LITHUANIA TO RAISE NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES AT JULY 17

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000663

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2016
TAGS: UN KPAL PREL LH
SUBJECT: LITHUANIA TO RAISE NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES AT JULY 17
GAERC

REF: A. STATE 114605 B. STATE 115346

Classified By: Pol/Econ officer Traver Gudie for reasons 1.4 b,d


1. (C) We delivered reftel points to Tomas Gulbinas, Head of
the MFA's Common Foreign Policy and Security Division on July

14. Gulbinas told us that the July 17 GAERC will concentrate
on the priorities of the Finnish Presidency as discussed in
the EU political Director's July 6 meeting in Helsinki, and
would reach conclusions on Iran and the Middle East Peace
Process. Lithuania, represented (in the absence of a
government) by MFA Undersecretary Oskaras Jusys, will
intervene to promote its neighborhood policy goals and
Eurozone ambitions during the first session about the Finnish
priorities. Lithuania will not intervene on any external
issues, and has nothing new to say on the Balkans, Iraq or
Sudan points. North Korea is not on the July 17 GAERC
agenda, said Gulbinas, but nevertheless thanked us for the
points, adding that it is possible that someone may raise
North Korea in the GAERC.

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LITHUANIA TO INTERVENE ON FINNISH PRIORITIES
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2. (C) Lithuania plans to intervene to welcome the proposed
priorities of the upcoming Finnish presidency and request the
inclusion of the following points among the Finnish
priorities:

- Stronger support for EU neighborhood policy with respect to
Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia;
- Engagement of European Security and Defense Policy to help
resolve regional frozen conflicts in Transnistria, Ossetia,
and Nagorno-Karabakh;
- Continued attention to energy security issues;

Lithuania will also use the occasion to push Lithuania's case
for entry in the Eurozone following the European Commission's
June statement that it should review the application of
Maastricht criteria, especially to fast-growing economies.

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COUNCIL CONLUSIONS ON IRAN, MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
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3. (C) Gulbinas told us that he had drafts of council
conclusions on Iran and the Middle East Peace Process, both
of which will be discussed during the Ministers-only lunch.
Lithuania plays a passive role in this process, he said, and
will not intervene on either issue. He described the various
drafts on the Middle East Peace Process as "balanced,"
calling for restraint from Israel as well as Hizballah and
Hamas. He noted that the proposed statements were "harder on
Israel" than the U.S. talking points, and one condemned
Israel's "extrajudicial killings" of Palestinians.
KELLY