IRAN: DANISH RESPONSE ON OUTCOME OF P5+1 TALKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 000451 SIPDIS STATE FOR P:SMULL, EUR/NB, NEA/IR, EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2019 TAGS: MNUC KNNP PARM IR DA SUBJECT: IRAN: DANISH RESPONSE ON OUTCOME OF P5+1 TALKS REF: A. STATE 103219 ¶B. EMAIL EXCHANGE BELL-MULL 10/06/2009 (NOTAL) Classified By: (U) Ambassador Laurie S. Fulton; reason 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (C) In response to ref A demarche, MFA Head of Section in the Department of Security Policy Aron Bonanno gave Pol-EconCouns an initial response October 6 (conveyed to Stephen Mull in P by ref B): - Denmark is quite supportive of the U.S. position and is ahead of other small EU countries in this regard. - The EU has been more united than ever on Iran since the June Iranian elections. All 27 EU member states have called in the Iranian ambassador for a dressing-down four times since then. - Institutional/personnel changes in Europe could inadvertently help Iran buy time: the Lisbon Treaty could take effect by the end of October and put Javier Solana out of a job; all the EU3 countries are changing Political Directors. - The timing of U.S. demarches is essential: it is easiest to affect EU deliberations at lower working levels, hardest at the top level; therefore, the best time to convey U.S. points is as far as possible in advance of the monthly meetings of Foreign Ministers. ¶2. (C) Bonanno appreciated the clarifications provided by Mull (in ref B exchange),and was especially interested in Mull's upcoming trip to Brussels to share thinking on sanctions possibilities. FULTON