ROMANIA ENCOURAGED BY DRAFT UNSCR ON LEBANON

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUCHAREST 001240

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE DEPT FOR EUR/NCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS UN IS LE RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIA ENCOURAGED BY DRAFT UNSCR ON LEBANON

REF: A. A) STATE 128442


B. B) BUCHAREST 1219

Classified By: A/DCM RODGER GARNER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) & (D)


1. (C) Ambassador, in separate August 6 conversations,
discussed the draft UN Security Council resolution on the
situation in Lebanon with Romanian FM Razvan Mihai Ungurianu
and Presidential Senior Advisor Claudiu Saftoiu. In
response to a request from the Ambassador for a statement of
support from Romanian authorities, Ungurianu said
unequivocally that "we will support you on this." Saftoiu
said that he would communicate the text of the draft
resolution and the Ambassador's request immediately to
President Basescu.


2. (C) The Prime Minister's chief of staff, Mihnea
Constantinescu, told PolChief on August 7 that Romania would
issue a statement of support for the draft UNSC resolution on
Lebanon, as it was "important to prevent a negative coaltion
from forming against the UNSCR, especially since Lebanon and
Syria have been so vocal in opposing it." He said he was
surprised Lebanon and Syria did not readily accept the
resolution, but instead appeared to take their talking points
directly from Iran. Constantinescu said Romania was
encouraged by the cooperation between the U.S. and France on
the resolution. He said that cooperation was important for
Romania's internal debate as to what extent it can be part of
a possible UNSCR mandated international stabilization force.
Constantinescu noted the Romanian media positively promoted
the resolution, helping to "clarify the internal debate."


3. (C) However, Constantinescu brushed off Defense Minister
Atanasiu's statements that Romania would contribute troops to
an international stabilization force should there be a UN
mandate and funding (reftel B) as "theoretical". He said the
statement was a "sign of openness to participating" but had
"no operational consequence." He said Romania would focus on
"respecting its commitments" and mentioned it was "already
settled that Romania would stay engaged in fulfilling
commitments in other regions such as Iraq and Afghanistan."
As for future contributions of troops to peacekeeping
operations, he said it was "difficult to discern now."
(Note: this tracks with similar comments made by Saftiou to
poloffs in an August 4 meeting, where the Presidential Senior
Advisor noted that it would be difficult to know whether
Romania would contribute troops to an international
stabilization force due to the conflict within the coalition
government.) As to whether contributing troops would become
a domestic political issue, Constantinescu said he did "not
believe the issue would be high up on the internal debate."
He added that the Romanian media was much more balanced
towards Israel than the French media. He also said Romania
takes the same approach as the U.S. in that the original
causes of this conflict must be addressed in order to secure
Lebanon's internal stability by removing the external
pressures aiming at its continued destabilization. He also
cited close contact with the Israeli Embassy.


4. (C) Comment: The Prime Minister's PNL party is unlikely to
attempt to play domestic politics over whether Romania can
afford to contribute troops to a possible international
stabilization force for Lebanon. Despite the presidency's
cautiousness due to the recent public dispute with the Prime
Minister's party over Romania's continued deployment of
troops to Iraq, there will likely be broad-based support for
Romanian participation in Lebanon, with the major limiting
factor being the availability of funding. In any case, such a
deployment would unlikely entail more than 400 troops.
Taplin