GAERC: GOI POSITIVE ON U.S.-EU RELATIONSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000112

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2015
TAGS: PREL PHUM PTER EUN
SUBJECT: GAERC: GOI POSITIVE ON U.S.-EU RELATIONSHIP

REF: A. STATE 9678


B. DUBLIN 30

Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF MARY DALY FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D


1. (C) On January 27, POL/ECON Chief met with Gerard Keown,
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) EU correspondent, to get
Irish views on the upcoming GAERC (reftel points had been
shared earlier in the week). Keown opened the meeting with
high praise for A/S Jones' January 15 consultations with EU
political directors. He said the meeting was especially
productive, and the Irish were pleased that the U.S. and the
EU shared a similar approach to the agenda and the mechanism
of the President's February trip. The Irish expect the
Middle East to be the most prominent issue on the agenda, but
also said that new EU members hope to hear the President
reconfirm U.S. support for European integration. When urged
by POL/ECON chief to use Ireland's influence to encourage EU
cooperation with the U.S., Keown responded that Ireland
believes that the relationship with the U.S. is the single
most important relationship the EU has. He said PM Bertie
Ahern regularly stresses that point with his counterparts.
Keown also expressed Ireland's high regard for U.S.-EU
cooperation in Ukraine and for U.S. relief efforts following
the Tsunami. Details follow.

--Tsunami. Keown said that the Irish government had high
praise for U.S. relief efforts in Asia. DFA Sec General
Gallagher reinforced the point in a subsequent conversation
with the Ambassador. Gallagher said that Irish officials on
the ground had been deeply impressed by the work of U.S.
forces, noting that American troops were often more helpful
and more effective even than indigenous forces. Keown,
meanwhile, said the EU was moving gradually from immediate
humanitarian concerns to focusing on reconstruction and
economic activity. He also said the EU is considering how it
can better coordinate national contributions to future civil
crises, and whether it should formalize civilian rapid
response teams.

--Ukraine. Keown, who served as an EU election observer in
Ukraine, said U.S.-EU cooperation in Ukraine was a terrific
example of what we can accomplish together. (State Minister
for Development Lenihan had said the same in a speech earlier
in the week.) Keown expressed great satisfaction at the turn
of events in Ukraine, and concern that Ukrainians might be
disappointed at the pace and difficulty of reform.

--Iraq. Later on January 27, the GOI issued a statement very
supportive of Iraqi elections (septel). The statement
follows much embassy advocacy at many levels.

--Middle East. Keown cited the Middle East as the most
important issue on the agenda when the President comes to
Europe. Asked what Ireland hoped the visit would achieve,
Keown said the EU would like to hear a public reaffirmation
of U.S. commitment to the Road Map and to working with the
Quartet.

--Hizballah. Keown first gave a bureaucratic answer to the
question of designating the political wing of Hizballah as a
terrorist organization, saying it was "under review within
the EU." When POL/ECON chief suggested that that was a
non-answer, given the amount of time the issue had been
before the EU, Keown agreed and said that the issue was
stalled because some countries feared that designating
Hizballah would polarize the situation further, especially if
it led to Hizballah's social services being interrupted.

--Iran. Keown made the surprising comment that the EU felt
there was no point in discussing Iran at the February 28 IAEA
Board meeting, since the meeting comes ahead of the March EU3
- Iran working groups. He said the EU would be prepared to
discuss Iran at the June meeting. He said the EU was
skeptical of whether its approach with Iran would work, but
wanted to give the process a chance to succeed. He said the
first round of talks were "a good start," but emphasized that
the EU must adhere to conditionality and not reward Iran
unless it met the criteria set.

--Balkans. GOI supports the Luxembourg presidency's approach.


--Cuba. Ireland has no embassy in Cuba, but continues to
review U.S. ideas on how it can support the opposition (ref
b).

--China. See septel regarding PM Ahern's January trip to
China.
KENNY