Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BRUSSELS1194
2009-08-28 12:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USEU Brussels
Cable title:  

SCENESETTER FOR S/E HOWARD WOLPE'S MEETINGS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION

Tags:  PGOV PREL EAID BE ZF MASS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3444
OO RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHBS #1194/01 2401214
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 281214Z AUG 09
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA IMMEDIATE
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI IMMEDIATE
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA IMMEDIATE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001194 

SIPDIS

STATE PASS AF/FO FOR KEITH AND LASRY, AF/C FOR LAMORA AND
EUR/WE FOR MARCUS
PARIS PASS TO ROBERTA KANEDA FOR WOLPE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID MASSZF BE ZF
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR S/E HOWARD WOLPE'S MEETINGS WITH
THE EUROPEAN UNION

REF: A. A) STOCKHOLM 515

B. B) BRUSSELS 1069

C. C) USEU TODAY JULY 27

Classified By: USEU POL MC, CHRIS DAVIS, FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D)

Summary:
---------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001194

SIPDIS

STATE PASS AF/FO FOR KEITH AND LASRY, AF/C FOR LAMORA AND
EUR/WE FOR MARCUS
PARIS PASS TO ROBERTA KANEDA FOR WOLPE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID MASSZF BE ZF
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR S/E HOWARD WOLPE'S MEETINGS WITH
THE EUROPEAN UNION

REF: A. A) STOCKHOLM 515

B. B) BRUSSELS 1069

C. C) USEU TODAY JULY 27

Classified By: USEU POL MC, CHRIS DAVIS, FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D)

Summary:
--------------


1. (SBU) Your visit will be welcomed as an opportunity to
deepen US-EU cooperation in the Great Lakes region. The EU
has been heartened by the Obama administration's approach to
Africa, and during A/S Carson's US-EU Troika on Africa 14
July in Stockholm, it was noted that the U.S. and EU are more
like-minded than ever before regarding the continent (REF A).
There are many openings for furthering cooperation with the
EU on the DRC and Great Lakes. Our contacts at the European
Council in particular have been actively seeking more
dialogue and closer coordination with the United States (REF
B). End Summary.

Recent EU Engagement
--------------


2. (SBU) The EU continues to deepen its engagement in Africa.
The Cotonou Agreement, which is due for its second revision
in 2010, has provided not only the framework and funding for
that engagement, but is viewed by the EU as a useful
structure for initiating political dialogue. The Africa-EU
Strategic Partnership is moving forward on eight fronts:
peace and security; democratic governance and human rights;
trade, regional integration and infrastructure; millennium
development goals; energy; climate change; migration,
mobility and employment; and science, information society and
space. EU involvement in the Great Lakes region is also
increasing. The funding for humanitarian actions in the DRC
was 30 million euros in 2007 and 2008. This increased to 45
million euros in 2009. In addition, many EU member states
have significant bilateral assistance programs.

Looking for U.S. Leadership
--------------


3. (SBU) Our contacts at the Commission, the Council, and
ECHOhpt in closer coordinatio The Council has been pa@
hoping for more from thrly active. He he signals an
intention fmoreconcerned abo suspension of the manda@o
LRA-Affected Areas u
and Eu restructure and rebuild
the army. Member States are divided over how much EUSEC
should focus on strategic level advising, advocated by
Belgium, as opposed to specific projects, an approach
supported by the UK among others. Among the promising
successes of EUSEC is the chain of payments project, intended
to help establish a corruption-free payment system for
Congolese army units. There is also tension between EUSEC
and the European Commission over which organization should
oversee specific projects, and disagreement among Member
States over how much EUSEC should coordinate European
bilateral efforts. The EU is currently developing a new
operations plan to take effect in October, but it will

BRUSSELS 00001194 002 OF 002


probably not resolve these tensions.


5. (U) You will meet with Mika-Markus Leinonen, Director of
Civilian Crisis Management and Marco Solaini, Head of the
Africa Section in the Civil Planning and Conduct Capability,
who can speak to EUPOL issues. You will also meet
Claude-France Arnould, Director of Defense Issues at the
Council Secretariat, who can speak to EUSEC issues. Both
EUPOL and EUSEC are increasing their efforts to combat sexual
and gender-based violence. Given the Secretary's recent
strong comments and funding commitment, your counterparts may
want to discuss potential areas of cooperation and
collaboration. They may want to know more about our
initiatives, and may look to you to suggest specific areas
where we can partner.

The PSC Ambassadors
--------------


6. (C) The Charge will host a lunch for you with some
Ambassadors from the Political and Security Committee (PSC).
This is an important group, as EU foreign and security policy
is developed through a continuous process of consensus
building in the PSC. The PSC is made up of ambassadors from
all 27 member states who meet at least twice a week to debate
and prepare decisions on the full range of external relations
issues of concern to the EU. Their discussions lead the way
for agreed positions of their foreign ministers, who convene
monthly at the General Affairs and External Relations Council
(GAERC) meetings. The PSC is led by the representative of
the rotational EU presidency--at this time the Swedes. They
and we have asked that you meet with the PSC Ambassadors most
closely involved in Africa.

MURRAY
.