OCTOBER GAERC - AFGHANISTAN AND U.S.-EU SUMMIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 001481

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EUN AF BK CE MK IR
SUBJECT: OCTOBER GAERC - AFGHANISTAN AND U.S.-EU SUMMIT
PREPARATIONS FIGURE PROMINENTLY

REF: A. BRUSSELS 1480

B. BRUSSELS 1476

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Classified By: USEU Pol M-C Christopher Davis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).


1. (SBU) Summary: During the October 26-27 General Affairs
and External Relations Council (GAERC) meeting in Luxembourg,
EU Foreign Ministers (FMs) discussed a range of topics
including Afghanistan, the Lisbon Treaty and upcoming
summits, including the November 3 U.S.-EU Summit. The
General Affairs Council focused primarily on the Baltic Sea
Strategy, preparations for the October 29-30 European
Council, and the Lisbon Treaty. Discussions during the
External Affairs Council centered on the situation in
Afghanistan-Pakistan, primarily how the EU should further
engage the region, and adoption of an action plan which
prioritizes the EU's plans and specifies how to implement
them (Ref A). The Middle East, Iran, Sri Lanka and the
Western Balkans were also discussed. The GAERC approved the
EU-Syria agreement, but because of last-minute Syrian
relucatance, there was no signing. EU Cooperation Council
meetings were held with the three Caucasus countries along
with an EU-Council of Europe Quad meeting on the fringes of
the GAERC. End Summary.

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General Affairs
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2. (SBU) Chaired by Swedish European Affairs Minister
Malmstrom, the General Affairs Council focused on the Baltic
Sea Strategy, preparations for the October 29-30 European
Council, and the Lisbon Treaty ratification process.
Malmstrom deemed the establishment of an EU strategy for the
Baltic Sea region to be one of the priorities of the Swedish
Presidency. The strategy, to be adopted by the European
Council summit meeting on October 29-30 in Brussels,
addresses environmental challenges, and contributes to
economic, social and territorial cohesion and
competitiveness. The strategy is also intended to serve as a
model for other macro-regions.


3. (SBU) The General Affairs Council reviewed the items to
be addressed by the October 29-30 European Council; namely,
institutional issues, climate change, the economic situation,
macro-regional strategies, and illegal immigration.


4. (SBU) With regard to the Lisbon Treaty ratification
process, Malmstrom referred publicly to the October 27 Czech
Constitutional Court hearing, noting that the Court would
probably make a statement (Note: now not expected before
November 3). She said the European Council would look at the
state of play and what "can be done to materialize the last
ratification" still missing. Taking questions, Malmstrom
said that neither the EU-26 nor the Czech Republic were in a
position to pronounce on draft language for a possible
solution to the Czech demands, and she was not sure the
leaders would be able to do that on Thursday and Friday.
(Note: They were. See Ref B.) As for the Slovak delegation
in the October 26 Council, she said it concurred with others
that "nobody wants a reopening of the ratification process"
in all Member States. Malmstrom also said there had been "no
discussion of (language concerning) the Benes decrees on the
part of the Swedish Presidency."


5. (SBU) Malmstrom said the Swedish Presidency presented a
report on the creation of the European External Action
Service. As for the new positions to be created under the
new treaty, Malmstrom said that the Swedish Presidency had
"not started formal consultations" (pending clarification
from Prague). UK Foreign Secretary Miliband was quoted as
separately telling British reporters on the fringes of the
GAERC that the EU could be marginalized in world affairs if
it did not pick a figure of the Tony Blair-type for the job
of permanent President of the European Council. Asked for
the Presidency's opinion, Malmstrom would only say that the
name and profile of the future President "go very much hand
in hand." She reiterated her well-known views about the need
to pick a woman for one of the top-level EU jobs. Concerning
climate change, Malmstrom said the leaders would have to
"send a strong signal to international negotiators" (i.e., at
the Copenhagen conference),acknowledging the need for
conclusions concerning financing to help developing countries
meet climate goals. Commission Vice President Wallstrom
congratulated the Presidency on its "solid preparatory work"

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for the European Council, emphasizing the need for the EU to
have a new institutional framework to tackle climate change,
the economic and financial crisis and immigration problems.

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External Affairs
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6. (SBU) Chaired by Swedish FM Bildt, the External Affairs
Council focused primarily on the situation in Afghanistan,
the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Iran, and the Western Balkans.
Contrary to earlier indications, although the Council
approved the EU-Syria Association Agreement, there was no
signing. A senior Swedish official made clear that while the
EU "would have been ready" to proceed with the signing in
Luxembourg, the Syrians had not been prepared to do so. No
date was set, but some sources have said the Swedes intend to
complete signing during their presidency.


