Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09COPENHAGEN372
2009-08-28 11:21:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Copenhagen
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH THE DANISH PM - COP-15 THE

Tags:  PGOV PREL SENV DA 
pdf how-to read a cable
R 281121Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5143
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 000372 


DEPT FOR EUR/NB, S/SECC, OES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2029
TAGS: PGOV PREL SENV DA
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH THE DANISH PM - COP-15 THE
TOP PRIORITY, HOPES FOR POTUS PARTICIPATION

Classified By: Ambassador Laurie S. Fulton, Embassy Copenhagen,
Reason: 1.4 (B) and (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 000372


DEPT FOR EUR/NB, S/SECC, OES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2029
TAGS: PGOV PREL SENV DA
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH THE DANISH PM - COP-15 THE
TOP PRIORITY, HOPES FOR POTUS PARTICIPATION

Classified By: Ambassador Laurie S. Fulton, Embassy Copenhagen,
Reason: 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Summary: During the course of an extended meeting
with the Ambassador on August 26, Danish Prime Minister
Lars-Lokke Rasmussen praised the state of U.S.-Denmark
relations, welcomed US leadership on climate change
negotiations and said that COP-15 was "at the top of my
political agenda." The PM praised the President's role in
the negotiations, and pitched strongly for POTUS
participation at the climate change conference in Copenhagen
in December. He expressed intense interest in the progress of
U.S. domestic climate and energy legislation, and asked about
prospects for the U.S. economy. As had his Foreign Minister
the day before, the PM expressed great satisfaction with
U.S.-Danish cooperation in Afghanistan, and noted that U.S.
policy was "very much in line with our own thinking." The PM
sought an overview of the Ambassador's priorities in Denmark,
and offered his support for initiatives to increase exchanges
(particularly between Danish and American youth and young
adults),leverage new technology to facilitate communication,
and involve women in global security issues. As a measure of
the value Denmark attaches to its relationship with the
United States, PM Rasmussen was accompanied at the meeting by
his Chief of Staff, National Security Advisor and chief
climate change negotiator. In a subsequent call, the climate
negotiator (Bo Lidegaard),who had left the meeting early,
informed the Ambassador of the PM's request for a bilateral
with the President on the margins of the MEF in Washington in
September. Lidegaard also told the Ambassador that Rasmussen
had been invited to address a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event
on climate change, also in Washington, on September 21, but
that politically, the PM cannot do the latter without doing
the former. End Summary.

--------------
COP-15 - The Most Pressing Issue
--------------


2. (C). Danish Prime Minister Lars-Lokke Rasmussen, flanked
by his Chief of Staff, National Security Advisor and chief
negotiator on climate change, received the Ambassador for an
introductory call on August 26. The PM spoke warmly about

the quality of the U.S.- Danish bilateral relationship, and
noted that the Ambassador's Danish heritage would certainly
strengthen these ties. Reviewing quickly the increasing
business links between the United States and Denmark, as well
as cooperation in Afghanistan, PM Rasmussen moved immediately
to COP-15, an event which he termed "at the top of my
political agenda." The PM said he was encouraged by the
President's leadership on climate change, and while Denmark
was proud of the progress it had made in reducing its
reliance on fossil fuels, "President Obama is the most
important figure in this process." He added that Denmark
intended the use the UN High Level Event in New York in
September to invite world leaders to Copenhagen for COP-15 in
December. Asking if the Ambassador could give him "some
indication" about the President's plans for COP-15, the Prime
Minister underlined that an "ambitious agreement" in
Copenhagen would not be possible without the participation of
POTUS. Rasmussen concluded that Denmark fully understood
that the presence of leaders from the U.S., China and Brazil
would not be likely if prospects for success in Copenhagen
were not good for an agreement.


3. (C) The Ambassador replied that it is premature to discuss
the President's participation in COP-15. She praised the
PM's remarks at the Rome MEF event, and noted Special Envoy
Todd Stern's role in moving the climate negotiations forward.
For the United States, she added, a global solution is the
key, and she agreed that Chinese, Brazilian and Indian
participation in the process is essential. Highlighting the
links to the U.S. domestic energy and climate policy agenda,
the Ambassador said that while the Waxman-Markey bill had
passed the House, the legislation "will not get any better in
the Senate." Honing in on this, the PM asked for the
timetable for moving the bill through Congress, to which the
Ambassador replied that while many in Congress are committed
to passing climate legislation this fall, it is impossible to
say at this stage whether it would pass before December. The
issue of high-level participation aside, the Ambassador
briefed the PM on the expected large U.S. delegations, from
both the Executive branch and the Congress, for COP-15. She
also suggested that Denmark's road to energy
self-sufficiency, particularly the development and
integration of renewables, offered opportunities for the
United States to learn from the Danish experience.


4. (C) Returning to Denmark's hopes for the engagement of
senior leaders in Copenhagen in December, the PM said that a
successful climate agreement is his most important issue, and
that while Environment Ministers could debate the technical
details and Ministers of Finance could seek agreement on
allocations to developing countries, only "senior political
leaders" could broker a deal at COP-15. Climate Advisor Bo
Lidegaard added that Denmark wished to work in close
collaboration with the U.S. team, and suggested that the real
challenge in the near-term was to develop a framework for an
agreement with a range of political outcomes. In this
regard, Lidegaard looked forward to his upcoming meetings in
Washington with S/E Stern.


