AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES EU-RUSSIA SUMMIT AND KOSOVO

C O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 002806 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2017 TAGS: PREL PINR RU PO ZI SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES EU-RUSSIA SUMMIT AND KOSOVO WITH PM'S DIP ADVISOR REF: A) LISBON 2771 B) LISBON 2714 Classified By: AMBASSADOR ALFRED HOFFMAN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). EU-Russia summit -------------- ¶1. (C) In a one-on-one farewell lunch with the Prime Minister's senior diplomatic advisor, Jorge Roza de Oliveira, at the residence on October 31, the Ambassador asked whether Portugal was pleased with the recent EU-Russia summit (reftels). Roza de Oliveira said yes, Portugal's goal was to ensure relations with Russia were better at the end of the summit than at the beginning, and "we did that." One of President Putin's advisors told Roza de Oliveira that Putin "has no respect" for the European Commission, which recently blocked Gazprom's acquisition of a European energy firm. The reason is simple, according to Putin: it is because the EC "has no fatherland," (comment: we took this to mean Putin believes the Commission has no constituency to which it is accountable. end comment). Putin pointedly told PM Socrates it is a very good thing Portugal enjoys sunny weather most of the year, as "it can get very cold in Europe during the wintertime." Putin made very clear, according to Roza de Oliveira, that Russia would continue to use energy as an instrument of foreign policy. Kosovo -------------- ¶2. (C) Independence for Kosovo is an abolute given, Roza de Oliveira asserted, but it is a question of timing. He said Portugal would need "a little more time" after December 10 but declined to be drawn on the details. Asked how the EU would respond to a unilateral declaration of independence by the Kosovars, Roza de Oliveira expressed concern that such a move would spark a bloody crackdown by the Serbs. Asked the status of EU deliberations regarding a legal basis for an ESDP mission, Roza de Oliveira insisted that such a mission could not be deployed in the absence of a UN mandate. EU-Africa summit -------------- ¶3. (C) The Ambassador welcomed Portugal's efforts to host an EU-Africa summit but expressed strong concern that Robert Mugabe's presence in Lisbon would send a terrible message about good governance. "We don't control who represents Africa," the diplomatic advisor replied. "That is up to the African Union," and we must move ahead with the summit. PM's Washington visit -------------- ¶4. (C) Roza de Oliveira said the Prime Minister had been very happy with his meeting with President Bush in the White House in September and had been very complimentary of the President. Comment -------------- ¶5. (C) Roza de Oliveira, although friendly and accessible, tends sometimes to incline toward unhelpful Socialist rhetoric. He confirmed our suspicions that there were no significant achievements at the EU-Russia summit. His satisfaction that Portugal had fulfilled such unambitious objectives for the summit was not surprising, given previous comments to U.S. officials that Washington should tone down its anti-Russian rhetoric. Roza de Oliveira made it clear he was anxious to hand over Kosovo to the Slovenian presidency. His insistence on a UN mandate for an ESDP mission is not consistent with what we have heard from his MFA colleagues, and we will seek clarification. Hoffman