FUTURE U.S.-EU RELATIONS AND GEORGIA/RUSSIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 001694

SIPDIS

EUR/ERA, EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2018
TAGS: PREL EUN FR
SUBJECT: FUTURE U.S.-EU RELATIONS AND GEORGIA/RUSSIA
DISCUSSED AT AVIGNON GYMNICH

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Kathleen Allegrone for reas
ons 1.4 b and d.


1. (C) Summary: Gathered in Avignon for the Gymnich informal
September 5-6, EU Foreign Ministers, the High Representative
for Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP),and European
Commission members discussed the future of U.S.-EU relations,
updating the European Security Strategy, the Georgia
conflict, and next steps on relations with Russia. On future
U.S.-EU relations, Ministers and EU officials discussed a
draft 8-point plan outlining topics for deepened dialogue
with the U.S. While some member states were keen to discuss
revisions to the European Security Strategy given recent
events in Georgia and the coming change of administration in
the U.S., only 10-15 minutes were dedicated to this issue.
On Georgia/Russia, Ministers stressed a step-by-step approach
to de-escalating the conflict, placing great importance on
the outcome of President Sarkozy's September 8 visit to
Moscow. No individual member state plans or initiatives
related to solving the conflict were reportedly discussed.
The French decided not to submit a paper on the Middle East
peace process to the other ministers, who, following their
discussion of the issue, agreed to a "reinforced" EU
engagement on the margins of the upcoming UNGA via the
Quartet with the aim of helping sustain the "dynamic" created
by the Annapolis process. The next Gymnich meeting will take
place in mid-October, focused on continuing the discussion of
transatlantic relations. End Summary.

Transatlantic Relations
--------------


2. (C) On September 5, Ministers and EU officials discussed a
draft 8-point plan outlining areas for deepened dialogue with
the U.S. These included Afghanistan, Pakistan, MEPP, Iran,
Reform in Multilateral Systems, Climate Change, Promotion of
Democracy and Human Rights, and International Security.
While concluding to shorten the document, Ministers
reportedly agreed to move forward on the 8 areas under
consideration. While French FM Kouchner and Finnish FM
Stubb's public comments suggested that the document would be
shared with the U.S. side, to include both presidential
candidates, diplomats closer to the discussions said that
this would be a "delicate issue" and any timeline for
completion remained unclear. Answering repeated questions
associated with the U.S. presidential elections and with
which candidate the EU would prefer to work, FMs stressed
that they looked forward to working with either candidate,
highlighting characteristics of each candidate that they
thought lent themselves well to transatlantic cooperation.
Very positive in tone about the relationship, Kouchner
acknowledged Europe and the U.S. would not always see
eye-to-eye on issues, suggesting there were "policy
differences that enrich the dialogue."

European Security Strategy
--------------


3. (C) While possible revisions to the European Security
Strategy were also discussed on September 5, only 10-15
minutes were reportedly dedicated to these discussions.
Members close to the discussions said that the revision was
being initiated by Swedish FM Bildt, who feared that recent
events in Georgia suggested a "return of realpolitik in
Europe" and that these developments needed to be reflected in
the new strategy. The French reportedly also sought
strengthening of ESDP, implying that this was a prerequisite
- domestically - for closer relations with NATO. While Bildt
stressed that the document written in 2003 did not reflect
"the Russia we now see," some member states - especially
Germany - were reportedly concerned about redrafting the
document because many newer member states - not present for
the 2003 discussions - were less likely to approach the
situation light handedly.

The Georgian Conflict and Relations with Russia
-------------- --


4. (C) The focus of discussions on September 6 were the
Georgia crisis and next steps with Russia. Ministers
stressed that resolving the conflict required a step-by-step
approach which focused not only on Georgia, but the Caucasus
region as a whole. Ministers invited Turkish FM Babacan to
attend the first hour of their discussions, Babacan
reportedly proposing that a regional conference be held to
discuss problems in the region, to include other frozen

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conflicts. Saying EU FMs were unified in their message that
"violence was not a method to solve conflicts," Austrian FM
Plassnik emphasized that the EU's first priority was to stop
the violence, secure a withdrawal of forces (both Russian
military and Georgian internal security forces),followed by
implementation of the 6-point plan.


