Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BRUSSELS1740
2008-11-14 13:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USEU Brussels
Cable title:  

EU OUTLINES TRANSATLANTIC PRIORITIES FOR PDAS RIES

Tags:  PREL EUN 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RR RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHBS #1740/01 3191313
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 141313Z NOV 08
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO RUCNMEU/EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI
RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 001740 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2018
TAGS: PREL EUN
SUBJECT: EU OUTLINES TRANSATLANTIC PRIORITIES FOR PDAS RIES

Classified By: Pol Minister-Counselor Christopher Davis for reasons 1.4
b,d.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 001740

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2018
TAGS: PREL EUN
SUBJECT: EU OUTLINES TRANSATLANTIC PRIORITIES FOR PDAS RIES

Classified By: Pol Minister-Counselor Christopher Davis for reasons 1.4
b,d.


1. (U) EU officials took advantage of the timing of EUR PDAS
Marcie Ries's Nov. 4-6 visit to Brussels to outline Europe's
priorities in working with the incoming Obama administration.
Building on consensus reached by EU foreign ministers at the
November 3 informal Gymnich meeting on transatlantic
relations, EU officials said their top regional priorities
are Russia and the Middle East (to include Iran),and their
top global priorities are the international financial crisis
and climate change. Other regional priorities include the
Balkans, Afghanistan, and China, while other cross-cutting
priorities include nuclear non-proliferation, energy security
and EU-NATO relations.

Eager for dialogue with President-elect Obama
--------------

2. (SBU) Czech PSC Ambassador Ivo Sramek said EU foreign
ministers would like to invite the new U.S. Secretary of
State to a special informal Gymnich with the 27 EU FMs.
Sramek said the spring 2009 EU-U.S. Summit, which will take
place under the Czech Republic's EU presidency, could be held
either in Prague or in Brussels, depending on President
Obama's preference. Sramek added that the Czechs were
realistic about the number of invitations to Europe the new
U.S. President could accept. Mark Vanheukelen, Head of Unit
for Transatlantic Relations at the Commission, wondered
whether the NATO Summit in early April could be combined with
an informal EU summit. Marek Grela, Director of
Transatlantic Relations for the Council Secretariat, said he
sees in Obama the potential for "clever American leadership"
and even more collaboration with Europe in facing global
challenges. But, he noted, the euphoria with which Europeans
greeted the election will give way to the reality of
international problems resistant to easy solutions.

EU wrestles with Russia strategy
--------------

3. (C) Although the Commission issued a statement Nov. 5
saying that negotiations on a new partnership agreement with
Russia should move forward, several EU officials said the
consensus is not nearly so clear among member states. Sramek
said the Czech Republic believes the EU should articulate
clear guidelines and benchmarks that Russia should meet
before EU partnership agreement talks with Russia proceed,

and then equally clear guidelines to the Commission about its
implementation. Speaking in a separate meeting, Grela said
President Medvedev's Nov. 5 speech criticizing the U.S. was
so inappropriate and poorly timed that it alone could derail
partnership talks. PDAS Ries noted that the EU has numerous
tools at its disposal when considering its energy policy
toward Russia, including the vigorous use of competition
policy, unbundling, and alternative oil and gas pipelines
from the Caspian Sea. Grela lamented that the EU was paying
the price for not sticking to its previously-agreed strategy
toward Russia and for failing to include Russia in
discussions about issues important to its national interests.
Grela, who is Polish, said it was "too optimistic" to think
that a partnership agreement would much improve Russia's
energy policies or human rights situation.

Georgia stable but worrying
--------------

4. (C) In a separate meeting, Peter Semneby, EU Special
Representative for the South Caucasus, said Georgia is doing
well economically in the wake of the successful donors
conference and appears stable in the short-term. He worries,
however, about whether investors will return in the
long-term, and whether President Saakashvili is fully
committed to freedom of the press, multiple political
parties, and other "safety valves" for democratic expression
of dissent. Semneby said Saakashvili's recent concentration
of decision-making in his own hands is troubling and leads to
a system that is "erratic and vulnerable." On the Geneva
talks, Semneby said the U.S. and EU must be realistic about
what is achievable. The Abkhaz, he said, have more incentive
to negotiate seriously than either the Russians, who want to
maximize their freedom of action, or the Georgians, who think
their negotiation position will strengthen with time. The
Abkhaz, however, have gained nothing from recognition of
independence by Russia, Nicaragua, and Hamas, and have,
instead, found doors that were starting to open for them
internationally now closed, Semneby said. Regarding the
EUMM, Semneby said the Russians were "deliberately

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misunderstanding" the monitors' mission so as to create
problems along the administrative line, a situation he
predicted would deteriorate. PDAS Ries stressed the
importance of keeping the Russians to their word on troop
withdrawal, adding that it was important to avoid creating
any legal basis for the reality the Russians were trying to
create on the ground.

