Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09DAMASCUS301
2009-04-23 14:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:
LUXEMBOURG/SYRIAN FM'S TUSSLE OVER IRAN
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C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000301
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT NEA/ELA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/MCDERMOTT; PARIS
FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2019
TAGS: PREL SY LU IR
SUBJECT: LUXEMBOURG/SYRIAN FM'S TUSSLE OVER IRAN
PRESIDENT'S REMARKS IN GENEVA
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4(b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000301
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT NEA/ELA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/MCDERMOTT; PARIS
FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2019
TAGS: PREL SY LU IR
SUBJECT: LUXEMBOURG/SYRIAN FM'S TUSSLE OVER IRAN
PRESIDENT'S REMARKS IN GENEVA
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4(b,d)
1. (U) Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn visited
Damascus April 22 and met with President Asad, VP Shara, and
FM Muallim. According to press reports, the discussions
between the two countries primarily focused on the
finalization of the European Union/Syrian Association
Agreement and on Palestinian reconciliation issues. The
visit appeared to have gone off smoothly, save for the joint
press conference between Muallim and Asselborn.
2. (U) The otherwise cookie-cutter SARG press conference took
an unusual turn after Muallim fielded a question on President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's April 20 speech at the UN anti-racism
conference in Geneva. According to a privately-run media
outlet Muallim said, "what Ahmadinejad said reflects the
popular reactions in our region for Israel's crimes and its
racist practices, Europeans hold part of the responsibility,
because the policy of empty seats in such conferences is
futile." Adding, "I appreciate the guilt of conscience
Europeans feel towards the Holocaust, but they have to
realize that Palestinians should not be victims of the
Holocaust."
3. (U) Asselborn was quick to defend his European compatriots
and condemned Ahmadinejad. "I don't support what Ahmadinejad
said, because what he said does not contribute towards
solving the problem or stability and in my personal opinion
Ahmadinejad does not represent Iran, because there are other
authorities and there is a generation that should be taken
into consideration," he said. To this Muallim remarked,
"Don't you believe in freedom of expression?" Asselborn
responded, "That is an important point, but don't you think
that Ahmadinejad and others should not deny the Holocaust?"
Muallim retorted that Danish cartoonists had lampooned the
prophet Mohammed and then Western government had defended the
insulting images as a "press freedom."
4. (U) Asselborn fired back saying, "Syria has not achieved
democracy yet," but was eventually able to right the train
saying, "We, in the EU, wish to cooperate with Syrian and
reach the partnership association agreement and we will do
our best to reach this agreement next month." Adding, "I'm
confident that Syria in the future will not remain on the
U.S. black list, Syria is on the gray list and I believe that
in the next year it will be on the white list."
5. (C) Comment: We find it unusual that Muallim picked this
public spat with a representative of an (admittedly small) EU
country working to support signature of Syria's EU
Association Agreement. But we applaud Asselborn's moxie in
fighting back.
CONNELLY
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT NEA/ELA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/MCDERMOTT; PARIS
FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2019
TAGS: PREL SY LU IR
SUBJECT: LUXEMBOURG/SYRIAN FM'S TUSSLE OVER IRAN
PRESIDENT'S REMARKS IN GENEVA
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4(b,d)
1. (U) Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn visited
Damascus April 22 and met with President Asad, VP Shara, and
FM Muallim. According to press reports, the discussions
between the two countries primarily focused on the
finalization of the European Union/Syrian Association
Agreement and on Palestinian reconciliation issues. The
visit appeared to have gone off smoothly, save for the joint
press conference between Muallim and Asselborn.
2. (U) The otherwise cookie-cutter SARG press conference took
an unusual turn after Muallim fielded a question on President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's April 20 speech at the UN anti-racism
conference in Geneva. According to a privately-run media
outlet Muallim said, "what Ahmadinejad said reflects the
popular reactions in our region for Israel's crimes and its
racist practices, Europeans hold part of the responsibility,
because the policy of empty seats in such conferences is
futile." Adding, "I appreciate the guilt of conscience
Europeans feel towards the Holocaust, but they have to
realize that Palestinians should not be victims of the
Holocaust."
3. (U) Asselborn was quick to defend his European compatriots
and condemned Ahmadinejad. "I don't support what Ahmadinejad
said, because what he said does not contribute towards
solving the problem or stability and in my personal opinion
Ahmadinejad does not represent Iran, because there are other
authorities and there is a generation that should be taken
into consideration," he said. To this Muallim remarked,
"Don't you believe in freedom of expression?" Asselborn
responded, "That is an important point, but don't you think
that Ahmadinejad and others should not deny the Holocaust?"
Muallim retorted that Danish cartoonists had lampooned the
prophet Mohammed and then Western government had defended the
insulting images as a "press freedom."
4. (U) Asselborn fired back saying, "Syria has not achieved
democracy yet," but was eventually able to right the train
saying, "We, in the EU, wish to cooperate with Syrian and
reach the partnership association agreement and we will do
our best to reach this agreement next month." Adding, "I'm
confident that Syria in the future will not remain on the
U.S. black list, Syria is on the gray list and I believe that
in the next year it will be on the white list."
5. (C) Comment: We find it unusual that Muallim picked this
public spat with a representative of an (admittedly small) EU
country working to support signature of Syria's EU
Association Agreement. But we applaud Asselborn's moxie in
fighting back.
CONNELLY