IRELAND SUPPORTS DEMOCRACY PROMOTION IN BELARUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 001321 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2014 TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM EAID PGOV EUN BO EI USAID SUBJECT: IRELAND SUPPORTS DEMOCRACY PROMOTION IN BELARUS REF: SECSTATE 188900 Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF MARY DALY, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B),(D) ¶1. (C) On October 25, emboff delivered reftel talking points to Department of Foreign Affairs Eastern Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director Ruaidhri Dowling and Eastern Europe and Russia desk officer Conleth Brady. Dowling said that Ireland generally agrees with and supports the USG policy towards Belarus, but takes issue with the "personalization" of Lukashenko. He added that though Ireland agrees that Lukashenko is part of the problem, the emphasis should be the promotion of democracy, not the personal attack against the President of Belarus. Dowling said that Ireland will join the EU consensus, which is likely to be released in the conclusions of the next GAERC. He also added that Ireland contributed euro two million to the EU's media initiatives in Belarus. ¶2. (U) Dowling said that although the GOI has no embassy in Belarus, Ireland actively supports the work of NGOs there. He mentioned, in particular, the Irish government funded work of Chernobyl Children's Project International (CCPI). Since 1991, CCPI has received over euro 55 million for its work with victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. One of CCPI's main program is to bring children affected by the fallout to Ireland for short stays. CCPI reports that over 11,000 children from contaminated zones in Western Russia and Belarus have come to Ireland to recuperate from radiation exposure. KENNY