CZECH PRESIDENCY CONFIRMS GUANTANAMO ON THE AGENDA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000083 SIPDIS STATE FOR S/WCI, EUR/ERA E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2019 TAGS: PHUM PREL PTER EUN SUBJECT: CZECH PRESIDENCY CONFIRMS GUANTANAMO ON THE AGENDA FOR JANUARY 26 GAERC REF: A. LISBON 42 ¶B. BRUSSELS 79 Classified By: USEU Pol M-C Chris Davis for reasons 1.4 b & d ¶1. (C) EU assistance for resettlement of Guantanamo detainees will "definitely" be discussed by EU Foreign Ministers at the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) meeting on January 26 in Brussels. Blanka Fajkusova, Head of Unit for External Relations at the Czech Permanent Representation (protect) told Poloff on January 22 that Czech FM Karel Schwarzenberg will raise the issue during the "all other business" portion of the meeting, which takes place over the Ministers-only lunch. Fajkusova said that, although the Czech national position is that they will almost certainly not accept detainees, the Czech Presidency wants to facilitate discussion. ¶2. (C) Fajkusova predicted that there would be no agreement reached at this meeting, and said that FM Schwarzenberg plans only to sound out his colleagues on what the EU might do. Fajkusova said that if President Obama were to issue an executive order to close detention facilities at Guantanamo, the formal GAERC conclusions would welcome the move. MURRAY .