POLISH FM ON BELARUS JOINT COMMUNIQUE AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 000392 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR G AND EUR E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2028 TAGS: PREL PGOV PL BL SUBJECT: POLISH FM ON BELARUS JOINT COMMUNIQUE AND COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES REF: WARSAW 388 Classified By: Ambassador Victor H. Ashe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On the margins of a meeting to pass a non-paper on Polish cooperation with teh United States on the Missile Defense initiative, Polish FM Radek Sikorski raised two additional issues with respect to possible collaboration on a joint U.S./EU communique on Belarus and U/S Paula Dobriansky's anticipated trip to Warsaw on April 14. the substance of the non-paper on missile defense is reported reftel. Belarus -------------- ¶2. (C) Ambassador Ashe raised the detention and arrest of journalists working in Minsk for ERB (European Radio Belarus) on March 27. Sikorski said that Poland and the United States should consider joint action on the matter, suggesting that he and Secretary Rice each call Javier Solana to suggest that the United States and EU produce a joint communique with respect to the harassment of reporters and the ill treatment visited on the U.S. Embassy by Belarussian authorities. Sikorski said that the GOP would draft a communique to be considered by the United States and EU. We subsequently passed to the MFA the statement issued by the Department with respect to Belarus, and understand that the EU will discuss its own response at an informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers today in Slovenia. We told the Polish MFA on March 28 that we will wait for their response after that informal meeting before taking further action. Community of Democracies -------------- ¶3. (C) FM Sikorski said that he hopes to meet with U/S Paula Dobriansky when she travels to Warsaw on April 14, and that he is deeply committed to the Community of Democracies. Sikorski said that he had instructed the creation of a Polish secretariat for the Community of Democracies to be SIPDIS established as soon as possible, adding that the MFA had identified a candidate to lead the office and secured funds for the initiative. Sikorski said he hoped to discuss the issue with Dobriansky personally. ASHE