Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05DUBLIN1211
2005-09-30 16:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dublin
Cable title:  

PRE-GAERC DEMARCHE: IRELAND HOPEFUL ON TURKEY,

Tags:  KDEM KPAL PREL EUN HR CROATIA 
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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 DUBLIN 001211 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015
TAGS: KDEM KPAL PREL EUN HR CROATIA
SUBJECT: PRE-GAERC DEMARCHE: IRELAND HOPEFUL ON TURKEY,
WAITING ON CROATIA, AND TOUGH ON UZBEKISTAN

REF: STATE 177048

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Jonathan Benton; Reasons 1.4 (B)
and (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DUBLIN 001211

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015
TAGS: KDEM KPAL PREL EUN HR CROATIA
SUBJECT: PRE-GAERC DEMARCHE: IRELAND HOPEFUL ON TURKEY,
WAITING ON CROATIA, AND TOUGH ON UZBEKISTAN

REF: STATE 177048

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Jonathan Benton; Reasons 1.4 (B)
and (D).


1. (C) Summary: On September 29, Post delivered reftel
demarche to Jim Kelly, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) EU
Correspondent. Kelly expressed optimism that EU accession
negotiations with Turkey would begin October 3. He noted,
however, that Ireland would await UN war crimes prosecutor
del Ponte's report on Croatia's cooperation with ICTY before
taking a position on EU accession talks for Croatia. Ireland
shares a common view among Member States on the immediate
need to "get tough" with Uzbekistan, which would be reflected
in substantive GAERC decisions to limit cooperation with the
country. Regarding Russia, there was doubt that Member
States would finalize a package of deliverables and an
accompanying statement for the October 4 EU-Russia Summit.
Kelly noted that Ireland was upbeat on prospects for
continued U.S.-EU cooperation on Iraq and wised to ensure
coordination between BMENA and EuroMed. He also cited
Ireland's willingness to respond to Quartet Special Envoy
Wolfensohn's call at the Gleneagles G8 Conference for donor
assistance of USD 3 billion to the Palestinian Authority.
End summary.

Turkey
--------------


2. (C) Ireland remains optimistic that EU accession
negotiations with Turkey will begin on October 3, though a
final EU decision on the issue "will likely go down to the
wire." said Kelly. He observed that the Turkish Government's
July 29 statement that its decision to sign the Protocol to
the Ankara Agreement did not imply recognition of Cyprus had
prompted serious diplomatic wrangling within the EU through
August and September. The EU's September 21 declaration
calling on Turkey to recognize all Member States was,
according to Kelly, correctly balanced, laying down a clear
political marker while not setting new conditions to begin
negotiations. Kelly said that the UK presidency had been
more recently focused on bilateral discussions with Member
States to finalize the negotiating framework.

The Balkans
--------------


3. (C) The report that UN war crimes tribunal prosecutor

Carla del Ponte will submit to the UN following her ongoing
visit to Zagreb will be the key determinant in Ireland's
position on Croatia, said Kelly. He explained that the
possible start of EU accession talks for Croatia would depend
on whether del Ponte's report positively assessed the
Croatian Government's cooperation with ICTY. Ireland saw
Gotovina's arrest as central to that assessment. Kelly
described as a "strange turn" del Ponte's recent public
comments that the Vatican had been unhelpful in locating
Gotovina, whom she believed was hiding in a Croatian
Franciscan monastery. He also remarked that Ireland saw no
link between Turkey's and Croatia's accession tracks.


4. (C) Kelly said that the GAERC meeting would touch lightly
on Kosovo, as UNSYG Special Envoy Kai Eide had not yet
submitted his Comprehensive Review and recommendations to the
UN. A fuller EU discussion would await Eide's report. Kelly
noted, however, that Member States were "primed" to play a
positive role in Kosovo in the future status process.

