Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BUDAPEST1158
2007-07-17 12:48:00
SECRET
Embassy Budapest
Cable title:  

NOT NO ... BUT NOT NOW: EMBASSY VIEWS RE REQUESTED

Tags:  PREL PGOV KDEM OVIP HU 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUP #1158 1981248
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 171248Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1589
S E C R E T BUDAPEST 001158 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT A/S FRIED AND EUR/NCE; PLEASE PASS TO NSC FOR
ADAM STERLING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM OVIP HU
SUBJECT: NOT NO ... BUT NOT NOW: EMBASSY VIEWS RE REQUESTED
MEETINGS FOR SENIOR HUNGARIAN OFFICIALS

Classified By: Acting DCM Eric V. Gaudiosi; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

S E C R E T BUDAPEST 001158

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT A/S FRIED AND EUR/NCE; PLEASE PASS TO NSC FOR
ADAM STERLING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM OVIP HU
SUBJECT: NOT NO ... BUT NOT NOW: EMBASSY VIEWS RE REQUESTED
MEETINGS FOR SENIOR HUNGARIAN OFFICIALS

Classified By: Acting DCM Eric V. Gaudiosi; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (S) Septel reports on the formal requests from GoH
officials for meetings between POTUS and PM Gyurcsany and
between Secretary Rice and Foreign Minister Goncz, which we
understand have also been raised directly by the Hungarian
Embassy in Washington.


2. (S) Post is mindful of the extraordinary attention paid
to Hungary during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the
1956 uprising and believes we should uphold a high standard
of substantive accomplishment before considering meetings at
the highest levels.


3. (S) A/S Fried's recent visit helped enormously in
encouraging the GoH - and the Prime Minister personally - to
take a more active and constructive stand on Russia in
general and energy security in particular. But he will need
time to do so, just as we will need tangible evidence of the
depth and duration of his commitment. Until we have had the
time to render a more informed judgment, we believe a meeting
at the highest level would be premature and could pose the
risk of sending a mixed signal to a government tempted to use
foreign policy for domestic politial advantage.


4. (S) We do see value in a meeting with FM Goncz in the
near term as a way to reinforce the message and to recognize
their efforts in Afghanistan and Cuba. In our view, such a
meeting need not be a stand-alone trip to Washington but
might occur more productively on the margins of a
multilateral forum.


5. (S) Additionally, we strongly support continued efforts
to broaden and deepen our dialogue with key advisors and with
figures from across the political spectrum in an effort to
promote a multi-partisan consensus on foreign policy. We
will continue to look for opportunities to establish and
improve these contacts.

FOLEY