AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH THE DANISH DEPUTY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COPENHAGEN 000366 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NB, S/SECC, OES, SCA, NEA, EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/26/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR SENV AF IR DA SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH THE DANISH DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER - DENMARK WANTS THE PRESIDENT IN COPENHAGEN FOR COP-15 Classified By: (U) Ambassador Laurie S. Fulton, Embassy Copenhagen,for reason 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Following her meeting August 25 with Foreign Minister Moeller (septel),the Ambassador met the following day with MFA Permanent Secretary (de facto Deputy Minister) Claus Grube. Grube echoed his minister's comments on Afghanistan and Iran, but -- unlike Moeller -- he lobbied persistently throughout a long and cordial meeting on the importance Denmark attached to President Obama's participation in COP-15, to be held in Copenhagen in December. Grube said the Danes are convinced that achieving a global deal in Copenhagen will require the direct participation of heads of state/government, and he reiterated that Denmark intends to launch an invitation to senior leaders at the close of the UN summit in New York on September 22. As had FM Moeller the previous day, Grube stressed that public and parliamentary support for Danish engagement in Afghanistan remains strong, but noted that steps like the Shia Law could erode that support. He restated Denmark's opposition to use of Federal Air Marshals on flights to/from Copenhagen, but assured that Denmark would welcome DHS visitors and consider their proposal attentively. He also commented on Iran. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) COP-15: Grube stated flatly that Denmark considers President Obama's participation in COP-15 essential for a successful outcome. The Danes are "very happy" to see that political momentum for a deal on climate is increasing, with the Obama Administration providing "the main political drive," notably through its engagement with China. The Danes "hope very much" to be ble to invite all heads of state/government at the close of the UN summit in New York on September 22, believing that without their direct participation in COP-15, it will e impossible to close the deal. The Ambassador ssured him of the Administration's commitment tosuccess of the climate negotiations, and emphasied that the U.S. domestic policy agenda will be cucial in determining the President's schedule. Sh noted that the House of Representatives has pased a good climate bill, but it will be more diffcult in the Senate. She stressed that "there isstill a ways to go, but that does not mean it cannot be done." ¶3. (C) Greenland: The Ambassador asked about statements from the Greenland Self-Rule Government threatening to bolt the Danish delegation to COP-15 unless Greenland gets special treatment on climate change. Grube was dismissive of the report, and replied that the Greenlanders know Denmark's position. The Greenlanders, he said, want to be treated as a developing country, but they do not meet the criteria in terms of per capita GDP, and Denmark cannot allow negotiations with Greenland to undercut its own position in global climate negotiations. ¶4. (C) Afghanistan: In reply to the Ambassador's praise for Denmark's disproportionately large role in world affairs, Grube underscored that public and parliamentary support for Danish engagement in Afghanistan remains strong. He attributed this to three reasons: Danes understand why we are there (they see Afghanistan as "the good war," in contrast to Iraq); Danish involvement includes a large development-assistance program focusing on primary education and women; and the legacy of Denmark's history as an imperial power means the people understand that great causes require sacrifices. The Danish government, he added, was aware of a growing debate in the UK about Afghanistan (NOTE: the Danes work under UK command in Helmand. END NOTE.),and was trying to prepare for the eventuality of a similar debate here. Reiterating comments the Ambassador had heard the previous day from the Foreign Minister, Grube said that what could undermine support would be steps like Afghanistan's recent "Shia Law": Danes will not sacrifice on behalf of a government that systematically mistreats women. For now, the concern is manageable because Danes are not naive: they understand Afghanistan cannot jump from the 14th century to the 21st overnight, and the Afghans are at least trying to develop democracy, even if the people are disillusioned ("they want security and no corruption"). He praised the courage of Afghan women, who are slowly emerging from "the dark ages." The surprisingly intensive Danish media interest in the Afghan elections resulted in nuanced reporting. Regarding the Afghan elections, Grube's initial reaction was that the Taliban had not succeeded in preventing them, and that turnout was not unreasonably low, even if it was disappointing in places. He hoped President Karzai and COPENHAGEN 00000366 002 OF 002 leading challenger Abdullah Abdullah would both respect the legal process. ¶5. (C) Federal Air Marshal Service: The Ambassador raised DHS's intention to send a senior official to seek Danish support to use U.S. Federal Air Marshals (FAMS) on U.S. flag flights to/from Copenhagen. Grube responded that Denmark has been opposed to the FAMS program, suggesting that pilots fear that the risk of accidents with firearms outweighs the threat. The Ambassador replied to this comment by noting that there now is a long history of FAMS on U.S. flights without such "accidents." He acknowledged that other European countries have a different view. He also took the Ambassador's point that we expect a large number of official and unofficial Americans - many of them high-level - to fly to Denmark for COP-15 (an estimated 250 from the executive branch and 150 from the legislative branch, plus many business executives and others). Grube assured the Ambassador that DHS officials would be welcome and that Denmark would be attentive to their proposal. He also indicated that the Ministry of Justice would be the appropriate interlocutor for DHS to engage on FAMS. He took the opportunity to remark that the ESTA program (pre-flight clearance for Visa Waiver travelers to the United States) "works well and has gone down well with the Danish public." ¶6. (C) Iran: Grube said he had been surprised to see that the Iranian regime was not as stable as it seemed. The Danish embassy in Tehran is reporting difficulty in gaining insight into the workings of the regime, which is so "byzantine" it perplexes the Iranians themselves. ¶7. (C) Comment: Grube's comments on COP-15 reflect a unified Danish government desire to see POTUS in Copenhagen in December, and the Danes are intent on launching an invitation to world leaders at UNGA. We need to engage early if we seek to discourage this level of ambition. FULTON