GOS OFFICIALS DISCUSS CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES WITH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LJUBLJANA 000030

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG ECON TSPL TRGY KSCA KGHG SI
SUBJECT: GOS OFFICIALS DISCUSS CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES WITH
DRS. WATSON AND DIXON AHEAD OF MEM2 MEETING

REF: SECSTATE 05908

SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) On January 18 OES Climate Negotiator Dr. Harlan
Watson and CEQ-NSC Senior Coordinator for Energy Security and
Climate Change Dr. Robert Dixon met with representatives from
the Government of Slovenia (GOS) to discuss preparations for
the various climate change meetings that will take place
during Slovenia's EU presidency, including the upcoming
Second Major Economies Meeting (MEM2) scheduled for January
29-31 in Honolulu. Watson and Dixon met with MFA Director of
the Americas Division Ambassador Roman Kirn, as well as
Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Janez Podobnik.
In both meetings Watson and Dixon stressed the importance of
Slovenia's leadership in managing the processes involving
energy and climate issues. They emphasized the need to make
concrete progress at the upcoming meetings and assured the
Slovenes that MEM is designed to complement existing climate
change processes, in particular the UNFCC. GOS officials
cautioned that Slovenia does not have the same authority on
climate change issues as some of the larger EU member states,
but noted that it has set discussion of energy and climate
change as one of the top priorities for its EU presidency.
Stressing that they hoped to make a connection between the
MEM process and the U.S.-EU Summit, the Slovene officials
said that the GOS hopes to play a constructive role in the
debate to help achieve solid deliverables for the Summit. END
SUMMARY


Looking at Energy/Climate As a Deliverable for U.S.-EU Summit
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2. (SBU) Kirn told Watson and Dixon that the energy and
climate change would be one of the key transatlantic issues
during Slovenia's EU presidency. Kirn said that Slovenia
hoped to use its presidency to encourage high level dialogue
between the U.S. and the EU on the issue. Kirn noted that
the U.S. and EU have made a lot of progress on the climate
change issue since the U.S.-EU summit in Washington last
April and that Slovenia seeks to build on those advancements.
Kirn expressed the hope that future U.S.-EU progress on
climate change would complement existing processes. Dixon
assured Kirn that MEM is designed to complement existing
processes and that it would use the Bali action plan as a
guideline. Kirn said he was glad to see that MEM process was
part of the UN process to lead to a post-2012 framework.
Both Watson and Dixon urged Slovenia to exercise strong
leadership to make progress on these difficult issues.

Managing the Climate Change Calendar
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3. (SBU) Dr. Watson and Dr. Dixon expressed concern about the
need to manage the complex climate calendar in the upcoming
months. They offered U.S support to GOS in managing the
calendar during Slovenia's EU presidency. Watson mentioned
that there would be four meetings over the coming year in
preparation for Copenhagen COP in December 2009. Although
the exact dates for some of these events have not been set,
Watson indicated that there is likely to be a Leaders Summit
in mid-2008. Both the U.S. experts and the MFA agreed on the
utility of aiming for deliverables for the U.S.-EU summit
scheduled for sometime in June. Dixon emphasized the need
for concrete action and suggested that the U.S. and EU expand
the March 3 high level dialogue on energy to either include
climate or hold a high level dialogue on climate back-to-back
in order to discuss possible deliverables for the U.S.-EU
summit. Kirn did not commit on the timing of the sustainable
development and climate high level dialogue, but said
Slovenia was flexible. He agreed on the need to lay the
foundation for joint action and pledged to work closely with
Washington to promote U.S.-EU cooperation on the issue.

Preparing for MEM2



4. (SBU) In their meeting with Minister Janez Podobnik, who
was joined by Environment Undersecretary Andrej Kranjc and
Bostjan Paradiz, Watson and Dixon focused on preparations for
the upcoming MEM2 in Honolulu. Minister Podobnik informed
Watson and Dixon that he would unfortunately not be able to

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attend the event, but that Andrej Kranjc would lead
Slovenia's delegation in his stead. Podobnik commented that
the MEM process was an important contribution to post-Bali
action. Podobnik reiterated that climate change is a
priority for Slovenia's Presidency. He mentioned that he had
been in touch with the Environmental Ministers from Germany,
France and the U.K. and planned to visit Rome next week.
Paradiz expressed concern that the UNFCC process maintain
primacy, and Dixon assured him that the U.S. is mindful of
that, supports the Framework Convention, and seeks to find
the balance between the two processes. The U.S. is looking
for concrete deliverables in the MEM. Watson and Dixon
stressed that success would have to include China and India.


5. (U) Podobnik inquired whether the U.S. would be able to
accommodate a larger EU delegation. (Note: Kranjc
participated in MEM1 and at Bali. End Note.) Kranjc said
Slovenia's delegation representing the EU presidency would
include the following delegates, which responds to reftel:
--Mr. Andrej Kranjc, Slovenia
--Mr. Bostjan Paradiz, Slovenia
--Mr. Tadej Furlan, Slovenia
--Mr. Thomas Becker, Denmark
--Mr. Bo Lidegard, Denmark
--Mr. Humberto Rosa, Portugal
--Mr. Fausto Brito e Abreu, Portugal (Note: Embassy Lisbon
has informed us that Fausto Brito e Abreu will not attend.
It is uncertain at the moment who from the Portuguese
Ministry will take his place. There is the possibility that
one delegate from Poland will attend, but the Poles have not
contacted Kranjc. End Note.)


6. (U) Dr. Watson and Dr. Dixon have cleared this cable.
COLEMAN