MEDITERRANEAN UNION MINISTERIAL ENDS UP A SUCCESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002023

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/5/2008
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID ECON EUN FR EG CZ IS AG TU
SUBJECT: MEDITERRANEAN UNION MINISTERIAL ENDS UP A SUCCESS
BY AVERTING FAILURE

REF: A. PARIS POINTS 11/4/2008

B. PARIS 2005 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Young for reasons 1.4. (b),(
d).


1. (SBU) The Marseille ministerial on the Union for the
Mediterranean concluded November 4 amid wrangling over
organizational details to include in the final declaration
continuing well past the allotted time for the working
plenary session. French FM Kouchner and Egyptian FM Abu
al-Ghayt, however, presided over a press conference that
underscored agreement on several key points:

--The final declaration states that the Arab League "shall
participate in all meetings at all levels" of the UPM. Abu
al-Ghayt was emphatic on this point in the press conference
when pressed by reporters. Word among journalists and
diplomats was that the Israelis had compromised on this
demand in exchange for obtaining one of the newly created
assistant secretary general positions.

--Although the ministers did not announce who would assume
the post of UPM secretary general, they did announce the
creation of five assistant, or deputy, secretary general
positions with three coming from the northern side of the
Mediterranean (i.e., the EU) and two from the southern side.
The first five, who would received unspecified functional
portfolios and serve on an unspecified "rotational basis,"
would come from the Palestinian Authority, Greece, Israel,
Italy, and Malta. One of the last-minute wrangles reportedly
involved Turkey's insistence, after otherwise receiving
nothing for its participation in the UPM, on one of the ASYG
slots or on the creation of a sixth one. Kouchner made
repeated reference to the need to review this proposal and
decide what to do over the next 1 1/2 to 3 months (the
timeframe for drawing up a formal statute for the UPM
secretariat). His comments to reporters after the formal
press conference and after Abu al-Ghayt's departure suggested
the understanding on Arab League participation might need to
be reviewed (a view not shared by most of our contacts, who
believed the Arab League issue was well and truly resolved
despite Algerian and other Arab unhappiness that Israel got
one of the southern ASYG positions).

--Barcelona will host the newly created secretariat, whose
main function will be to supervise the UPM's work and house
its professional staff developing and supervising project
implementation. A separate joint permanent committee will
take up residence in Brussels to support the UPM's
co-presidency.


2. (SBU) The contentious issue of the northern (EU)
co-presidency was vaguely handled in the declaration, with
the EU determining how it would be handled in conformity with
the EU's handling of its own presidency. Kouchner announced
that the Czech Republic had agreed to France continuing to
figure in the UPM co-presidency in a tandem arrangement after
the Czech's become EU president in January 2009. When asked
what would happen under the succeeding Swedish EU presidency,
Kouchner replied that the EU would examine the matter then,
assuming the Lisbon Treaty had not been adopted in the
meantime. Observers noted that Sweden refused to give the
French ironclad assurances about a continuing French role
during its EU presidency and would only consent to review the
situation later. Another contentious and unresolved issue
was the nomination of a UPM secretary general, intended for a
state on the Mediterranean littoral. We understand that
Tunisia, in a major sulk over losing the fight to host the
secretariat, was refusing to agree to any further
participation in the UPM. North African journalists covering
the ministerial attributed this pique to Tunisian President
Ben Ali's anger over the perceived slight to Tunisian
prestige. Kouchner told reporters after the press conference
that the UPM was leaving the position vacant in the hope that
Tunisia would reconsider and put forth a candidate, which he
indicated would receive French support. Interestingly,
Kouchner voiced the hope that one day that an Israeli could
one day be appointed to this position.


3. (U) Much of the declaration dealt with the UPM's work
program (reducing pollution in the Mediterranean,
maritime/land highways, civil protection, alternative
energies like solar, higher education and research, and
business development) and priority areas (political/security
dialogue, maritime safety, economic and financial partnership
in several functional areas, and social/human/cultural
cooperation) for the next year. An introductory political
statement reaffirmed commitment to "a just, comprehensive,
and lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict consistent
with ... the Madrid Conference ... principles, including

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land-for-peace and based on relevant UNSC resolutions and the
Roadmap." In a gesture to the Arabs, it stressed "the
importance of the Arab Peace Initiative." The document,
however, underscored that the UPM was "not intended to
replace the other initiatives ... but contribute to their
success." In this vein, the ministers welcomed the EU's
"positive role" in the Middle East peace process via the
Quartet framework and its support for the Annapolis process
in pursuit of a solution based on a two-state solution. At
likely French insistence, the declaration further supported
indirect Syrian/Israeli talks and welcomed the establishment
of diplomatic relations between Syria and Lebanon.


4. (C) Comment: As a UK colleague observed, the UPM
ministerial was a success by not being a clear-cut failure.
Nevertheless, Kouchner's not always deft handling of the
contentious issues in the plenary session (the stress of
which was evident in his at times brusque demeanor during the
final press conference) and resentment by several Arab
delegations of the manner in which agreements worked out with
the Egyptians were presented to the others as fait accompli
made the proceedings something of a cliffhanger. Algerian
resentment was said to have been especially high,
particularly when Israel got one of the scarce ASYG positions
(Kouchner publicly pronounced the appointment of Israeli and
Palestinian ASYGs an elegant outcome). The British, likely
reflecting the views of other northern EU members, were
relieved the ministerial did not involve any further
financial commitments beyond the pre-existing Barcelona
process. The Turks, however, are likely nursing the hardest
feelings, suggesting the negotiation of terms for a sixth
ASYG position could be key to their further participation.
We note that Sarkozy special adviser and "eminence grise" for
the Mediterranean Union, Henri Guaino, suddenly appeared at
the press conference to answer reporters' questions and
remind people that the Elysee was closely tracking the
ministerial's outcome.

STAPLETON