Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08THEHAGUE301
2008-03-28 14:39:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:
NETHERLANDS/BELARUS: DUTCH SUPPORT EU STATEMENT,
how-toVZCZCXRO7481 RR RUEHAG RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHTC #0301 0881439 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 281439Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1305 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHSK/AMEMBASSY MINSK 0149
C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000301
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2018
TAGS: PHUM PREL NL BO
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/BELARUS: DUTCH SUPPORT EU STATEMENT,
POSSIBLE BILATERAL MESSAGE
REF: A. SECSTATE 30007
¶B. FALLS-GEE EMAIL 3/28/08
Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER ERIC FALLS FOR REASONS 1.5(B) AND (D)
(C) On March 28, 2008, POLOFF delivered reftel points to
Natascha Soons, Dutch MFA policy officer for Eastern Europe
and Central Asia. Ms. Soons shared a draft EU presidency
statement, to be released March 28, expressing concern about
the treatment of the U.S. ambassador to Minsk and her staff.
The Dutch support the draft, which also calls on Belarusian
authorities to release Mr. Kazulin, to refrain from further
arrests, and to stop persecuting civil society. Ms. Soons
indicated that the MFA may call in the Belarusian ambassador
in the Hague to discuss Dutch concerns, but the MFA would not
issue a public statement given the EU's planned statement..
Soons added that the EU had recently extended the visa ban
for one year and was examining options for a response should
Belarus release Kazulin.
Gallagher