DEMARCHE RESPONSE: EU ON PAKISTAN ELECTIONS

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 003544 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR PINS PREL PTER PHUM KDEM PK EUN SUBJECT: DEMARCHE RESPONSE: EU ON PAKISTAN ELECTIONS REF: STATE 170928 (SBU) Per reftel instructions we shared U.S. views on Pakistan elections with EU Council Secretariat Pakistan desk officer Tim Eestermans December 31. Eestermans undertook to convey the U.S. points to European Commission colleagues who are now preparing the EU's limited election observation mission. (Note: The number of observers in a full-scale EU monitoring mission is around 200; in a limited mission the number is reduced to about 50.) While he cautioned that no final decision had yet been made on whether the EU's mission would go ahead as planned, he considered the presence of the co-head of the EU mission in Pakistan for assessment purposes a positive sign. Eestermans noted he would contact the election team later that day and said he would update Mission as appropriate. MURRAY .