Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BRUSSELS1233
2008-08-11 09:43:00
SECRET//NOFORN
USEU Brussels
Cable title:  

EU RESPONDS ON NEW SANCTIONS, FUTURE OF BURMA

Tags:  PGOV ETRD EAID BM EUN 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7659
OO RUEHAG RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHROV
DE RUEHBS #1233/01 2240943
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 110943Z AUG 08
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001233 

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS LAURA SCHEIBE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/06/2018
TAGS: PGOV ETRD EAID BM EUN
SUBJECT: EU RESPONDS ON NEW SANCTIONS, FUTURE OF BURMA

REF: STATE 83719

Classified By: Political MC Chris Davis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001233

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS LAURA SCHEIBE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/06/2018
TAGS: PGOV ETRD EAID BM EUN
SUBJECT: EU RESPONDS ON NEW SANCTIONS, FUTURE OF BURMA

REF: STATE 83719

Classified By: Political MC Chris Davis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (S//NF) SUMMARY: Poloff delivered reftel points on
August 6 to the head of unit for South-East Asia at
European Commission DG RELEX, and to the new South-East
Asia desk officer at the Council Secretariat. They
welcomed the JADE Act legislation and appreciated receiving
our list of newly designated entities. Our Commission
contact said that he would relay our list of new designees
to Commission sanctions implementers and expected it would
be taken up early this fall by RELEX counselors at the
Council. Commission President Barroso has reportedly taken
a new interest in Burma sanctions and has recently sought
briefings on the subject. Our Council contact gave a
readout of a recent breakfast meeting between HiRep Solana
and President Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste in which
Ramos-Horta argued strongly against sanctions, which we
will report septel. END SUMMARY.

-------------- --
European Commission Prepares Fall Deliberations
-------------- --


2. (C) Poloff delivered reftel points on August 6 to
Seamus Gillespie, head of unit for South-East Asia at DG
RELEX. He thought that the JADE act brought U.S. sanctions
on gemstones into line with the EU's own policies, and
welcomed the new U.S. designations as an opportunity to
"re-focus" or fine tune the current sanctions regime.
Gillespie reports that the Germans are pressing hard to
review the annex to last October's Common Position this
fall. The annex contains EU sanctions designations, and
Germany (along with other member states) is interested in
streamlining and better "targetting" the sanctions. Poloff
explained that the United States welcomes updating of the
EU annex to include our new designees, but said that we
could not support the removal of sanctions from any
previous designees. (Note: The EU process will begin with
Commission sanctions experts, who will prepare a new annex
for member state RELEX counselors to approve this fall.
Once RELEX counselors have approved the annex, it will go
to COREPER for final approval. End note.) Gillespie
believes that France currently places a low priority on
Burma compared to other pressing issues. According to
Gillespie, no matter how much the Germans push to update
the Annex, the French Presidency ultimately controls the
Council agendas.


3. (C) Gillespie said that the Commission is currently
examining its assistance to Burma and will send a report
forward to Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner in early
September. The report will contain recommendations that
the EU remain involved in relief-phase operations in Burma
for at least another year, but will caution that to prevent
waste, ECHO and member state foreign assistance agencies
need to be much more vigilant about how they distribute
funds.


4. (S//NF) Gillespie (protect) revealed that Commission
President Barroso, has recently taken much more interest in
Burma. Barroso's cousin, a surgeon who volunteers for a
few weeks each year with Mdecins Sans Frontiers n Burma,
recently told Barroso that the interational sanctions are
ineffective and primarily harm the Burmese people. As a
result, Barroso has requested briefings on this issue.
Poloff offered to provide information on the efficacy of
sanctions, if it would be useful, to aid in preparing these
briefings.


5. (C) Gillespie also brought up the recent Preah Vihear
crisis on the Thai and Cambodian border and inquired about
U.S. involvement in the issue. He said that the Thai
Government has approached France to act as a mediator in
the dispute, while at the same time disclosing that
Cambodia approached the EU during the week of July 28th to
request EU mediation. Gillespie said that neither the EU
nor France has decided how to respond to the requests.

BRUSSELS 00001233 002 OF 002



-------------- --
European Council Secretariat Supports U.S. Move
-------------- --


6. (C) On August 6, Poloff delivered information on new
legislation on Burmese gemstones to Leo Schulte-Nordholt,
the new South-East Asia desk officer at the European
Council Secretariat (Note: Schulte-Nordholt was formerly
the OSCE/Council of Europe desk officer. End note.).
Schulte saw eye-to-eye with the United States, and viewed
the new U.S. legislation banning the import of Burmese
gemstones as a move to maintain the relevance of existing
sanctions rather than an expansion of sanctions. He will
examine the list of entities designated by President Bush
and make recommendations to his colleagues about parallel
EU actions.

SILVERBERG
.