Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BRUSSELS1669
2008-10-29 15:24:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USEU Brussels
Cable title:  

SOLANA'S MIDDLE EAST ADVISOR PROVIDES READ-OUT OF

Tags:  EU PHUM PREL SY 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8188
PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHBS #1669/01 3031524
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 291524Z OCT 08
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHMRE/AMCONSUL MARSEILLE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001669 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2018
TAGS: EU PHUM PREL SY
SUBJECT: SOLANA'S MIDDLE EAST ADVISOR PROVIDES READ-OUT OF
SYRIA TRIP AND EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION WITH ARAB LEAGUE OVER
MEDITERRANEAN UNION NEGOTIATIONS

BRUSSELS 00001669 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Pol M-C Chris Davis for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001669

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2018
TAGS: EU PHUM PREL SY
SUBJECT: SOLANA'S MIDDLE EAST ADVISOR PROVIDES READ-OUT OF
SYRIA TRIP AND EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION WITH ARAB LEAGUE OVER
MEDITERRANEAN UNION NEGOTIATIONS

BRUSSELS 00001669 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Pol M-C Chris Davis for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Christian Jouret, Middle East Advisor to
EU/HR Javier Solana, provided Deputy Political M-C with an
extensive read-out of Solana's recent trip to Syria,
indicating Solana's continued wariness of Syrian President
Assad, while noting some desire by the French, in particular,
to move forward on the long delayed EU-Syrian Association
Agreement. Jouret said Assad emphasized his intention to
exchange ambassadors with Lebanon, but put off moving forward
on border demarcation; criticized the Saudi role in the
region and the current state of affairs in Iraq, and offered
to "mediate" between the West and Iran. Solana pressed Assad
on Lebanon relations, human rights, and economic reform, and
made no commitment to move forward on the shelved EU
Association Agreement. On the upcoming EuroMed Ministerial,
Jouret said Arab League insistance on enhanced observer
status at all levels of the proposed Union for the
Mediterranean was threatening the success of the November 3-4
meeting in Marseille, angering the French. End Summary.

--------------
Solana's Syria Visit
--------------


2. (C) Jouret said Solana met with Syrian President Bashir
Assad, Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, and Vice President
Farouk al-Sharaa (whom Jouret described as "out of it")
during his October 23 visit. Solana and Assad met with the
larger group (including Mark Ott, the French Ambassador to
Syria, and Jouret) for ten minutes, followed by a 50 minute
one-on-one conversation. Jouret emphasized that his read-out
was second hand, as provided to him by Solana. He said there
was a good atmosphere for the overall visit, and that it was
clear Syria was seeking to improve relations with the EU.
Much of the conversation focused on Syrian-Lebanese
relations, with Assad assuring Solana that Syria and Lebanon
will exchange ambassadors by the end of the year, and that
the delays only came because of the need to find an
appropriate building in Beirut. On this issue Jouret said
Solana believed Assad would do as promised, so that he can

show he is moving forward. Assad was less forthcoming on
borders, on which Solana pressed him, saying that they would
be delineated "some day," but that it was "too early" now.
He told Solana he has "excellent" relations with the Lebanese
president (which Jouret said Solana found a bit "worrisome.")


3. (C) Assad was very critical of the Saudis, claiming they
were providing money to the Salafists in Lebanon and Syria
and accusing them of involvement in the September 27 car bomb
in Damascus through Iraqi groups. (Conversely, Jouret said,
the Saudis were very tough in talking to Solana about Syria,
with the Saudi King calling Assad a "liar.") Assad
emphasized to Solana the secular nature of the Syrian regime
and claimed he is fighting radical Islamism in Syria. He
told Solana he wanted to rein in Imans and to "educate" them
as a way of controlling the messages at mosques (a prospect
Jouret found a bit troublesome from a human rights
perspective). On Iraq, Assad criticized the internal
political situation, said the security agreement with the
U.S. was not popular in Iraq and should be renegotiated, and
said the constitutional pact needs to be revised. Assad
offered to "mediate" between the West and Iran, an offer
Jouret said Solana politely declined.


