BELGIAN RESPONSE TO THE DEMARCHE ON THE JULY 17

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 002476

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

EUR FOR ERA, UBI LASO FOR TFLE01

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2016
TAGS: BE KPAL LE PREL
SUBJECT: BELGIAN RESPONSE TO THE DEMARCHE ON THE JULY 17
FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING (GAERC)

REF: A. SECSTATE 114605


B. SECSTATE 115346


1. (c) Poloff met with FM Michel Tilemans. Ref A GAERC
points shared, but Tilemans interest went straight to
Lebanon/Hizballah points. He said De Gucht will be speaking
on this issue at the GAERC but wouldn't give specifics when
pressed. This will be Belgian focus for EU, since they were
heavily invested and main authors of a Benelux paper.
Tilemans said Belgians feel recent Hizballah actions were an
outright act of war, but also feel Israeli reactions to
soldier abductions is main cause for most recent cycle of
violence and they (Israelis) are leaving little room to
de-escalate. Later in the day, De Gucht made a public
statement condemning Hizballah but criticizing Israel's
military actions as excessive.


2. (c) Tilemans made no substantive comment about other
points. Embassy also conveyed July 13 demarche on N.K. to
Tilemans (ref B)
KOROLOGOS
.