EU RESPONSE ON ASSASSINATION OF FORMER LEBANESE PM

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000691

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2010
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV SY LE EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU RESPONSE ON ASSASSINATION OF FORMER LEBANESE PM
HARIRI

REF: SECSTATE 27178

Classified By: POL MC KYLE SCOTT. REASON: 1.4(B)(D)

(C) Mission relayed reftel points to Pascal Charlat, Head of
the Council Task Force on the Middle East. We referred to
press reports of Solana's weak reaction when asked if the
Hariri assassination would have an impact on EU relations
with Syria (Solana reportedly stated "At the moment we have
not any reason why it should"). Mission stressed the
importance of EU engagement to press for full Syrian
compliance with UNSC 1599. Charlat contacted mission later
to say that the Council Secretariat was trying to press for a
declaration "in that direction," and that something could be
issued by the end of the day. He also said that the GAERC
conclusions being prepared for EU Foreign Ministers for next
Monday's meeting were likely to highlight the importance of
full compliance with 1599. Finally, Charlat advised us to
review Solana's official declaration on the Hariri
assassination, in which Solana said that "the trials that
Lebanon and the Lebanese people are undergoing today must be
surmounted ... with respect to the two principles to which
Rafik Hariri dedicated his life: the independence and the
sovereignty of Lebanon."

SCHNABEL
.