angelique Eijpe, and Counselor to the Dutch EU
Mission Remmert Cohen. Mashrek/Maghreb Desk Officer Ruth
Kaufmann-Buhler and Lene Hove, Desk Officer for Iran, Iraq,
and GCC, represented the Council Secretariat. Maghreb
Division Head Leonello Gabrici, Deputy Xavier Marchal, and
Deputy Head of Barcelona Process Division Michael Webb
attended for the Commission. The US Delegation included:
Greg Berry, Director for Egyptian and North African Affairs
for the Department of State; Kyle Scott, USEU Political
Minister-Counselor; Patricia Lerner, USEU International
Development Counselor; and David Armitage, USEU political
officer (note taker).

The Wider Region
--------------

3. (C) EU officials outlined their existing Barcelona Process
and their new European Neighborhood Policy. Regarding the
Barcelona Process, Irish delegation head Eamonn MacAodha said
that Libyan membership was currently being discussed.
Leonello Gabrici of the European Commission (EC) described
the Neighborhood Policy as a new packaging of relations with
these countries on the edge of the EU: with a political,
security, and economic dimension. Gabrici emphasized that
the countries need a framework to support their internal
reforms, and the Neighborhood Policy does that. He added
that the countries are eager to move forward on their
individual Action Plans. Berry noted that the EU's program
resembled the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) in
its emphasis on a regional approach.


4. (C) Michael Webb of the Commission elaborated, saying that
the Neighborhood Policy builds on the Barcelona Process to
encourage "South-South" cooperation. The first tangible
example is the Agadir Agreement signed on February 25. There
will be a trade ministers meeting in July, and the EU hopes
to pursue further trade liberalization in services,
agriculture, energy, gas, electricity, and encourage
infrastructure projects. The EU envisions a blueprint for a
transport connector and telecommunications regulations at the
regional level. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is running
ahead of schedule and has now invested 2 billion euros in the
region. The EIB's Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment
and Partnership (FEMIP) is also interested in pursuing
regional cooperation in judicial and police arenas,
particularly with regards to developing an integrated
approach to migration and fighting organized crime. The EC
would devote 10 million euros to a databank in 2005-06. The
Commission also had projects in audio-visual cooperation,
cultural heritage, youth exchanges, and higher education, but
Webb stressed that the Commission needed to raise its
visibility. The EU was "not good at publicizing our
accomplishments."

5. (C) Berry outlined latest thinking on the Greater Middle
East Initiative (GMEI). He reiterated that reform needed to
grow out of democratic currents in the region itself, with
support from the international community. Democracy could
not be imposed from outside. In response to a question from
the U.S. delegation about mixed signals from the EU on GME,
EU officials said they were fully on board for the G-8 to
issue a "Statement of Principles" on the need to support
reform in the Middle East. However, they prefer to leave a
detailed Action to the US-EU summit later in June. MacAodha
pointed out that the G-8 included only some EU member states
and the Commission, while the EU's flagship Barcelona Process
is an EU-wide initiative that should remain separate and
distinct from the G-8. There was also discussion about the
role of the Arab League, whose credibility everyone agreed
was at an all-time low. Berry noted that, despite the
League's dubious record on reform, a declaration from the
League would be very helpful, since it would represent an
example of reform in itself, would offer a basis for the
international community to support reform, and would provide
political cover for national leaders.

Algeria
--------------

6. (C) The EU provided its views on the situation following
President Bouteflika's 83% landslide victory in the April 8
elections. There was agreement that the outcome - although
larger than expected - reflected the genuine will of the
Algerian people. Berry felt it was a real step forward and
hoped it would serve as a model for the rest of the region.
He said that US-Algerian relations were steadily improving,
but from a relatively low base, and that US-European
cooperation on shared concerns in Algeria was particularly
important. Gabrici believed that Algeria wanted to catch up
economically, and the European Commission hoped to open a
mission there soon. He added that the EU-Algeria Association
Agreement was not yet ratified.

Libya
--------------

7. (C) Berry recounted the rapid turn of events leading to
Libya's rapprochement with the international community.
Berry stressed Libya's good faith in meeting its commitment
to dispose of weapons of mass destruction (WMD),although
there remained some areas for discussion and follow-up on
WMD. He noted that cooperation on terrorism was growing, and
that Washington was studying Libya's performance on
terrorism-related issues as part of the review of the
potential removal of Libya from the list of state sponsors.
Other areas - particularly human rights and Libyan policy in
Africa - would have to be addressed as US-Libyan bilateral
relations grew. The Irish stated that the EU was generally
pleased by the developments, but cautioned that the pace of
normalization from an EU perspective depended on resolution
of the La belle disco and Bulgarian cases.

Syria
--------------

8. (C) Gabrici described the status of the EU-Syria
Association Agreement (AA) as the "last one in the ring" of
the Barcelona Process, but it was also the first with the
EU's insistence on a WMD clause. EU officials believed that
the Syrians were interested in ratifying the AA to justify
internal reform, but the EU would have to tread carefully on
how to present the WMD clause. Both the language and the
presentation were important, and the EU hoped to have an
agreement within the next three weeks. Berry encouraged the
EU to remain firm on its proposed WMD language, and briefed
on the structure and status of the Syrian Accountability Act.

SCHNABEL