Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04THEHAGUE2531
2004-10-05 14:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:  

AC/PDAS RECORD'S SEPTEMBER 28 MEETING WITH DUTCH

Tags:  PARM PREL NL EUN NATO 
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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 002531 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2014
TAGS: PARM PREL NL EUN NATO
SUBJECT: AC/PDAS RECORD'S SEPTEMBER 28 MEETING WITH DUTCH
MFA SECURITY POLICY DIRECTOR JOCHEMS

REF: A. STATE 208511


B. STATE 207640

Classified By: Classified by Political Counselor Andrew Schofer for rea
sons 1.4 (B and D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 002531

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2014
TAGS: PARM PREL NL EUN NATO
SUBJECT: AC/PDAS RECORD'S SEPTEMBER 28 MEETING WITH DUTCH
MFA SECURITY POLICY DIRECTOR JOCHEMS

REF: A. STATE 208511


B. STATE 207640

Classified By: Classified by Political Counselor Andrew Schofer for rea
sons 1.4 (B and D)


1. (C) Summary: AC/PDAS Frank Record met with Dutch MFA
Security Policy Director Maurits Jochems on September 28.
The two reviewed a broad resume of arms control issues
including the NPT, Non-strategic nuclear weapons, missile
defense, FMCT, and a proposed U.S. landmine export ban. They
also discussed the EU China and Libya arms embargoes and the
Iranian nuclear program. End Summary.


2. (C) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arms Control
Frank Record met with Dutch MFA Security Policy Director
Maurits Jochems on September 28. Jochems is the A/S-level
official responsible for all "T" issues within the Dutch MFA.
PDAS Record expressed U.S. appreciation for the Netherlands'
efforts in the Global War on Terrorism including Dutch
deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. He advised Jochems of
his recent meeting with NPT RevCon Chair Duarte, which
focused on U.S. Article VI commitments. He also said that
the U.S. and the Russians were working to develop joint
language for the UN First Committee in addition to the
improvement initiative. Concerning Non-strategic nuclear
weapons (NSNW),he raised the recent New Agenda Coalition
paper (which the Dutch had agreed to) and underlined that
this did not seem to have been fully vetted with all NATO
members.


3. (C) PDAS Record noted U.S. concerns about the possible
lifting of the EU's China arms embargo. He said that the
U.S. had a great deal of difficulty seeing how proposed
improvements to the EU's Code of Conduct on arms transfers
would satisfy our concerns. Jochems observed that the EU
Presidency was in a sense a "poison gift," as the Netherlands
was less in a position to present its own national views
while holding the chair. Jochems said that the Dutch
understand U.S. regional security concerns in Asia, but he
repeated familiar Dutch arguments that a strengthened EU Code
of Conduct on arms transfers would capture more items than
the current code. He noted the December EU-China Summit in

The Hague and said the Chinese would not be pleased if the
embargo was not lifted.


4. (C) Concerning a possible lift of the EU arms embargo
against Libya, Jochems acknowledged a connection with the
China arms embargo in that if the so-called "toolbox
mechanism for post-embargo countries could be developed for
the Libya case, it would help with China. Jochems favored
asking the Libyans to accept the toolbox retroactively if it
could not be agreed prior to a lift. He said the remaining
obstacles to a lift of the Libya embargo were the Bulgarian
medics situation and the toolbox.


5. (C) On Missile Defense, PDAS Record said A/S Rademaker
would be in Moscow shortly to discuss where the issue of
ground-based interceptors in European countries. Jochems
said the Dutch MFA shares the lead for the GONL on this issue
with MOD. MFA is very interested in missile defense
concepts, while MOD was more focused on their current budget
shortfalls. Jochems thought the Dutch were not doing so
badly on missile defense in that they were procuring PAC3
missiles for their Patriot launchers.


6. (C) Jochems said that one success of the Dutch EU
Presidency had been their insistence on a nonproliferation
clauses in EU trade and association agreements. He said that
the Netherlands, the UK and Germany had stood firm on this
issue, and that the EU agreement with Syria was now up for
ratification. Nevertheless, Jochems warned that this effort
might have implications for the EU's relationship with
Israel. On the Iranian nuclear issue, Jochems observed that
the EU3 effort had been stagnated but nevertheless an
agreement had been arrived at concerning the November IAEA
BOG Meeting. The GONL was committed as EU President to "keep
the EU together" as well as "keep the U.S. and the EU
together" on this issue. Procedurally, the Dutch remain
unhappy at the way the EU3 had handles the issue (i.e., by
cutting out other members). Jochems noted MFA Secretary
General Frank Majoor's recent meeting with NP/PDAS Burk in
which he had asked about our envisioned scenario following a
UNSC referral. Jochems said he personally supported
referral, and that it was not credible to endlessly continue
the IAEA process.


7. (C) PDAS Record raised the U.S. proposal for a landmine
export ban and noted that this, as well as the U.S. Fissile
Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) proposal, will need to be
reconsidered in Geneva by the CD in January 2005. He
stressed that the U.S. was not trying to undermine the Ottawa
Convention. Jochems said the Dutch were grateful for the
U.S. FMCT initiative as it had given the CD a "new lease on
life," and might reverse the process of the CD losing
accredited Ambassadors. The Netherlands wants to develop an
EU view on FMCT that "does not lose sight of the Atlantic
relationship." He did note the difference in views over the
question of verification, and said it was politically
difficult to avoid verification given that its role in the
NPT. The Dutch appreciate the U.S. landmines proposal, but
the GONL believes this would be better addressed by Ottawa
and the CCW. PDAS Record said the U.S. continues to give
priority to those institutions but said the real problem is
the continued proliferation of landmines, noting they are not
produced where they are used, and the U.S. proposal gets to
the heart of this issue. He said there was no prospect the
U.S. would sign the Ottawa convention. Concerning the FMCT,
PDAS Record said the need was for effective verification.


8. (U) PDAS Record has cleared this message.
SOBEL