Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BRUSSELS28
2009-01-09 15:20:00
UNCLASSIFIED
USEU Brussels
Cable title:
EP PRESIDENT POTTERING RE-ITERATES INVITATION TO
how-toVZCZCXRO3369 PP RUEHSR DE RUEHBS #0028 0091520 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 091520Z JAN 09 FM USEU BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY INFO RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE PRIORITY RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY RUEHSR/AMCONSUL STRASBOURG PRIORITY RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS BRUSSELS 000028
SIPDIS
STATE FOR TRANSITION TEAM, EUR/ERA
NSC FOR KRISTINA KVIEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL OVIP OBAMA BARACK EUN
SUBJECT: EP PRESIDENT POTTERING RE-ITERATES INVITATION TO
PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA FOR APRIL 1 OR 3
REF: 08 BRUSSELS 1704
UNCLAS BRUSSELS 000028
SIPDIS
STATE FOR TRANSITION TEAM, EUR/ERA
NSC FOR KRISTINA KVIEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL OVIP OBAMA BARACK EUN
SUBJECT: EP PRESIDENT POTTERING RE-ITERATES INVITATION TO
PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA FOR APRIL 1 OR 3
REF: 08 BRUSSELS 1704
1. (SBU) Hans-Gert Pottering, President of the European
Parliament (EP),told Ambassador Silverberg on January 7 that
the EP was very eager to welcome President-Elect Obama during
his visit to Europe in April, and inquired about the status
of his invitation to the President-elect, sent November 5
(reftel). Pottering reiterated many of the points made in
his original invitation, noting that President Reagan
addressed the EP in 1985 at a time when it was a much less
important body. Pottering said that the EP of today, with
785 members who represent the nearly 500 million citizens of
the EU, has decision power over a large portion of EU
regulation, and is a more credible body than the one
President Reagan addressed 24 years ago.
2. (SBU) Pottering claimed to have been in touch with
British PM Gordon Brown's office, as well as with the
Secretary-General's office at NATO. Based on his
understanding of the early-April 2009 program from them, he
offered more specifics about timing. Pottering suggested
that the best time for the President-elect to address the EP
in Brussels would be in the early to mid afternoon of April
1, prior to President Obama's arrival in London. (Pottering
anticipates that the President-elect's schedule in London
would commence sometime in the late afternoon.) As a second
choice, Pottering said that Friday, April 3 would work well,
with the EP being willing to extend their session past the
normal Thursday afternoon close in order to accommodate the
President-elect. The Ambassador told Pottering that the
invitation was well known in Washington, and that she had
noted it with transition planners in December.
3. (SBU) To conclude the discussion of the invitation,
Pottering mentioned that the Russian Ambassador in Brussels
has sought invitations for then-President Putin, and now
President Medvedev, to address the current EP. Pottering,
who is very pro-American, said that he has held off giving
definitive answers to the Russians, so that the United States
might speak first. He added that he couldn't avoid inviting
the Russians forever, and whether or not the President-elect
accepted the invitation, he would be under pressure from
party leaders to allow Medvedev to speak before Europe-wide
EP elections in June.
SILVERBERG
.
SIPDIS
STATE FOR TRANSITION TEAM, EUR/ERA
NSC FOR KRISTINA KVIEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL OVIP OBAMA BARACK EUN
SUBJECT: EP PRESIDENT POTTERING RE-ITERATES INVITATION TO
PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA FOR APRIL 1 OR 3
REF: 08 BRUSSELS 1704
1. (SBU) Hans-Gert Pottering, President of the European
Parliament (EP),told Ambassador Silverberg on January 7 that
the EP was very eager to welcome President-Elect Obama during
his visit to Europe in April, and inquired about the status
of his invitation to the President-elect, sent November 5
(reftel). Pottering reiterated many of the points made in
his original invitation, noting that President Reagan
addressed the EP in 1985 at a time when it was a much less
important body. Pottering said that the EP of today, with
785 members who represent the nearly 500 million citizens of
the EU, has decision power over a large portion of EU
regulation, and is a more credible body than the one
President Reagan addressed 24 years ago.
2. (SBU) Pottering claimed to have been in touch with
British PM Gordon Brown's office, as well as with the
Secretary-General's office at NATO. Based on his
understanding of the early-April 2009 program from them, he
offered more specifics about timing. Pottering suggested
that the best time for the President-elect to address the EP
in Brussels would be in the early to mid afternoon of April
1, prior to President Obama's arrival in London. (Pottering
anticipates that the President-elect's schedule in London
would commence sometime in the late afternoon.) As a second
choice, Pottering said that Friday, April 3 would work well,
with the EP being willing to extend their session past the
normal Thursday afternoon close in order to accommodate the
President-elect. The Ambassador told Pottering that the
invitation was well known in Washington, and that she had
noted it with transition planners in December.
3. (SBU) To conclude the discussion of the invitation,
Pottering mentioned that the Russian Ambassador in Brussels
has sought invitations for then-President Putin, and now
President Medvedev, to address the current EP. Pottering,
who is very pro-American, said that he has held off giving
definitive answers to the Russians, so that the United States
might speak first. He added that he couldn't avoid inviting
the Russians forever, and whether or not the President-elect
accepted the invitation, he would be under pressure from
party leaders to allow Medvedev to speak before Europe-wide
EP elections in June.
SILVERBERG
.