5. (C) In keeping with this step-by-step approach, FMs
stressed the importance of President Sarkozy's upcoming visit
to Moscow September 8. According to some observers, much was
riding on the outcome of this visit because there was great
debate within the meeting as to how to proceed with Russia.
Certain member states reportedly did not want to jeopardize
long-term relations with Russia over "small issues like
Georgia," the Germans reportedly saying that the EU
"shouldn't overreact and jeopardize long term relations."
Some observers opined that member states would therefore
closely monitor the Sarkozy visit and period leading up to
the September 15 GAERC meeting before deciding which message
to send. Further underlining this sense that it would take
the EU some time to formulate its policy response to Russia,
German FM Steinmeier said "we see in the coming weeks the
need for many discussions." There was reportedly no
discussion of any single member state initiatives.


6. (C) While clearly waiting to see how the Sarkozy visit
went, members discussed and decided to move forward on a
number of other initiatives to include the EU's civilian
monitoring mission to Georgia. While German FM Steinmeier
suggested to the press that it was "too early to tell without
first speaking with the Georgians and Russians" whether the
Georgia mission would be an ESDP mission, a French observer
close to the discussions said "France hopes the ESDP mission
to Georgia will happen soon," suggesting that the FMs had
agreed to move quickly on this. Members also discussed the
appointment of a Special Representative for the crisis in
Georgia, per the September 1 European Council meeting
decision. Swedish observers suggested there were two leading
candidates - one French and the other German. While
reportedly not discussed, Swedish observers expressed concern
about the possible forming of a new contact group to deal
with Russia, a format of discussions they felt was not
conducive to EU unity because it allowed "larger EU countries
to carve out pieces for themselves and not EU unity."
Instead, the Swedes expressed a strong preference for a
Quartet-like format, where only one EU representative was
present, not many.

Additional Measures
--------------


7. (C) In contrast to the wait-and-see approach adopted
vis-a-vis Russia, members did outline a number of other
steps. Saying that because "a stronger Russia must be
considered," EU Commissioner for External Relations
Ferrero-Waldner said that the EU's Eastern Partnership was
being sped up. Saying that she was working bilaterally with
countries through the Neighborhood Policy, Ferrero-Waldner
added that there was now "a higher priority for frozen
conflicts." Austrian FM Plassnik echoed Ferrero-Waldner's
statement, saying that a "short term anesthetic approach
would not work." Plassnik also said that she and Chancellor
Gusenbauer were interested in learning whether any human
rights abuses had taken place in Georgia - something she said
was still unclear - and had raised this in Brussels September

1. In addition to stressing these initiatives,
Ferrero-Waldner repeatedly made the case that the EU urgently
needed an energy policy.

Middle East Peace Process
--------------


8. (C) The French MFA, in a press statement on the Gymnich
September 8, noted: "Over lunch, the ministers raised
reinforcing the European Union's engagement in the Middle
East peace process, notably with the prospect of the Quartet
meeting that will take place on the margins of the United
Nations General Assembly. They agreed on the necessity for
the European Union, in the next few months, to play an active
role in order to maintain the dynamic created by the
Annapolis process." We understand from FM Kouchner's adviser
on multilateral and strategic affairs, Philippe Errera, that
the French decided not to circulate a paper to the ministers
in Avignon. He explained that part of the reasoning was to
keep the focus on the transatlantic relations paper, which
Errera described as a hopeful exercise in minimizing the

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degree to which the next U.S. administration needs to
reexamine and reinvent its relationship with Europe.

Atmospherics
--------------


9. (C) Member state delegations complained of extremely
limited access to the discussions; reportedly only one
notetaker from the host nation was allowed access to the
discussions. In addition to limited access, some member
states felt the review of discussions provided at the end of
each session by the host nation notetaker had been
"sanitized," resulting in "tough criticism" of the host
nation's handling of the access issue, the Czechs reportedly
assuring other member states this wouldn't be the case during
their upcoming presidency.

Next Meeting
--------------


10. (SBU) The French intend to host a second Gymnich informal
meeting in Paris in mid-October to endorse the transatlantic
discussion paper according to Philippe Errera, Strategic
Affairs advisor to FM Kouchner, who shared his views with Pol
MC on September 8. Errera, who attended the Avignon meeting,
said the French will re-work the paper based on input from EU
delegations.


11. (U) Drafted by USEU with input from CG Marseille and
Embassy Paris.


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