ESTONIA: LITTLE DAYLIGHT BETWEEN U.S./EU ON MAY

UNCLAS TALLINN 000448 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PARM UN EUN EN SUBJECT: ESTONIA: LITTLE DAYLIGHT BETWEEN U.S./EU ON MAY 15 GAERC ISSUES REF: STATE 74555 (NOTAL) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: MFA EU Correspondent Arti Hilpus told us on May 12 he thought the U.S. and EU shared common views on GAERC agenda issues. Hilpus said Estonia was pleased the EU would expand the mandate of its Iraq Rule of Law program (EUJUST LEX) at the May 15 meeting. End summary. Balkans - - - - ¶2. (SBU) The GOE fully supports the "internationally recognized principles" that would be critical to ensuring a legitimate outcome to the referendum in Montenegro. (Hilpus himself was preparing to travel there as an OSCE observer.) On Serbia, Estonia "regretted" that Mladic had yet to be transferred to The Hague and it backed the EU decision to halt negotiations on a Stabilization and Association Agreement. The GOE hopes negotiations can be continued as soon as Belgrade hands over Mladic, Hilpus said. ¶3. (SBU) The Bosnian parliament's April 26 vote on constitutional reform was a "failure." Hilpus said the GOE hoped the reform could be adopted at some point in the future. The EU will continue to increase its engagement there as High Representative Swharz-Schilling transitions into his role as EU Special Representative. On regional issues, Hilpus said Estonia thought it important that plans for a follow-on framework to the Stability Pact were bottom-up and driven by local initiative, rather than imposed from the outside. Middle East and Africa - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. (SBU) On Iraq the GOE was pleased with the appointment of PM-designate al-Maliki and hoped it would boost chances for the formation of a government of national unity. Hilpus said the EU would expand the mandate of EUJUST LEX (the EU's rule of law training program for Iraq) at the GAERC meeting. ¶5. (SBU) Estonia remains on the sidelines of discussions on Iran, but looked forward to an update at the GAERC. Maintaining unity would be critical, and the GOE looked forward to what the EU-3 might be able to accomplish in what it understood was a two-week negotiating window agreed among key partners. ¶6. (SBU) Hilpus said Congo would be discussed separately by defense ministers. On Darfur the GOE supported maintaining African ownership of AMIS, but with NATO and EU supporting in logistical and administrative roles. GOLDSTEIN