7. (SBU) On Afghanistan, the Council discussed the situation
on the ground and the future of EU engagement in the region.
The Council adopted conclusions and an action plan for
strengthening the EU's engagement in Afghanistan and
Pakistan. The plan is intended to rationalize the EU's
approach, prioritize policies and describe how to implement
policies in the region. FM Bildt said that the meeting
focused primarily on "the action plan for strengthening
action in Afghanistan and Pakistan that we have launched."
He referred to the EU Blue Book 2009 - The EU and Afghanistan
(link sent to EUR/ERA separately) and reported that there was
a "new recognition that while security is critical, we cannot
succeed in Afghanistan if we fail to build a civilian
capacity." He said that "a more determined effort is clearly
needed on the civilian and political sides" of EU actions
there. Bildt noted that he was going to Washington with HR
Solana for the U.S.-EU Summit the next week and that "this
(the EU action plan) will be a key topic at the summit." On
Pakistan, Bildt said "it's a different situation, but we very
much need to support the efforts of the Pakistani authorities
to develop civilian capacity both in the short and long
terms." (See Ref A for further details.)


8. (SBU) Asked if the EU's financial effort, now amounting
to some one billion Euros per year for Afghanistan, would be
increased in the future, Bildt replied "yes, I expect an
increase" and went on to say "based on our policy document
(action plan),we are asking Member States to come back on
how to implement it. It is up to the Member States, but,
yes, I would expect an increase. Again, there is a
recognition of the centrality of civilian capacity building."nd recent U.S.ucceed without the
Bosnians themselves." To a reporter asking how the EU can
succeed in paving the way for the future in Bosnia and the
Balkans if they can't succeed in dealing with the past (a
reference to the Karadzic trial),Bildt replied "yes, we must
focus on the future" and argued "we have numbers of examples
in Europe where we have not agreed on the past," referring to
differences between the Swedes and the Danes on their shared
history. He said that the history of reconciliation after
WWII is "extremely divisive and sensitive in several
countries, but the EU is based on reconciliation for the
future." Bildt expressed his belief that the work done by
ICTY will "set the record straight and can help to assist
reconciliation over time." Concerning Albania's EU
membership application and its treatment by the Council,
Bildt said that the delay in referring it to the European
Commission for its opinion was "due to the fact that there is
a new government in Germany, that new procedures need to be
applied for consultations with the parliaments in certain
countries, and that this was purely technical and not
political."

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10. (C) We understand from well-placed Council Secretariat
contacts that during the October 26 working dinner, Macedonia
was discussed. According to our contacts, Greek Alternate FM
Droutsas reportedly expressed "a willingness to work on the
issue." Our contacts noted that this was a "major shift" in
the Greek approach. Prior to the recent change in
government, the Greeks had taken an increasingly hard line in
their approach to any Macedonia-related topics in EU-level
meetings.


11. (U) Asked for his expectation/reaction following the
Iranian government's statement that they will respond to the
P5 plus 1 proposal within 48 hours, High Representative (HR)
Solana told the press he was not in a position to answer the
question, adding, "I saw the same announcement you did; let's
see how the situation evolves." Pressed to say whether there
could be important changes to the P5 plus 1 proposal offered
to Iran, Solana noted that the plan was signed by Mr. El
Baradei and that all players ratified it except Iran. "Let's
see what their answer is, but it is a good deal that we
proposed to them."


12. (U) Turning to the Middle East, FM Bildt reported that
ministers had a good discussion on the Middle East based on a
report by HR Solana, who was there the previous week. Solana
himself said, "We are in contact with our U.S. friends, and
we hope very much that in a short period of time we will be
in a position to re-launch the peace process." Solana later
reiterated the EU's determination to cooperate with the
Palestinian Authority and PM Fayad. He said that those
issues "will be discussed next week in Washington as well"
(during the U.S.-EU summit and ministerial meetings Novemer
3-4).


13. (U) Concerning Sri Lanka, FM Bildt said that ministers
had a "good discussion on Sri Lanka. They are concerned about
the humanitarian situation there, the refugee situation, and
they want to see whether they can make a contribution there."
To a reporter noting earlier attempts at such efforts and
the negative response from local authorities, Bildt responded
by saying that the EU "had an obligation to address the
humanitarian situation." He noted that the European
Commission has been "reviewing Sri Lanka's obligations
regarding the humanitarian situation, that it was a negative
review," and argued that cooperation was in the interest of
the authorities of Sri Lanka, adding "they won the war, they
must win the peace, and we stand ready to help them win the
peace."

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Troikas
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14. (U) On October 26, EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan, and
EU-Georgia Cooperation Councils took place. Also, on October
27, an EU-Council of Europe Quad meeting took place.

MURRAY
.