VISITING EUROPEAN COMMISSION DELEGATION ON NEED TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001399

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER EAID NP
SUBJECT: VISITING EUROPEAN COMMISSION DELEGATION ON NEED TO
BOLSTER GOVERNMENT

REF: KATHMANDU 1398

Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty, Reasons, 1.4 (b/d).

Need to Support Government ...
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1. (C) Herve Jouanjean, Deputy Director General of the
European Commission's Directorate for External Relations told
the Ambassador and Pol/Econ Counselor June 2 that he was
visiting Nepal to demonstrate the European Commission's (EC)
support for the new government. Jouanjean stressed that the
international community needed to unite "behind the
government, otherwise we run the risk that the government
could buckle." He worried how long the seven-party alliance
could manage the process, given Maoist pressure. Jouanjean
observed that the Maoists and the government were far from
reaching agreement about the decommissioning of weapons.
Instead, the Maoists had been vigorously engaged in extortion
and looting, raising serious questions about their real
intentions.

... And Not Legitimize the Maoists
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2. (C) The Ambassador cautioned against the plan by some
European donors to treat the Maoists as a parallel
government, allowing them to have veto authority and taxation
privileges over development projects. He emphasized the need
to get development out into the countryside, but in a way
that did not legitimize the Maoists. Jouanjean agreed with
the Ambassador about the need for the international community
to avoid doing anything that granted legitimacy to the
Maoists. Instead, the international community should do
everything possible to convince them that giving up arms and
reentering the political mainstream was their best option.
Jouanjean stressed that the international community should
pressure the Maoists to "follow the route of dialogue." He
noted that "the profile of the Maoists must be managed
prudently," adding that the Maoists were clearly interested
in getting what they could from talks, while being prepared
to resume violence, if necessary, to assume power.

International Role
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3. (C) Jouanjean said he had assured Prime Minister Koirala
and other government of Nepal (GON) officials of the EC's
support. He noted that the EC was willing to send observers
to constituent assembly elections. He also expressed support
for a "witness" observing peace talks between the Maoists and
the government. He acknowledged that India had reservations
about outside involvement. He added that, although the talks
did not need a facilitator, a witness who was not involved
with monitoring could play a very positive role.

Comment
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4. (C) Jouanjean indicated the EC shares our concern about
Maoist intentions. He agreed about the need for the
international community to cooperate in strengthening the new
democratic government's legitimacy. We need to get the rest
of the international community on the same page.
MORIARTY