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
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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
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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