DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH DANISH FM MOELLER

C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 000336

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL SENV ETRD PBTS MARR KGHG AORC DA
SUBJECT: DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH DANISH FM MOELLER
IN GREENLAND

Classified By: Regional Environmental Officer Erik Hall.
For reasons 1.4 b&d.


1. (C) Summary: In a May 27 meeting before the opening of
the Arctic Ocean Conference in Ilulissat, Greenland, Deputy
Secretary Negroponte and Danish FM Per Stig Moeller exchanged
perspectives on cooperation in the Arctic; underlined shared
goals for a climate change agreement and resolution of the
Doha trade round; reviewed prospects for NATO membership for
Georgia and discussed the current situations in Georgia,
Afghanistan, Pakistan. The Deputy Secretary urged Denmark to
consider the candidacy for IOM DirGen of Ambassador Swing;
Moeller said he would do so "constructively and positively."
End Summary.


2. (U) Background: The Deputy Secretary was accompanied in
this meeting by Ambassador Cain, OES A/S McMurray, Legal
Advisor Bellinger, D Special Assistant Wittenstein, and REO
Hall (note taker). Moeller was joined by MFA Legal Advisor
Peter Taksoe-Jensen; MFA Press Secretary Ulrik Vestergaard
Knudsen; FM Personal Secretary Nicolaj Petersen; and MFA
Arctic and Greenland Affairs Officer, Anja Bikram Jeffrey.

Arctic Ocean Conference
--------------


3. (C) FM Moeller thanked the Deputy Secretary for attending
the conference and for U.S. cooperation in its preparation.
He explained that Denmark's initiative convoking and
organizing the Arctic Ocean conference arose in light of
controversy following the Russian flag-planting on the North
Pole seabed. In that context Denmark had perceived a need
for the five coastal Arctic states to come together to
recognize and affirm their commitment to an orderly claims
process and special responsibilities to ensure the safety and
preserve the marine environment of a changing Arctic Ocean.
Moeller said he had spoken to then-FM Bernier of Canada days
before, and Russian FM Lavrov the day before, and received
assurances of their commitment to these aims of the
conference. He said Lavrov had downplayed Russia's
flag-planting, comparing it to U.S. flag-planting on the
moon. Asked by the Deputy Secretary how Sweden, Iceland and
Finland, the three Arctic Council states not included in the
conference, had reacted, Moeller said there were "no bad
feelings, you don't lose friends by coming here."


4. (C) The Deputy Secretary said the Administration
continued to urge the Senate to ratify the UN Convention on
the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),and had not given up all hope of
achieving this during the Bush Administration. Ratification
was clearly in the U.S. interest. Moeller agreed, joking
that "if you stay out, then the rest of us will have more to
carve up in the Arctic." The Deputy Secretary raised the
possibility of U.S. Coast Guard follow-up on search and
rescue in the Arctic, which Moeller welcomed. The Deputy
Secretary also described U.S. concern that Russia has not
been forthcoming on U.S. requests to conduct scientific
research within Russia's exclusive economic zone, saying he
would raise the issue with Lavrov. A/S McMurray urged the
Danes to do the same. Danish Legal Advisor Taksoe-Jensen
said the Russians had resisted Denmark's attempt to insert
stronger language on this issue into the draft conference
declaration.

Georgia
--------------


5. (C) FM Moeller said Denmark and Sweden had supported the
U.S. position on Georgia in NATO, although some so-called
"old European" countries like Germany were opposed due to
their accommodating "Ost politik." The Deputy Secretary
noted that PM Fogh Rasmussen and President Bush had been
strongly in agreement on the subject at their Crawford
meeting in March. As expected, the lack of a NATO decision
had provoked Russian bullying. Since the NATO summit, the
U.S. has been concerned with preventing a Georgian conflict.
EUR DAS Bryza was in Georgia to promote dialogue between the
Georgians and Abkhazians. Moeller said Russian FM Lavrov had
told him Russia would permit that dialogue to take place.

