INDIA DELIBERATING ON LEVEL OF BRUSSELS CONFERENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 004205

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2015
TAGS: PREL EAID IN IZ
SUBJECT: INDIA DELIBERATING ON LEVEL OF BRUSSELS CONFERENCE
ATTENDANCE

REF: A. STATE 103222


B. NEW DELHI 4194

Classified By: Acting DCM Geoffrey Pyatt, Reasons 1.4 (B, D)


1. (C) Responding to Acting DCM's presentation of ref A
demarche on Iraq, MEA Joint Secretary (Gulf) Sanjay Singh
reported June 3 that GOI is still deliberating on its level
of representation at the Brussels International Conference.
Foreign Minister Natwar Singh is scheduled to be in London
and Rome June 21-23. A decision by the Minister to adjust
his European calendar to attend the Brussels Conference would
be a significant gesture furthering the GOI's expressed
intention to step-up its involvement in Iraq (ref B).
However, in our June 3 conversation Joint Secretary Singh
refused to be drawn out on GOI intentions, committing only
that New Delhi will be represented at the Brussels
Conference. Our EU colleagues, who demarched the GOI
separately as a Troika, have warned that only Ministers will
be given a speaking roll in Brussels, which gives the GOI
another incentive to consider representation above the level
of West Asia Special Envoy Gharekhan. We will follow-up to
encourage senior representation and additional offers of
assistance in connection with Ambassador Jones' June 10 visit
to New Delhi.
BLAKE