5. (C) In a subsequent call from Lidegaard to the Ambassador,
the PM's climate change advisor noted that Rasmussen hopes
for a bilateral with POTUS on the margins of the September
MEF in Washington. Understanding the many requests for
bliateral meetings with POTUS, Lidegaard pushed for this one
so that the PM and the President can directly exchange views
on COP-15. Additionally, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC)
has invited the Danish Prime Minister to address its
conference on climate change in Washington on September 21.
Lidegaard said that the USCC meeting is a follow-on to a
similar session in Copenhagen in February to focus on
business concerns related to climate change proposals. While
the PM found the previous meeting to be helpful,
"politically," he cannot accept that invitation without a
bilateral meeting with POTUS.

--------------
...and the U.S. Economy?
--------------


6. (C) Turning to the global financial crisis, Prime Minister
Rasmussen asked about the outlook for the U.S. economy.
Lamenting that his government had just finalized its budget,
with the largest projected deficit (4.8 percent of GDP) since
the 1970s, Rasmussen said that Danes were all hoping for
signs of an upturn, and had followed with interest the latest
figures from the United States and Germany. "Has there been
a fundamental change?" Ambassador noted that the U.S. was
optimistic, despite our own deficit projections for 2010.
The President's decision to reappoint Bernanke for another
term as Fed Chairman had been seen in positive terms in the
U.S., and American banks had reduced restrictions on the flow
of credit. The PM noted that Denmark had weathered the
crisis, largely due to the government's move to reduce taxes,
its commitment to public investments ("half of our work force
is in the public sector"),and traditionally low unemployment
rates. Still, he said the Danish public was worried, as
evidenced by low rates of consumer spending.

--------------
POTUS to the IOC?
--------------


7. (C) Introducing a discussion of the late September/early
October IOC Congress in Copenhagen (which will decide the
host city for the 2016 Summer Games),the PM asked about
rumors the President will attend. The Ambassador said that
we hoped for a high profile representative to support
Chicago's bid for the Games, but that no firm decision had
been taken. After a discussion of the relative chances of
Chicago and Rio, the PM smiled and said that the President
"would be most welcome twice." "If I had a choice, I would
prefer that he come to the one in December." Responding to a
question about whether a POTUS trip to Copenhagen for the IOC
would rule out a second visit in December, the Ambassador
replied that the two events were not linked in the U.S.view,
and cautioned that the President's September calendar
included an ambitious domestic agenda.

--------------
Afghanistan, Pakistan and CT Cooperation
--------------


8. (C) On Afghanistan, PM Rasmussen praised the U.S.- Danish
cooperation in Helmand Province. He cast the President's
decision to step up U.S. troop levels as a very positive
signal, and noted that the U.S. "Af-Pak approach was very
much in line with our own thinking." The PM said his
government needed to maintain public support for its
Afghanistan policy. Referring to the high per capita
casualty rate among the Danish forces in Afghanistan, the PM
said, "we are not used to seeing young men return home in
coffins," adding that such images had a powerful
psychological effect on the Danish public. The Ambassador
congratulated the PM for the strong support of all major
political parties for Afghanistan and the new 5-year defense
plan. The PM said that Denmark's traditional consensual
approach to foreign policy contributed to continued Danish
support for the war, but he noted that the new U.S. policy in
the region was very helpful to his government in outlining
the stakes for the average Dane. The PM agreed with the
Ambassador's comment that U.S.-Denmark intelligence and
counter-terrorism cooperation was important, noting that the
post-9/11 world made such cooperation "unfortunately
important." In conclusion, the Ambassador expressed the
appreciation of the U.S. government and the American people
for Denmark's role in Afghanistan and beyond.

--------------
Exchanges, Technology, Outreach and Youth
--------------


9. (SBU) Invited to share her priorities for her mission in
Denmark, the Ambassador briefed the PM on the importance she
attaches to public diplomacy, outreach to Danes from all
walks of life, increasing exchanges between the United States
and Denmark using new technology, particularly between youth
and young adults, and to involving women in discussion of
global security issues. The PM welcomed the Ambassador's
agenda, and offered his support, expressing a keen interest
in expanding contact between U.S. and Danish young people,
including through web-based technologies, and identified
Education Minister Haarder as one who would be interested.

--------------
Comment:
--------------


10. (C) Prime Minister Lars-Lokke Rasmussen made clear he
values the U.S.-Danish relationship, and as he heads into his
first full parliamentary session as head of government, he
made equally clear that he hopes his political standing will
be bolstered by an agreement on climate change in Copenhagen
in December. If the Danes are hopeful the U.S. can deliver a
deal, they understand the challenges in the coming months,
the link between success in Copenhagen and the U.S. domestic
agenda, and the critical role that the major developing
countries have to play in the process.


FULTON