GERMAN VIEWS ON SEPTEMBER 5-6 EU GYMNICH MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 001222 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/26/2018 TAGS: EUN PREL PGOV GM GG RU SUBJECT: GERMAN VIEWS ON SEPTEMBER 5-6 EU GYMNICH MEETING REF: A. STATE 93264 ¶B. STATE 93272 Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JEFF RATHKE. REASONS: 1.4 ( B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Post provided talking points from reftels to MFA Deputy European Correspondent Thomas Schieb September 2 and followed up with him September 4 to get Germany's perspective on the Avignon meeting. Schieb indicated there was little daylight between the U.S. and Germany on the way forward with respect to Georgia, agreeing on the need to deploy an EU observer mission and convene an international conference to support reconstruction in Georgia as soon as possible. The scheduled review of EU relations with Russia is expected to be abbreviated in anticipation of the upcoming trip (September 8) to Moscow by Sarkozy, Barroso and Solana. On the review of the European Security Strategy, Germany does not see the need for a full re-write, but rather only a supplement to the 2003 document. Afghanistan/Pakistan is expected to figure prominently during the discussion of transatlantic relations. Germany thinks the EU needs to be more active in support of political and economic stability in Pakistan, especially in the FATA. Schieb also indicated that the September 15 GAERC is expected to approve the establishment of a "small coordination cell" as a first step toward a possible ESDP anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia. END SUMMARY. Georgia-Russia ¶2. (C) Schieb noted that the discussion of Georgia-Russia had originally been scheduled for Friday, but that the French Presidency had subsequently moved it to Saturday afternoon. Schieb said this was presumably out of concern that if this issue led the meeting, the discussion might go overtime and crowd out the rest of the Gymnich agenda. ¶3. (C) Schieb said that Germany is looking for the meeting in Avignon to mark the start of a discussion of EU relations with Russia, as tasked by the September 1 European Council. However, Schieb thought the discussion would be fairly short given President Sarkozy's September 8 visit to Moscow along with EU Commission President Barroso and EU HighRep Solana. It made sense to "come back to this" once the results of the September 8 trip were known. ¶4. (C) With regard to a possible EU observer mission in Georgia, Schieb said Germany fully supported the idea of approving such a mission as early as the September 15 GAERC meeting and agreed that this would help provide the "international mechanism" to end Russia's additional security measures outside South Ossetia under the six-point agreement. While the composition of the force remained to worked out, Schieb said preliminary indications were that it would number about 200 monitors. ¶5. (C) Post shared with Schieb the September 3 White House press release and fact sheet on the $1 billion U.S. economic support package for Georgia, as well as a transcript of the press briefing by the Secretary and Under Secretary Jeffery. We highlighted that the U.S. was very much looking forward to the upcoming international conference that the EU has committed to organize to assist reconstruction in Georgia. Schieb said that in addition to this event, which he characterized as a classic donors conference that should be held as soon as possible, Germany would push in the longer term for the EU to organize a regional conference in the context of the EU's Neighborhood Policy to support political stability in the Caucasus region as a whole. He said that Germany envisoned not only Black Sea littoral states being invited, but Central Asian countries as well. European Security Strategy ¶6. (C) Schieb said that EU HighRep Solana would give a briefing on the state of his work thus far in reviewing the EU's 2003 Security Strategy. Schieb noted that Germany sees the 2003 document as still "valid and useful" and does not think it needs to be re-opened and amended. Rather, Germany believes that a simple supplement to the 2003 Strategy, highlighting some of the challenges that have come to the fore in the past five years (i.e., climate change, food shortages, energy security),would probably suffice. Transatlantic Relations ¶7. (C) Schieb said while this discussion is motivated by the upcoming U.S. presidential election, it will be focused on enduring aspects of the relationship that are unrelated to BERLIN 00001222 002 OF 002 who wins the election, like the fight against terrorism and nonproliferation. He noted that Afghanistan/Pakistan will be a major topic under this heading. Schieb said Germany was convinced that the EU had to become "more active" in Pakistan in supporting economic and political stability, especially in the FATA, which had a direct impact on developments in Afghanistan. ¶8. (C) When asked whether the proposed ESDP mission against piracy off the coast of Somalia might also be discussed under this heading, Schieb noted that the September 15 GAERC is expected to approve the establishment of a "small coordination cell" in Brussels. According to Schieb, this cell will help coordinate the existing anti-piracy contributions of EU members and prepare the way for a possible ESDP mission down the road. Schieb took the point that any EU action in this area needed to be closely coordinated with the U.S. and within NATO, since both the Standing NATO Maritime Group and CTF-150 were already active, or planned to be active, in area around the Horn of Africa. Middle East Peace Process ¶9. (C) Schieb said that the MEPP will be discussed over lunch on Saturday with the three EU candidate countries (Turkey, FYROM and Croatia) in attendance. He noted that France has scaled down its ambitions for this discussion, forgoing the planned paper it was going to table. Schieb thought the session would focus on a read-out of Sarkozy's recent visit to the region and a report from the Turkish FM on developments in the Israel-Syrian track. Serbia ¶10. (C) Schieb said that Serbia was not on the agenda of Avignon, but agreed with our points regarding Serbia's pursuit of an ICJ advisory opinion and the need to execute the full EULEX mandate. TIMKEN JR