4. (C) On Israel and Palestinian issues, Assad told Solana
that he was trying to convince the Hamas leaders in Damascus
to moderate their stance and to engage in broader political
life. Assad also expressed appreciation for the Turkish
moderated talks with Israel and expressed hope that the talks
would resume once there was a new government in Israel.


5. (C) For his part, according to Jouret, Solana had several
issues on which he pressed Assad, with Syria-Lebanon
relations topping the list. He emphasized that the EU wanted
to see a clear and broad improvement in relations, starting
with the exchange of ambassadors, and including a demarcation
of borders. Solana urged Assad to distance Syria from Iran,
arguing that their association did Syria no good. He pressed
him on support for terrorism, and said Assad turned to the
September 27 car-bombing in Damascus, which he blamed on the
Saudis. Solana raised human rights, reportedly following up
on a list of ten prisoners French President Sarkozy had
personally given Assad. Jouret said that three of these
individuals have been released, but that Solana pressed Assad
to do more. He also raised economic and financial reform,
urging Assad to do more to open Syria to business.


6. (C) Jouret said that, although Assad asked Solana for

BRUSSELS 00001669 002.2 OF 002


progress on the long-frozen Association Agreement, Solana
made no commitment. Jouret said Solana explained that there
is considerable "technical" work to be done before the
Agreement could move forward, including updating the 2,000
page four-year-old document to reflect the fact of new
members in the EU and new trade and economic realities.
Jouret said FM Muallem asked for some "political signal" by
the end of the year, to which Solana reacted cautiously,
making no commitment. (Note: When we pressed Jouret on
what that signal might be or who might be authorized to make
it, he said it was not clear, because of the nature of the
EU. Jouret said Solana was not inclined at this moment to
make such a political signal because he did not think the
Syrians had done enough, especially on relations with
Lebanon. However, French President Sarkozy might, he opined,
want to give some push to the agreement before the end of the
year, when the French presidency ends. The European
Commission would take the lead in undertaking the revisions
and discussions, but the Commission cannot go forward without
a green light from the Council. End Note)


7. (C) Overall Solana found Assad in a pleasant mood and
clearly attempting to press for better relations. Jouret
emphasized that Solana was not naive, and that he found Assad
to be not trustworthy, but the EU believes it important to
seek improved relations with Syria as part of improved
overall regional relations.

--------------
Union for the Mediterranean Talks
Stalled by Arab League Demands
--------------


8. (C) Jouret expressed enormous frustration with the
efforts to stand up the new Union for the Mediterranean and
expressed great concern about the success of the November 3-4
EuroMed ministerial meeting. He noted that there were the
"normal" difficulties posed by setting up a new organization
of 43 states, including statutes, competition over the
location of a secretariat (with Barcelona, Tunis, and Malta
in the bidding),the selection of a secretary general, and
decisions on the competencies of the secretariat. And then
there were some "real political problems," mainly the Arab
League's insistence on enhanced observer status, something
the Israelis and many Europeans refused to accept. Jouret
said that the Arab League is not a member, and that under the
Barcelona Process it was an observer only at foreign
ministers meetings. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa
would attend the meetings and be invited to speak on certain
issues, but could not block any action. Now Amr Moussa is
publicly insisting on Arab League representation at every
level at every meeting, from the technical level to the
foreign minister level, including in sectoral meetings. Six
meetings, including most recently a ministerial conference in
Jordan on water, have been canceled over the issue. Israel
refuses to go along.


9. (C) Jouret said that the EU, including the French, feel
the Israelis have made many compromises during this process
and that it is the Arab League that is the spoiler. There
are high level discussions ongoing, including between the
French and Egyptian presidents and foreign ministers, to try
to find a resolution before the November 3-4 EuroMed Foreign
Ministers Meeting, which was to have signaled the standing up
of the new Union for the Mediterranean. He said President
Sarkozy is "not happy" with Amr Moussa and wants to "punish
him" for his actions, which are creating the potential for a
failed meeting. Because of the impasse, the EU will not hold
its traditional meeting with the Arab League on the sidelines
of the ministerial. Jouret said the meeting itself had not
been canceled "for now," but he expressed grave doubts that
it would accomplish much.

SILVERBERG
.