Afghanistan
--------------


6. (C) FM Moeller noted that President Karzai was weakening.
Denmark was particularly concerned that Afghan courts would
soon decide whether to execute a man for downloading material
on women's human rights from the Internet. Should the man be
executed, parliamentary support for Denmark's military
assistance in Afghanistan could weaken. President Karzai
needed to do more to fight corruption, he said. The Deputy
Secretary agreed, but emphasized the need to build
institutions. The European Union is uniquely qualified to do
so.


7. (C) Moeller agreed, saying the EU had "not done enough"
and the EC had indeed tried to cut its support in this area.
Danish efforts to restore European Commission funding were
successful, however, and would now be increased over last
year. The Deputy Secretary said the Afghan army was getting
stronger. There was debate within the USG over whether to
increase the size of the allied peacekeeping force from
80,000 to 120,000. Moeller said Denmark was elaborating a
new Afghanistan policy through 2012 which would include
sending more trainers for the Afghan army (OMLTs). There
were some legal questions to work out first, however,
relating to embedding, he said.

Pakistan
--------------


8. (C) FM Moeller inquired about the Deputy Secretary's
impressions from his recent visit to Pakistan. The Deputy
Secretary said the good news had been the well-managed
election, but the political situation in Pakistan is not
encouraging. Unresolved tension between Asif Ali Zardari and
Nawaz Sharif was hampering the government's ability to handle
the militants. Moeller asked what could be done, warning
that should Pakistan become an Islamist state, Afghanistan
would likely be lost. The Deputy Secretary said our options
are limited, but encouraged EU support for civil
institutional development in the tribal areas. The U.S. is
contributing $150 million over five years. FM Moeller said
he had included cross-border support in the Danish
Afghanistan strategy, and Denmark was "concretely supporting"
cross-border projects from its position in Afghanistan's
Helmand province.

Joint Committee
--------------


9. (SBU) FM Moeller told the Deputy Secretary that the
U.S.-Denmark-Greenland Joint Committee was "working well,"
but could always be improved. One area for possible
cooperation was in the area of "hydrogen energy research."
(Note: Moeller was apparently referring to a new climate
research institute recently announced by the Greenland Home
Rule government, which is slated to open in 2009. The Joint
Committee pledged to investigate opportunities for
collaboration with the institute as it develops.) Ambassador
Cain responded that the U.S. is very willing to explore all
possible avenues of cooperation with its Danish and
Greenlandic partners.

Climate Change
--------------


10. (C) The Deputy Secretary raised the issue of global
climate change negotiations, saying the U.S. had shifted its
position and would be willing to accept binding emissions
mandates as long as China and India accept some form of
enforceable obligation under the post-Kyoto regime. Moeller
mentioned the Montreal Protocol as a good model for
differentiated responsibilities in reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. Under that arrangement, which solved the problem
of the ozone hole, developing countries were given an extra
10 years to meet their phase-out targets. Taksoe-Jensen said
China and India want the U.S. to commit to emissions
reductions first. The Deputy Secretary expressed concern
that EU criticism of the U.S. might give China and India the
impression they were "off the hook."

Doha Round
--------------


11. (C) FM Moeller said Denmark was fighting to "save the
Doha Round," and asked for Deputy Secretary Negroponte's
views on its prospects. The Deputy Secretary said he
understood from USTR that Brazil was a problem. The U.S. had
not given up, but the situation appeared "not hopeless but
not promising." Moeller said industry was the key for
Europe. Brazil might be influenced by the world food crisis,
wanting to stop the export of its rice to China.
Unfortunately, if a compromise deal is not possible now, it
would likely take many more years.

Swing Candidacy
--------------


12. (C) The Deputy Secretary briefed FM Moeller on the
candidacy of Ambassaor William Swing for DirGen of the
International rganization for Migration (IOM),noting the
Amercan incumbent does not enjoy U.S. support for his
re-election bid for a third term. He described Abassador
Swing's experience in a variety of challenging assignments
and urged FM Moeller to consider him as "your kind of guy."
Moeller pledged to look "constructively and positively" on
Swing's candidacy. (Note: Ambassador Swing's CV was shared
with the Danish delegation during the conference.)


13. (U) The Deputy Secretary's party has reviewed this cable.
CAIN