CYPRUS/NETHERLANDS: APPROACH TO EU MEMBERS ON AID,

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002495 SIPDIS EUR FOR DAS KENNEDY E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2014 TAGS: PREL ECIN CY NL EUN SUBJECT: CYPRUS/NETHERLANDS: APPROACH TO EU MEMBERS ON AID, TRADE FOR NORTH CYPRUS REF: SECSTATE 209905 Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Schofer for reasons 1.4 (b) a nd (d) ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel points on September 30 to Hannie Pollman-Zall, Director of the Dutch MFA's Western and Central European Affairs Department. Pollman-Zall responded that "many lawyers are breaking their heads over ways to facilitate direct Turkish Cypriot trade with the EU." She welcomed the USG's approval of assistance and appreciated receiving notice that the design teams are on the island. She added that the EU is still working to resolve the aid/trade issue internally. ¶2. (C) Pollman-Zall noted that the EU is frustrated by Turkish refusal to invite the GOC, as one of the EU 25, to the upcoming EU/OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) meeting called by Turkey. She said that when Turkey initially invited only the EU 24 (without Cyprus) to the meeting, the Dutch EU Presidency forwarded the invitation to all 25. When the Turks sent hotel information only to the EU 24, the Dutch resent it to all 25. Now, the Turks insist on including the "Turkish Cypriot State" in the meeting, something the EU cannot accept, she said. "The Turks are not being helpful," she complained, noting that it would have been in Ankara's interest to be more politically correct at this point. ¶3. (C) According to Pollman-Zall, the Turks claim that their position on is justified because of the EU's "failure" to devise a plan to help the Turkish Cypriots. When asked, she said she could not think of anything the USG could do at this point to help resolve the impasse. She suggested that the EU might eventually develop a solution allowing for "lower level" representation at the EU/OIC meeting along the lines of the compromise reached on Burma's participation in the Hanoi ASEM (Asia/EU) meeting. Pollman-Zall said that COREPER met September 29 to discuss the issue, but said she did not yet know the results of that discussion. SOBEL