Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04THEHAGUE2490
2004-09-30 07:35:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:  

DUTCH PROVIDE READOUT OF BILATERAL MEETING WITH

Tags:  PREL PGOV PK NL 
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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 03 THE HAGUE 002490 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR, SA, NP, S/CT AND IO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV PK NL
SUBJECT: DUTCH PROVIDE READOUT OF BILATERAL MEETING WITH
MUSHARRAF


Classified By: Acting POL Counselor Nathaniel Dean for Reasons 1.4 (b/d
)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 THE HAGUE 002490

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR, SA, NP, S/CT AND IO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV PK NL
SUBJECT: DUTCH PROVIDE READOUT OF BILATERAL MEETING WITH
MUSHARRAF


Classified By: Acting POL Counselor Nathaniel Dean for Reasons 1.4 (b/d
)


1. (SBU) Summary: Both the Dutch and Pakistanis are pleased
with the September 26-27 visit of President Musharraf in The
Hague. The bilateral visit included an audience with the
Queen, meetings with parliamentarians and business
executives, and a discussion with the local Pakistani
community. The primary focus of the trip was economic, with
Musharraf hoping to inspire greater investment in Pakistan.
In his meeting with Acting PM Zalm, Musharraf emphasized that
Pakistan has come a long way down the road of democratic
reforms, but still needs more time. He also discussed WMD
non-proliferation, relations with Pakistan and India,
counterterrorism efforts and Afghanistan, Pakistani views on
UN Security Council Reforms, and the question of his military
uniform. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Poloff spoke September 28 with Pakistan Desk Officer
Ozlem Canel immediately following Canel's participation in
the working lunch between Acting PM Zalm and Pakistani
President Musharraf. Canel called the meeting "interesting
and impressive" as well as extensive. Canel said she had
just briefed the Dutch Embassy in Washington and expected the
Dutch MFA's Secretary General to brief his State Department
equivalent in the afternoon. While the meeting was chaired
by Finance Minister Zalm (acting in his role as Acting PM due
to PM Balkenende's serious illness),FM Bot attended the
meeting and raised several questions and fielded responses to
some questions.

WMD
---


3. (C) According to Canel, Musharraf was first to raise the
issue of Weapons of Mass Destruction. He said he is well
aware of international concerns on this issue, and that he is
open to cooperation. He "guaranteed" that Pakistan's nuclear
assets are "completely under control" and that Pakistan has
no plans to proliferate either knowledge or weapons. He
assured the Dutch that all weapons are under strict custodial
control, and that an organization that he himself chairs is
"tailor-made" to ensure nuclear controls and
non-proliferation.


4. (C) The Dutch raised their concern about the export of

sensitive nuclear technology and asked how it would be
prevented. Musharraf provided his "complete assurance" that
there would be no export of this technology, and specifically
that it "would never be exported to Iran." He described the
comprehensive export control regime passed by the Pakistani
National Assembly, which Canel believed constituted a big
step in the right direction.

Sustainable Reform
--------------


5. (C) Political developments in Pakistan were also a major
focus of discussion. Musharraf said he "truly believes in
democracy" but that democracy "until now" never really
functioned in Pakistan -- he emphasized that Pakistan was
nearly declared a "failed state" in the recent past.
Musharraf said he believed democracy was slow in taking root
because of a lack of (a) democracy at the grass roots, and
(b) checks and balances. He believed that the new Local
Governance Act, which decentralizes powers and allows elected
governance at the grassroots level, had gone far toward
resolving the first need. He also believed that the NSC,
which he established, addressed the "realities of Pakistan"
and also provided checks for the Presidency and the military
and other branches of government. In short, Canel said
Musharraf believes that he has introduced sustainable
democracy to Pakistan. However, he also expressed his
concerns and lamented that it has taken longer than he
expected to get democracy to "take root." He said that
"regional and domestic realities" give rise to concerns about
the "continuity of the reforms" that he began. According to
Canel, he seemed to be afraid that even after these decisions
had been made, the processes would not necessarily continue
toward democracy on their own. He emphasized that Pakistan
is "on the right path" but "needs more time." He indicated
that he "had thought three years would be enough time" but
that in Pakistan the reform effort is so comprehensive -
changing the social structures - that he had been wrong that
such a transformation could be brought about in three years.
He said that Pakistan needs more time to ensure that
democracy will take root. Canel believed this was the
primary message Musharraf wanted to convey in the meeting.

