Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09COPENHAGEN366
2009-08-27 13:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Copenhagen
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH THE DANISH DEPUTY

Tags:  PREL PGOV MARR SENV AF IR DA 
pdf how-to read a cable
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PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHCP #0366/01 2391327
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 271327Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5134
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0083
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP-ISA-EUR// PRIORITY
RHEFHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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)

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