Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BRUSSELS33
2009-01-12 08:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:
BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON GAZA, RUSSIAN GAS, AND
how-toVZCZCXRO4430 PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHBS #0033 0120811 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 120811Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8438 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHMFISS/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000033
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2024
TAGS: PREL ENRG BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON GAZA, RUSSIAN GAS, AND
GUANTANAMO
Classified By: POL/ECON COUNSELOR RICHARD EASON, REASONS 1.4 (a) and (d
)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000033
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2024
TAGS: PREL ENRG BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON GAZA, RUSSIAN GAS, AND
GUANTANAMO
Classified By: POL/ECON COUNSELOR RICHARD EASON, REASONS 1.4 (a) and (d
)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht
told visiting A/S Fried that Belgium is working on bringing
child burn victims out of Gaza for treatment in Europe and is
negotiating with the Israeli government to do so. He was not
optimistic that French President Sarkozy's intervention would
produce results. On the Russian natural gas cut-off, De
Gucht agreed that the crisis shows the need for other
pipelines like Nabucco, and intra-European connectivity.
Regarding settling Guantanamo detainees, De Gucht said, "We
will meet our responsibility." END SUMMARY.
--------------
GAZA
--------------
2. (C) On January 7, Belgian FM De Gucht told visiting A/S
Dan Fried that he understood Israel's reasons for undertaking
the current operation in Gaza but did not think they would
help. He also did not expect French President Sarkozy's
diplomacy to have much impact. In order to provide
humanitarian aid, De Gucht said that Belgium is working to
bring children who are burn victims in Gaza to Belgium for
treatment at a world-class burn treatment facility in
Belgium. He said Belgium is negotiating with Israel on the
program but that it is not easy to get children out of Gaza.
--------------
RUSSIAN GAS
--------------
3. (C) De Gucht told Fried that he had long argued within
European circles on the need for gas interconnections between
European countries so that no one country could be isolated.
He agreed that the current cut-off highlighted the need for
other pipelines such as Nabucco that were not controlled by
the Russians.
4. (C) Belgium only imports 3% of its gas from Russia.
However, Belgium always has more than it needs because the
converter for North Sea gas is located in the Belgian port of
Zeebrugge. In addition, Belgium owns the largest gas carrier
fleet in the world through its company Exmar. However,
maintaining good relations with Turkmenistan is important to
ensure the flow of gas from there. Unfortunately, though,
the Caspian is not a sea but a lake, in that one always has
to secure the permissions of the littoral states to transport
gas or oil through the Caspian. Ensuring multiple gas
sources, however, will need major investments and
Turkmenistan will need security safeguards so as not to have
to sell its gas to Russia.
--------------
GUANTANAMO
--------------
5. (C) De Gucht said he expects some of the biggest policy
changes in the U.S. to come with respect to climate change
and Guantanamo detainees. He expects to be asked to take
detainees and noted that Belgium already took two in 2006,
Belgians with Turkish and Moroccan citizenship. "We will
meet our responsibility," he concluded.
.
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2024
TAGS: PREL ENRG BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON GAZA, RUSSIAN GAS, AND
GUANTANAMO
Classified By: POL/ECON COUNSELOR RICHARD EASON, REASONS 1.4 (a) and (d
)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht
told visiting A/S Fried that Belgium is working on bringing
child burn victims out of Gaza for treatment in Europe and is
negotiating with the Israeli government to do so. He was not
optimistic that French President Sarkozy's intervention would
produce results. On the Russian natural gas cut-off, De
Gucht agreed that the crisis shows the need for other
pipelines like Nabucco, and intra-European connectivity.
Regarding settling Guantanamo detainees, De Gucht said, "We
will meet our responsibility." END SUMMARY.
--------------
GAZA
--------------
2. (C) On January 7, Belgian FM De Gucht told visiting A/S
Dan Fried that he understood Israel's reasons for undertaking
the current operation in Gaza but did not think they would
help. He also did not expect French President Sarkozy's
diplomacy to have much impact. In order to provide
humanitarian aid, De Gucht said that Belgium is working to
bring children who are burn victims in Gaza to Belgium for
treatment at a world-class burn treatment facility in
Belgium. He said Belgium is negotiating with Israel on the
program but that it is not easy to get children out of Gaza.
--------------
RUSSIAN GAS
--------------
3. (C) De Gucht told Fried that he had long argued within
European circles on the need for gas interconnections between
European countries so that no one country could be isolated.
He agreed that the current cut-off highlighted the need for
other pipelines such as Nabucco that were not controlled by
the Russians.
4. (C) Belgium only imports 3% of its gas from Russia.
However, Belgium always has more than it needs because the
converter for North Sea gas is located in the Belgian port of
Zeebrugge. In addition, Belgium owns the largest gas carrier
fleet in the world through its company Exmar. However,
maintaining good relations with Turkmenistan is important to
ensure the flow of gas from there. Unfortunately, though,
the Caspian is not a sea but a lake, in that one always has
to secure the permissions of the littoral states to transport
gas or oil through the Caspian. Ensuring multiple gas
sources, however, will need major investments and
Turkmenistan will need security safeguards so as not to have
to sell its gas to Russia.
--------------
GUANTANAMO
--------------
5. (C) De Gucht said he expects some of the biggest policy
changes in the U.S. to come with respect to climate change
and Guantanamo detainees. He expects to be asked to take
detainees and noted that Belgium already took two in 2006,
Belgians with Turkish and Moroccan citizenship. "We will
meet our responsibility," he concluded.
.