C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 001022

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2010
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM KPAL FI TU EUN EU GAERC
SUBJECT: FINLAND: TURKEY, IRAN AND CROATIA TO DOMINATE
OCTOBER GAERC

REF: STATE 153187

Classified By: Polchief Gregory Thome, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Finland believes discussions of Turkey and
Iran are likely to dominate the Oct. 3 GAERC meetings. The
GOF is optimistic about an Oct. 3 start date for EU accession
talks with Turkey, but fears that some member states may try
to push prematurely for a statement regarding Croatia's start
date. The EU fully shares the U.S. goal of keeping nuclear
weapons out of Iran; however, not all EU member states agree
on how to achieve this goal and the GOF hopes the UK, France
and Germany will produce a strong joint statement that
creates unity within the EU on Iran policy. End Summary.


2. (C) PolChief met with GOF EU Correspondent Jarno Syrjala
Sept. 27 to discuss reftel talking points and Finland's
priorities for the October 3 EU foreign ministers' meeting
(GAERC) in Luxembourg. Syrjala noted that discussions of
Iran, Turkey, and possibly Croatia are likely to dominate
GAERC discussions. On Turkey, Finland continues strongly to
support an Oct. 3 start date for EU accession talks. Various
members will continue to horse trade and float additional
suggestions through the Sept. 29 COREPER meetings and likely
right up until the ministers' meeting on Oct. 3, Syrjala
predicted. Nevertheless, the GOF is confident that "a
ceremony will be held."


3. (C) Syrjala expressed some concern that certain member
states also may seek to "link" the start of talks with Turkey
to a statement in favor of an earlier start date for Croatia.
The GOF continues to believe that Croatia must produce hard
evidence that it is in full cooperation with the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) as a precondition for the start of EU talks with
Croatia. The best such evidence, Syrjala said, would be to
hand over Gotovina. However, Austria and some other member
states suggested that "full cooperation" could perhaps be
more loosely defined. Syrjala emphasized that the GOF does
not support softer definitions; remains convinced that the
pressure currently being put on Croatia is working; and will
not support a "premature" statement on Croatia.


4. (C) On Iran, the EU fully shares the U.S. goal of keeping
nuclear weapons out of that country, Syrjala said; the
problem is that not all EU members currently agree on how to
get there. Iran dominated large portions of the GYMNICH
agenda in September, he added, but the discussions were
inconclusive and there is not much clarity as to how unified
the EU is internally. The GOF is hopeful that the UK, France
and Germany will produce a strong joint statement that charts
a way forward and builds EU unity on Iran policy.
MACK