BELGIAN RESPONSE TO OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT DEMARCHE

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 000860 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EEB/TRA/AN, EUR/ERA AND EUR/UBI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR ECON EU KPAO BE SUBJECT: BELGIAN RESPONSE TO OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT DEMARCHE REF: A. SECSTATE 28944 ¶B. SECSTATE 29781 ¶1. (SBU) Embassy presented US-EU Open Skies Demarche (Refs A and B) to Belgian Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The following message was received from the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 13: Thank you for your demarche of March 9 in which you request the support of the Belgian Government for the newly negotiated Open Skies Agreement. The position of the Belgian government will be formalized in the coming days. At this stage, however, everything seems to indicate that Belgium will be in a position to accept the proposed agreement. ¶2. (SBU) Post will continue to probe for confirmation of the Belgian position, and whether they can be helpful in moving the British on the issue. IMBRIE Geert Cockx Internal Market Directorate Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs IMBRIE .