Afghanistan
--------------


6. (C) Turning to regional developments, Musharraf emphasized
that Pakistan is at the frontline in counterterrorism
efforts. On Afghanistan, Musharraf said "we are doing what
we can" especially in border areas to counter terrorism.
Musharraf also emphasized that they were doing all they could
to make sure voting registration for the Afghan elections
takes place as well as they could. He said he would make
sure as much as possible that nothing would derail the
elections. Musharraf did express his concern, however, that
the representation of the majority Pashtun group could be a
potential cause for concern in a post-election Afghanistan,
depending on the outcome.
India
--------------


7. (C) On the issue of rapprochement with India, Musharraf
emphasized the processes of confidence-building measures and
composite dialogue both need further work with the Indians.
He assured the Dutch that he is both sincere and committed in
these efforts. He also said his opinion is that the Indian
side is also sincere and committed. He believed that India
especially wanted to find a bilateral solution to the
problems, and emphasized that this is a final chance for
bilateralism between Pakistan and India.

"Roots of Terrorism"
--------------


8. (C) Musharraf said that Kashmir was a problem in which,
like Palestine, lack of a solution could provide a situation
in which "root causes of terrorism" could easily spread. He
discussed the need to take away the motivation to spread
terror, to counter the mechanism for recruitment, and then to
counter the remaining isolated extremist element. Canel
commented that Musharraf was clearly calling for a
comprehensive process for countering terrorism. Musharraf
hoped that finding a solution on Kashmir would not only solve
a majority of problems between India and Pakistan, but that
in this way it would also remove a potential root cause of
future terrorism.

UNSC Reform
--------------


9. (SBU) On the issue of UN Security Council reforms,
Musharraf said Pakistan does not look favorably upon the
proposal. He said that even though the present system is not
perfect, Pakistan would prefer to keep it unchanged.

Uniform
--------------


10. (SBU) On the issue of Musharraf's military uniform
(Deputy PM Zalm quipped "turning to the issue of your
wardrobe, I see you are wearing a suit"),Musharraf said "I
have not yet decided" when will be the best time to
relinquish the military uniform. He said that he had to take
into account the "political realities" of Pakistan, and to
find the right time to relinquish the uniform."

Press and Pakistani Impression
--------------


11. (U) Press reported that Acting Prime Minister Zalm had
congratulated Musharraf on the successful elimination of
Pakistan's most-wanted terrorist Amjad Hussain Farooqi,
reportedly calling the killing justified in this case, where
arrests do not always succeed." Zalm also told press he had
spoken with Musharraf about improving the rights of women and
minorities, foreign policy issues such as Iraq and
Afghanistan, and nuclear issues.


12. (SBU) Pakistan Embassy Political Minister Malik Azhar
Ellahi told poloff September 29 that the entire delegation
was extremely pleased with the visit. He said that Musharraf
had begun his visit by conveying a message of "enlightened
moderation" to members of the Pakistani diaspora community in
the Netherlands. On Monday Musharraf had an audience with
the Queen followed by meetings with parliamentarians and the
business community, in addition to the working luncheon with
Zalm. Ellahi said Musharraf's primary objective was to
discuss economic opportunities in Pakistan and to attract
further investment to the country (Note: Dutch companies
ABN-Amro, Shell and Unilever are already active in Pakistan),
and that he was met with a warm welcome and praise regarding
both the internal situation in Pakistan and Pakistan's role
on global issues. Ellahi said other issues that arose
included a general exchange of views on the situation in Iraq.

Comment: Positive Dutch Impression
--------------


13. (C) Canel's impression was the Musharraf was speaking
during the luncheon not as a chief of army, but really as a
President. She said he appeared truly committed to bringing
about political, social, and economic reform, and that he
seemed to view his military roles as one component function,
and that he said he did not want to do both. Canel believed
Musharraf's foremost goal was to ensure the continuity of
reform in his country, and that he was indeed reluctant to
act too quickly out of fear of derailing his country's
progress.
SOBEL