Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09COPENHAGEN20
2009-01-08 15:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Copenhagen
Cable title:  

DANES WANT "AMBITIOUS" SOMALI PIRACY CONTACT GROUP

Tags:  KCRM EWWT MOPS PBTS PHSA PTER DA 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHCP #0020/01 0081550
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081550Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4705
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0023
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 0265
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 0224
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 0192
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0607
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0541
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0035
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0922
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI PRIORITY 0003
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0686
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 2262
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 1454
RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT PRIORITY 0005
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 0078
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0116
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0496
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 0077
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 0769
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA PRIORITY 0004
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0501
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 5923
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0468
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO BRUSSELS BE PRIORITY 1124
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1559
UNCLAS COPENHAGEN 000020 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR PM/PPA, EUR AND EUR/NB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM EWWT MOPS PBTS PHSA PTER DA
SUBJECT: DANES WANT "AMBITIOUS" SOMALI PIRACY CONTACT GROUP

REF: A. 08 SECSTATE 133199

B. SECSTATE 1223

UNCLAS COPENHAGEN 000020

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR PM/PPA, EUR AND EUR/NB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM EWWT MOPS PBTS PHSA PTER DA
SUBJECT: DANES WANT "AMBITIOUS" SOMALI PIRACY CONTACT GROUP

REF: A. 08 SECSTATE 133199

B. SECSTATE 1223


1. (SBU) Summary. Denmark supports a robust mandate for the
Contact Group on Somali Piracy (CGSP),and hopes that the
CGSP's January 13-14 inaugural meeting will provide it with
an ambitious and substantive operational agenda. The Danes
hope to take on leadership of the CGSP's legal and judicial
affairs working group. Copenhagen also agrees that the CGSP
needs structure and resources to successfully coordinate the
overlapping mandates that currently exist to combat piracy
off the Horn of Africa, but cautions that there will need to
be clarity up front regarding potential financial and
material commitments. End summary.


2. (SBU) Danish MFA Legal Advisor Thomas Winkler told us
January 7 that Denmark "fully supports the ambitious agenda"
evident in the materials we provided them for the January
13-14 inaugural meeting of the Contact Group on Somali Piracy
(Ref A). Winkler said that Denmark was hoping for early
action and results. Winkler told us that he had already
heard from some Contact Group members advocating caution and
a go-slow approach at next week's meeting. Winkler made
clear that Denmark was arguing for the opposite approach.


3. (SBU) Citing a discussion in Washington earlier this week
between Danish Ambassador Friis Arne Petersen and A/S
Kimmitt, Winkler outlined for us Denmark's priorities for the
first CGSP meeting and provided some substantive feedback.
Winkler stressed that it is important that the inaugural
meeting make every effort to focus on real substance, and not
get bogged down in organizational/administrative discussion.
One of Denmark's top priorities is to ensure that the first
CGSP establishes functioning working groups.


4. (SBU) Winkler said he was "nearly certain" that Denmark
would welcome taking on the leadership of working group 3 (on
strengthening judicial frameworks for arrest, prosecution,
and detention of pirates). That decision still needs to be
cleared by Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller, but Winkler
indicated this was a formality and said that Denmark would be
able to formally advise us of its decision no later than
January 12.


5. (SBU) More broadly, Winkler said that members "need to
think carefully" about what kind of system the CGSP will be.
Winkler said it was the Danes' impression that the issue list
and draft communique provided by the USG suggested something
more structured; this was Denmark's preference, too. Winkler
cautioned, however, that this might be a hard sell with some
members who could fear the implied commitments of manpower
and money. While Denmark has contributed both to the fight
against piracy (the Danish frigate Absalon is currently the
flagship for Task Force 150),Winkler suggested that Denmark
and, potentially, others might resist language in the final
communique that obligates members on specific commitments.


6. (SBU) Winkler also provided feedback on focus area 4
(industry collaboration). The Danes see this, too, as very
important, given their large maritime industry. Winkler said
the Danes would like industry cooperation to receive more
prominence in the communique, and asked whether language to
this effect might not be potentially expanded and moved up in
the document.


7. (SBU) Regarding references to existing international
conventions and piracy (here Winkler pointed to para 6 of
draft communique),Winkler suggested omitting for now
references to specific agreements. He cited as an example
the SUA Convention, noting that it could be controversial
since some members were likely to regard it more as an
anti-terrorism and less an anti-piracy convention. Winkler
offered that it might be more helpful to keep a general
reference to the need to observe existing international/UN
conventions, but to leave discussion of specific agreements
to lawyers in the appropriate working group. Winkler felt
this could help the group avoid getting bogged down in
interpretive discussions of specific agreements that Denmark
fears might only slow necessary consensus and follow-up
action.


8. (SBU) Winkler said the Danes stood ready to be helpful in
brokering compromise on any other issues if necessary.
Denmark was ready to take whatever steps it could to keep a
strong substantive focus in the CGSP's first meeting, one
that Copenhagen hopes will yield early results.
CAIN