DUTCH WANT ENERGY, NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 000121

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

WHA FOR PDAS SHAPIRO, WHA/CAR FOR MATHEW BUFFINGTON AND
LAURA LUFTIG, INR FOR BOB CARHART, EB FOR ENERGY OFFICE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2017
TAGS: PGOV ENRG NL VE NA NS
SUBJECT: DUTCH WANT ENERGY, NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS WITH
VENEZUELA IN SOUTH AMERICA

Classified By: P/E Officer Andy Utschig for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Dutch Ambassador-at-large Maurice De Hond
told EmbOffs that the Dutch have &good relations8 with
Venezuela, their &neighbor8 through the Antilles. De Hond
also indicated interest in alternative energy sources in
South America, particularly ethanol out of Brazil. The Dutch
appear interested in using the port of Rotterdam to profit
from energy supplies potentially flowing into Europe from
South America. END SUMMARY

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Suriname a Good Friend?
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2. (C) Ambassador-at-large, Middle East expert, and
Ambassador-designate to Israel, Maurice De Hond, was in
Suriname to set the tone for a new era of Dutch diplomatic
and foreign relations with Suriname. The Hague wants to
transition from a bilateral relationship built upon a
historical and post-colonial dependence on development
assistance to a more mature and strategic relationship. At
one point, De Hond noted that Suriname is a rich country that
doesn,t need foreign assistance, but rather needs to develop
its resources to achieve economic growth.

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Venezuela a Good Neighbor?
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3. (C) When asked about Dutch feelings about Venezuela, De
Hond said the Dutch have &good relations8 with Venezuela
and that Venezuela &is, after all, our neighbor,8 a
reference to Venezuela,s proximity to the Netherlands
Antilles. (COMMENT: De Hond,s diplomatic answer may merely
reflect a desire not to provoke Chavez while the Government
of the Netherlands refines its energy diplomacy. Dutch
diplomats on the ground in Curacao, however, reportedly
complain frequently about Venezuelans to their U.S.
colleagues, according to a USG reporting officer in Curacao
who provides regional TDY support to Embassy Paramaribo.
Reportedly The Hague is hesitant to agree to the desires of
Netherlands Antilles officials to send inflammatory
Venezuelan diplomat Lorenzo Angiolillo home to Caracas.)

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Energy Important, Suriname a Pawn...
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4. (C) De Hond made no bones about the Netherlands, desire
to tap into energy sources in South America. Particularly
interested in ethanol out of Brazil, De Hond also mentioned
energy reserves in Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador as of
interest. (NOTE: At a dinner hosted the previous night by
the Dutch Ambassador, The Hague,s Director of Western
Hemisphere Office Laurent Stokvis, who was traveling with De
Hond, indicated the GON was also "advising" the government of
Bolivia on exploiting and exporting natural gas to Brazil and
Argentina.) The Dutch are enthusiastic about the possibility
of moving to a new type of relationship with Suriname, having
long wanted to escape the demanding dependent/supplier
relationship which plagues their dialogue with Suriname at
present. De Hond also said point blank that the Dutch see
Suriname as a stepping stone toward contact and better
relations within the region.

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...Brazil a Power, Rotterdam a Money-Maker?
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5. (C) De Hond repeatedly referred to Brazil as a power,
and the key to South America: influential within the region,
with great future potential for influence outside the region.
De Hond said that while the Netherlands has its own supply
of natural gas, it would like to keep it as a reserve and
will look for other sources of energy * Brazilian ethanol,
for example. De Hond was enthusiastic about using the port
of Rotterdam as a gateway for South American energy resources
entering Europe. With this facility already in place, the
Netherlands could become the middle-man and strategic broker
for ethanol, Russian natural gas, or other energy delivery
throughout Europe.

PARAMARIBO 00000121 002 OF 002




6. (C) COMMENT: De Hond,s comments reflect Dutch fatigue
over the post colonial relationship, a desire for more
"normal" relations with Suriname, and a practical
self-interest in the region. The Dutch interest in South
America in general and Brazil in particular as future energy
sources shows forward thinking; as a Middle Eastern
specialist, De Hond knows well the dangers of oil dependency.
A moderate tone regarding Venezuela plays well with The
Netherlands, South American counterparts who do not wish to
be confrontational with Chavez. The Dutch seem to have seen
the writing on the wall, and are taking steps now to ensure
that the home lights stay burning in the future, and that
energy and Euros keep flowing through Rotterdam. END COMMENT
SCHREIBER HUGHES