Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05THEHAGUE2723
2005-10-07 16:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:  

DUTCH REFLECTIONS ON THE OCTOBER 3 GAERC

Tags:  PREL NL EUN 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

071645Z Oct 05
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 002723 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2015
TAGS: PREL NL EUN
SUBJECT: DUTCH REFLECTIONS ON THE OCTOBER 3 GAERC

REF: THE HAGUE 02640

Classified By: POLCOUNS Andrew J. Schofer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 002723

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2015
TAGS: PREL NL EUN
SUBJECT: DUTCH REFLECTIONS ON THE OCTOBER 3 GAERC

REF: THE HAGUE 02640

Classified By: POLCOUNS Andrew J. Schofer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. According to MFA interlocutors on October 4,
the Dutch were pleased that the October 3 GAERC started
accession talks with Turkey, and "can live with" the
insertion of "absorption capacity" to the negotiating
framework. Although it took them by surprise, the Dutch
believe Carla del Ponte's assessment of Croatian "full"
cooperation with the ICTY is justifiable. The Dutch are
satisfied with the imposition of sanctions against
Uzbekistan, but are unclear on next steps. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) On October 4, Pim Dumore (MFA, Director of Political
Affairs),Bahia Tahzib-Lie (MFA, Deputy European
Correspondent) and Jeroen Boender (MFA, Senior Policy
Advisor) shared with POLCOUNS and POLOFF their reactions to
the October 3 GAERC meeting.

TURKEY: "ABSORPTION CAPACITY" FOR "ACCESSION"
--------------


3. (C) Despite the high-noon drama and last-minute
bargaining, Dutch interlocutors were pleased with the results
of GAERC discussions vis-a-vis Turkish accession talks.
Tahzib-Lie explained that the resultant version of the
negotiating framework is "something we can live with,"
despite substantive changes made to the pre-GAERC version of
the framework. The Dutch had resisted what they colored as a
"weakening of the text"; Dumore explained that FM Bot's goal
for the GAERC had been to ensure the UK presidency cleaved as
closely as possible to the requirements for beginning Turkish
accession talks that were set in December. At the end of the
day, however, the Dutch viewed the inclusion of Austrian
language regarding "absorption capacity" as a small
concession necessary to secure the larger victory of
retaining "accession" as the explicit goal of negotiations.


4. (C) All MFA counterparts predicted that the Dutch
Parliament would respond negatively to the start of accession
talks with Turkey, pointing out the disharmony between the
Dutch government's position and the Dutch electorate's
discomfort regarding EU enlargement. Dumore noted that Geert
Wilders, a parliamentarian openly hostile to Turkey's
accession to the EU, had called him to protest Dutch
acquiescence to the agreement only moments before POLCOUNS
and POLOFF arrived. Any bumps in the road to accession will

be subject to intense scrutiny domestically, he noted.
Tahzib-Lie suggested that Turkish implementation of human
rights-related legislation will be a key factor in
determining how quickly progress on accession can be made,
while Dumore pointed to practical implementation of the
customs agreement -- i.e., receiving Cypriot vessels in
Turkish ports -- as the first significant potential hurdle to
be overcome. All Dutch counterparts indicated that the
process of Turkey's accession will invariably move more
smoothly if it is kept in the background, or as Boender
argued, "on the technical level." Dumore was confident that
Austria would not derail the process during its upcoming EU
presidency, though it may seek to reopen dialogue on various
substantive issues of Turkish accession.

CROATIA: DEL PONTE'S FINDINGS COME AS A SURPRISE
-------------- ---


5. (C) ICTY Prosecutor-in-Chief Carla del Ponte's glowing
assessment of Croatia's cooperation with the Tribunal came as
a surprise to the Dutch, according to Dumore. Del Ponte's
gloomy assessments only days before had led the Dutch to
believe that her final determination would fall short of
"full" cooperation.


6. (C) Although all Dutch interlocutors agreed that del Ponte
was under considerable pressure to in her assessment of
Croatian cooperation, none believed the pressure had affected
her objectivity. The Dutch also argued that del Ponte's
determination of "full" cooperation was not inconsistent with
the fact that Gotovina remains at large. Dumore pointed to
del Ponte's three-page report as evidence of her resistance
to outside influence and of improved Croatian cooperation:
two of the three pages in the report are devoted to actions
taken by Croatia to improve its cooperation with the ICTY in
the recent past, while the final page criticizes Croatia's
failure to surrender Gotovina to The Hague.

UZBEKISTAN: NL SUPPORTS EU'S TOUGH STANCE
--------------


7. (C) All interlocutors were pleased with the quartet of
penalties against the Karimov regime adopted by the GAERC,
including the arms ban and restrictions on travel for those
suspected of involvement in the Andijan massacre. They were
guarded, however, when POLCOUNS asked about the conditions
under which these sanctions, especially the arms embargo,
might be lifted in the future. Boender pointed to two
particular issues of Dutch concern: the "show trials" of
fifteen men accused of involvement in the Andijan massacre
and Karimov's cooperation with the international
investigation into the massacre. He refrained, however, from
postulating on the point at which progress monitored by these
standards would justify lifting the embargo and did not
explain what other factors might figure in the decision.


BLAKEMAN