Uzbekistan
--------------


5. (C) Ireland shares a strong, common view among Member
States on the immediate need to "get tough" with the
Government of Uzbekistan, said Kelly. He noted that the
GOU's failure to allow an independent inquiry into the
Andijon incident had motivated Member States to make even
clearer the message from the May, June, and July GAERC
discussions that the incident would not be forgotten. Member
States were also concerned about the general deterioration of
civil liberties in Uzbekistan, a situation that the Irish
Government discussed regularly with human rights NGOs, such
as Human Rights Watch. Kelly expected that the October 3
GAERC would reach conclusions on substantive measures to be
adopted, including a partial suspension of the EU Partnership
and Cooperation Agreement with Uzbekistan, visa restrictions,
and possibly an arms embargo.

Russia and Its Neighbors
--------------


6. (C) Kelly said that the GAERC meeting would not
substantively discuss Russia, given the EU-Russia Summit the
following day in London. He noted that Member States were
working on a package of deliverables for the Summit,
extending to streamlined visa and entry procedures. He
added, however, that a final package and accompanying
statement might not be ready for release by the Summit's
conclusion.


7. (C) Kelly pointed out that Georgia, Moldova, and Belarus
were not scheduled for discussion at the GAERC meeting. He
anticipated that the November GAERC discussions would focus
on Moldova's situation, which he characterized as
increasingly fluid. He said that Ireland agreed with reftel
points on the necessity to go beyond scheduling elections in
Transnistria to create conditions for a free/fair vote.

Ukraine
--------------


8. (C) Kelly noted that Ukraine was not an agenda item for
the GAERC discussions, but he observed that Ireland had been
concerned about recent political turbulence within the
Ukrainian Government. Ireland was worried that the
Yushchenko-Tymoshenko dispute and the Cabinet's dismissal
would knock the reform process off track. More recently,
there had been signs of stabilization, and Ireland was
hopeful that momentum on reform could be restored.


9. (C) Regarding non-market economy status (NME) for
Ukraine, Kelly referred Emboff to DFA Director for Russia and
Eastern Europe, Kay Coll, who said that the Commission had
not, to her knowledge, communicated recently with Member
States on Ukraine's NME application. She pointed out that
Ukraine had identified NME as a desired deliverable for the
December 1 EU-Ukraine Summit. She believed that Ukraine was
on track for WTO admission at the Hong Kong ministerial,
assuming the conclusion of a bilateral agreement with the
United States and the passage of several bills that would
make Ukraine's domestic legislation WTO-compliant.

Iraq
--------------


10. (C) Ireland was upbeat on prospects for continued
U.S.-EU cooperation on Iraq, as reflected by the positive
tone of Secretary Rice's discussions with Member States'
foreign ministers on the margins of UNGA, said Kelly (who sat
in on those discussions). He noted that the EU had not yet
begun to consider the UN request for USD 107 million in
electoral support for Iraq. He elaborated that responding to
the UN request could be complex, as it was outside
pre-programmed EU electoral aid for Iraq and would therefore
require political discussions among Member States. Kelly
confirmed that Ireland had decided against contributing
police personnel as part of the EU's rule-of-law training
programs for Iraq.

BMENA
--------------


11. (C) Ireland welcomed the Broader Middle East and North
Africa (BMENA) Initiative and wished to ensure coordination
with the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EuroMed),said
Kelly. He cited the importance of avoiding duplication in
programs conducted under both initiatives. He also pointed
out that Ireland was not preparing to consider financial
support to BMENA, given its commitments to EuroMed, although
he recognized that several of the newer Member States had
indicated in New York their willingness to make financial
contributions.

MEPP
--------------


12. (C) Kelly anticipated a general lunch-time discussion on
the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) at the GAERC meeting, as
Turkey was likely to squeeze time for other agenda items. He
cited EU praise for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, and he
related Ireland's hope that all parties could build on the
good will demonstrated by disengagement. Ireland also saw
Quartet Special Envoy (QSE) Wolfensohn's economic agenda for
Gaza as a priority, while recognizing the challenges that the
agenda would face. Kelly noted Ireland's willingness to
respond to Wolfensohn's call at the Gleneagles G8 Conference
for donor assistance of USD 3 billion to the Palestinian
Authority.
KENNY