EU OPTIMISTIC ABOUT FUTURE GOT COOPERATION

S E C R E T TUNIS 001556

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG (HARRIS AND HOPKINS)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2017
TAGS: PHUM KDEM PGOV PTER ECON PREL TS
SUBJECT: EU OPTIMISTIC ABOUT FUTURE GOT COOPERATION

REF: TUNIS 1503

Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

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SUMMARY
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1. (S/NF) EU Charge de Mission Bernard Philippe told the
Ambassador on December 4 that the November 19 Association
Council meeting with Tunisia, which was preceded by the
November 12 Sub-Committee Meeting on Human Rights, had given
a "boost" to EU-Tunisian relations. Philippe said the two
meetings had reaffirmed the two parties "strong partnership"
and the will to resume dialogue, which would be extremely
positive if it delivers. Philippe opined to the Ambassador
that Foreign Minister Abdallah, who had led the Tunisian
delegation to the Council meeting, can be disingenuous in
meetings and can react "violently" when sensitive political
topics are raised. Philippe proposed, and the Ambassador
agreed, the establishment of a US-EU "systematic dialogue" in
Tunis on key issues of joint interest, including human
rights, judicial reform and economic governance. End Summary.

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A WARMING OF RELATIONS
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2. (S/NF) On December 4, EU Charge de Mission Bernard
Philippe (strictly protect) told the Ambassador that he felt
the November 19 Association Council meeting in Brussels
represented a warming after almost two years of stagnation
and difficulty in EU-Tunisia relations. Particularly in the
past twelve months, Philippe said there had been no
opportunities for political dialogue and that the overall
bilateral dialogue was "very poor." Despite that fact that
"we are the 75 percent" (i.e., the EU is the source of the
majority of Tunisia's trade, investment and tourism
revenues),Philippe said the EU had not been particularly
influential on certain issues. The November 19 Council
meeting and the preceding November 12 Sub-Committee meeting
on Human Rights, however, reaffirmed the strong partnership
between the EU and Tunisia. Philippe said that there was a
clear will to resume a systematic dialogue and that it seemed
the Tunisian side was committed to deliver. Philippe said he
hoped the Sub-Committee on "home issues" (justice, liberty,
security, counterterrorism) would be convened in the first
quarter of 2008. Similarly, Philippe said he hoped the two
sides could discuss "internal market" issues which could
address the necessary service liberalization that could spur
economic growth and job creation in Tunisia.

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FM ABDALLAH: OFF-SCRIPT
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3. (S/NF) Philippe then detoured to talk about Foreign
Minister Abdallah's personality. Philippe initially
commented on Abdallah's tendency to use "excessive
superiority" when talking about Tunisia and Ben Ali's twenty
years of rule. Philippe citing Abdallah's comment, "If (the
EU) has problems with press freedom in Tunisia, it's your
fault since you only read the French press," opining
disingenuously that the Arabic media was more free. Later,
Philippe related Abdallah's "annoying" suggestion to EU FM
Solana in early 2007 that all Tunisia had to do to prevent
terrorism was patrol its borders. When Solana pressed
Abdallah on the disrupted December/January security
incidents, Abdallah was similarly dismissive, saying the case
was "closed" and purely a group coming from Algeria.


4. (S/NF) Philippe commented that Abdallah's personality was
most revealing when the Foreign Minister veered from his
official talking points. He noted that Abdallah had been
"very nasty" when discussing several Tunisian NGOs, and
particularly on the topic of the opposition Progressive
Democratic Party (PDP). When the EU raised two particular
human rights cases (lawyer Mohamed Abbou and Tunisian Human
Rights League activist Ali Ben Salem),Abdallah reacted "very
violently." Philippe also highlighted Abdallah's insistence
on refuting an EU suggestion, during the closing press
conference, that there were any "divergences" on positions,
noting Abdallah spent over five minutes disputing this
possibility.

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US-EU COOPERATION
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5. (S/NF) Philippe closed the 75-minute meeting with the
Ambassador by suggesting the establishment of a systematic
dialogue between the US and EU missions in Tunisia. Philippe
said there were three main areas on which the EU would
propose we focus: 1) Prison conditions, arbitrary
imprisonment and torture, 2) Judicial Reform, and 3) Economic
Governance. On the first item, Philippe said he was very
concerned about the possibility that those involved in the
December/January security incidents might be sentenced to
death, which "could totally derail (EU-Tunisian) relations."
On judicial reform, Philippe said the EU had funded a two
million Euro project that was only able to deliver equipment
due to GOT intransigence. Finally, Philippe said that EU
hoped to expand its economic dialogue with Tunisia to
encourage greater liberalization. The Ambassador said the
USG had similar concerns and welcomed expanded US-EU
cooperation in all three areas.

COMMENT
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6. (S/NF) Despite Philippe's comments on FM Abdallah's
tendency to become dismissive when confronted on sensitive
issues, he was positive that Tunisian-EU relations may be on
the mend if several upcoming meetings move ahead as planned.
If so, EU efforts to promote human rights and economic reform
would dovetail nicely with our own. In any case, the two
missions are increasingly exchanging views on mutual
priorities, which can only strengthen our hands with the GOT.
End Comment.

Please visit Embassy Tunis, Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/tunis/index.c fm
GODEC