IRISH RESPONSE ON LIBYA ARMS EMBARGO DEMARCHE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 001450

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2014
TAGS: PARM PREL PGOV EUN
SUBJECT: IRISH RESPONSE ON LIBYA ARMS EMBARGO DEMARCHE

REF: STATE 207640

Classified By: Political-Economic Counselor Mary Daly, reasons 1.4 (B)
and (D)


1. On September 28, Post delivered reftel talking points to
Paul Gunning, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) First
Secretary for the Middle East. Gunning said that the EU

SIPDIS
decision to lift completely its 1986 arms embargo against
Libya was a "done deal" that could not be reversed before the
October 11 GAERC meeting. He noted that Ireland was not
enthusiastic about the decision, but would not be in a
position to block the UK, Italy, and Spain in their push to
lift the embargo. He remarked that the GOI continued to have
serious concerns about delays in resolving the Bulgarian
medics issue, and he expressed disappointment that Member
States did not consider timing the lifting of the ban to
leverage better behavior from Libya. He added that the U.S.
proposal to lift the ban partially was not workable, since
the ban was structured in such a way that it could only be
lifted in full or not at all.
KENNY