Crisis may have silver lining
--------------

5. (C) Semneby said an unexpected result of the Georgia
crisis may be renewed focus on resolving ongoing conflicts
elsewhere in the Caucasus, especially Nagorno-Karabakh. "The
silver lining from this mess in the summer may be that people
are frightened enough to reconsider old positions," he said.
A resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh could lead to increased
security for both Armenia and Azerbaijan, reduced pressure on
vulnerable transportation corridors, and lowered stakes in
Georgia, he said. Russia's purchase of seemingly worthless
infrastructure assets like railways in Armenia could signal
Russian preparations for "another game" in the region,
Semneby predicted.

Engaging Syria
--------------

6. (C) Alan Seatter, Director for North America and much of
East Asia at the European Commission, said the Commission is
considering expanding its engagement with Syria, a
politically "delicate" undertaking that would be closely
coordinated with the U.S. One option is to bolster a network
of small businesses as a way to break the hold on the economy
of a handful of large firms and the Syrian state. Syria's
current relationship with Iran is one of convenience and is
not in Syria's long-term interest, he said. Asked about Iran
sanctions, Seatter said the Commission is considering
pressuring banks not to do business with Iran as an
alternative to seeking further formal EU sanctions at this
time. Seatter also said, however, that we need to be seen to
be willing to "step up sanctions" and sharpen their aim so
that China, for example, does not fill the void.

Addressing corruption in Afghanistan
--------------

7. (C) Turning to Afghanistan, Seatter said it wil be
difficult to sell EU member states and Euopean publics on
increased assistance to Afghnistan until steps are taken to
control corruption and ensure that current assistance is
being used effectively. On Burma, he said the EU undertakes
a "collective hand-wringing" from time to time but has little
leverage to change the situation there without the assistance
of regional players China and India. Building capacity in
the health sector, without engaging the Burmese regime, was
one activity Seatter thought the Commission could reasonably
pursue. On non-proliferation, he said the Commission's focus
is shifting away from Eastern Europe and toward Asia and
North Africa. It will use its budget of 300 million euro for
this program to develop capacity among customs officials,
border police, and financial-tracking systems, much as it has
been doing in 80 countries for counter-terrorism, he said.

Piracy and other ESDP priorities
--------------

8. (C) In a separate meeting with PDAS Ries, Claude-France
Arnould, Director for Defense Issues in the Council
Secretariat, reviewed a number of ESDP issues, including
counter-piracy, Bosnia and the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC). Describing EU progress on its counter-piracy mission,
which should be launched in mid-December, Arnould said it
could have as many as six ships, with an operational
headquarters in Northwood UK, a force headquarters afloat,
and logistics support provided via Djibouti. She
acknowledged that legalities surrounding the detention and
prosecution of suspected pirates present a thorny issue and
welcomed PDAS Ries's presentation of the Suppression of
Unlawful Acts as a mechanism which could be examined.
Arnould also said her office was working closely with Deputy
SACEUR Gen. McColl to ensure close coordination of EU and
NATO efforts, though she said the parties agree that this
coordination should be kept quiet enough not to raise
political problems on EU-NATO coordination.


9. (C) On the DRC, Arnould was interested in readouts of A/S
Frazer's meetings in the region, especially on the issue of
how much influence Rwanda is exercising over Nkunda. She
said there was no political will for an ESDP military

BRUSSELS 00001740 003 OF 003


operation at the moment and that member states prefer to
provide support such as imagery intelligence to MONUC. On
Operation Althea in Bosnia, Arnould described general
agreement among member states to transition eventually from
the current mission to a training mission under Berlin Plus.
Under this arrangement, NATO would advise the Bosnian army,
while the EU would provide training.


10. (U) PDAS Ries has cleared this report.
SILVERBERG
.