LUXEMBOURG: OSLO PROCESS WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L LUXEMBOURG 000491

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PM/WRA, EUR/WE, EUR/RPM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2017
TAGS: PARM PREL NATO NAMSA LU
SUBJECT: LUXEMBOURG: OSLO PROCESS WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH
ALLIANCE RESPONSIBILITIES

REF: A. STATE 164503


B. LUXEMBOURG 39

Classified By: DCM Steven H. Kraft for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador and DCM discussed points
contained Ref A with Paul Duhr, Secretary General of the
Luxembourg MFA on 12 December. Duhr made it clear that he
understood the U.S.' position on the Oslo Process and cluster
munitions and assured the Ambassador that whatever the
outcome of the Oslo Process, nothing in Luxembourg's
implementing legislation would infringe upon its
responsibilities as a NATO member. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) On 12 December, Ambassador and DCM raised points
contained Ref A with Ambassador Paul Duhr, Secretary General
of the Luxembourg MFA. Duhr, a security and defense expert,
was quite familiar with the subject and began by explaining
that Luxembourg domestic and Parliamentary opinion was
overwhelmingly in favor of banning Cluster Munitions (CM).
Luxembourg would thus continue to participate in the Oslo
Process. He quickly added that the GOL took its obligations
as a NATO member seriously and agreed with our concerns for
the potentially serious detrimental impact on
interoperability if CM were to be criminalized. Accordingly,
he assured the Ambassador that whatever the outcome of the
Oslo Process, in any required implementing national
legislation, Luxembourg would state the understanding that
"nothing in the legislation would interfere with Luxembourg's
responsibilities as a NATO member."


3. (SBU) Points and texts contained Ref A were also delivered
separately to Claude Faber, MFA desk officer for Security,
Defense, and NATO Affairs and to Serge Alzin, Deputy Defense
Director on 11 December.


4. (C) COMMENT: Duhr's comments are consistent with past
conversations with MFA interlocutors (Ref B). Thus we are
confident that the GOL will strive to ensure that any
agreement resulting from the Oslo Process will not affect its
obligations as a NATO member. Most specifically to the U.S.
and NATO operations, this means that the GOL will not allow
resulting legislation to hinder the transshipment of CM
through Findel International Airport (ICAO: ELLX, IATA: LUX)
or CM related procurement services at the Luxembourg-based
NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA). END COMMENT.
WAGNER