NETHERLANDS: APPROACHING THE EU IN ADVANCE OF THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001080 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2011 TAGS: PREL PARM UNAUS EUN MW SR BO IR IZ CG SU LI, NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS: APPROACHING THE EU IN ADVANCE OF THE MAY 15 GAERC REF: STATE 74555 Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew J. Schofer; reasons 1.4 (b) a nd (d). ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche May 10 to Deputy European Correspondent Bahia Tahzib-Lie and attended subsequent diplomatic community pre-GAERC briefing with European Correspondent Desiree Kopmels. The MFA does not expect significant progress on enlargement during this GAERC but does expect Nepal and energy security - with a focus on the EU northern Caucuses proposal - to be discussed. The GONL will also push members to discuss a common Hamas visa policy. The GONL understands Malta will raise "recent developments in Zimbabwe" but has no details. Other reftel issues are addressed below. Balkans -------------- ¶2. (C) The GONL is in agreement with us on Balkans issues listed reftel. They added that, in light of Del Ponte's findings on lack of Serbian cooperation, accession negotiations with Serbia should be ended. Iran -------------- ¶3. (C) Kopmels expressed interest in seeing the contents of Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush. Poloff recommended she ask the Dutch embassy in Tehran to send her a copy, as it was reportedly published in local papers. Kopmels did not discuss Iran further. Iraq -------------- ¶4. (C) The GONL is generally supportive of reftel points. Liberia and Congo -------------- ¶5. (C) The GONL does not expect Charles Taylor to be raised and say the GAERC forum is too public to be of use on this. The Dutch expect African topics other than Darfur to be mentioned only briefly at the GAERC. Darfur -------------- ¶6. (U) The Dutch repeated recent press announcements that they will take the lead on Darfur reconstruction. They hope to hold a needs assessment seminar in June and a donor's conference in late summer or early fall. ARNALL