DANISH FM TO DISPATCH NEW MIDDLE EAST ENVOY

C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 001135 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR, NEA E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2016 TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS LE SY DA SUBJECT: DANISH FM TO DISPATCH NEW MIDDLE EAST ENVOY REF: A. COPENHAGEN 1114 ¶B. STATE 136196 Classified By: Pol/Econ Counselor Bill Mozdzierz, reasons 1.4b,d ¶1. (C) The Danish MFA notified us August 24 that FM Per Stig Moeller has decided to send his new personal representative for the Middle East, outgoing Danish Ambassador to Turkey Christian Hoppe, to Beirut, Tel Aviv and Damascus early next week to review efforts to implement UNSCR 1701. MFA Middle East Department Deputy Head (DAS-equivalent) Henrik Hahn indicated that this will be Hoppe's first visit to the region in his new capacity, and assured us that he will not be delivering any new messages, but rather reinforcing existing policy. With the Syrians, Hoppe will maintain a firm line, Hahn said, and will deploy the arms embargo talking points we delivered earlier in the week (reftels) while in Damascus. Hahn promised a full briefing from Hoppe upon his return. ¶2. (U) Christian Hoppe is a career diplomat with over thirty years' experience in the Danish MFA, including tours in Cairo, at the Danish UN mission in New York, and as ambassador to Russia and Turkey. A graduate of U.S. universities (with a B.A. from Drew Univerity in New Jersey and an M.A. from SAIS),Ambassador Hoppe served as DCM in Washington for several years in the mid-1990's. His name was mentioned as a possible envoy to the Middle East earlier in the year, shortly after the cartoon crisis, but he remained instead in Ankara until this new assignment. ¶3. (C) Comment: FM Moeller this week sharply and publicly criticized his European colleagues for delays in making UNIFIL contributions, accusing them of undermining the EU's credibility and risking a re-ignition of the conflict. Moeller's decision to send a representative to the region reflects his interest in demonstrating his personal commitment to support UNSCR 1701 implementation, while the creation of the new position signals, more broadly, Denmark's determination to deepen its engagement in the Middle East. As their assurances and advance notice of this mission attest, the Danes are keen to remain in close coordination with us. CAIN