PORTUGAL'S THOUGHTS ON EU FOREIGN MINISTERS'

C O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 000821 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2017 TAGS: PREL PHUM IQ PO SUBJECT: PORTUGAL'S THOUGHTS ON EU FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING (GYMNICH) REF: SECSTATE 37792 Classified By: Dana M. Brown, Pol-Econ Officer, Embassy Lisbon Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) In advance of the March 30-31 Foreign Ministers' meeting, MFA Deputy EU Correspondent Ana Filomena Rocha offered Portugal's views on the Balkans, Iran, the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP),and the human rights crisis in Zimbabwe. ¶2. (C) KOSOVO: Portugal firmly supports Ahtisaari and is urging other EU members to remain unified in support of his recommendations. Rocha reiterated Portugal's view that full independence for Kosovo would cause significant problems by setting a precedent, inciting Serbia, and create difficulties for EU partners (most notably Spain) that have areas seeking independence. ¶3. (C) SERBIA: Rocha agreed with the U.S. position that the EU should provide positive incentives to encourage Serbia to cooperate but stressed that this is not the right time. Rocha asserted that, without a Serbian government in authority, any new EU overtures would appear weak since Serbia cannot reciprocate. ¶4. (C) IRAN: Rocha said the ministers had planned to discuss ways to establish a productive dialogue with Iran on political, cultural, and economic cooperation. Nevertheless, she said the group is likely to focus almost exclusively on the EU's response to Iran's capture of the fifteen British soldiers. ¶5. (C) EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY (ENP): Portugal is unhappy with the current efforts to "divide the neighborhood" into eastern and southern spheres, according to Rocha. She said eastern states are pressing for additional resources and want to alter the policy from the original plan to support of both eastern and southern neighbors to one that favors only the east. Portugal will press for the EU to move back towards a balance as the ministers discuss the issue and seeks to make it clear that the ENP is not a preliminary step towards EU membership. ¶6. (C) ZIMBABWE: Portugal plans to tread lightly in discussions regarding Zimbabwe. While it would like to censure Zimbabwe for Mugabe's most recent attacks on opposition leaders, Portugal believes that African nations in the UN Human Rights Council would block a reprimand and thus undermine the Council even further. Rocha added that the UK is pressing for a deepening of the EU's "smart sanctions" but commented that current sanctions have had no real effect and additional measures would probably not be useful in pressuring the Zimbabwe government either. Per Rocha, the latest Mugabe abuses are unlikely to affect Portugal's plans to host an EU-Africa summit in November or December this year. ¶7. (C) Comment: Portugal shares our concerns about Zimbabwe but, at the same time, is determined to hold a successful EU-Africa summit as the crowning achievement of its EU Presidency. The GOP is working actively with the Brits and other EU partners to find a mechanism -- so far without success -- that allows the summit to take place but without Mugabe in attendance. End comment. Hoffman