CZECH REPUBLIC COMMENTS ON GAZA

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000038 SENSITIVE SIPDIS EUR/CE FOR ATRATENSEK, EUR/ERA FOR JGIAUQUE, NEA/IPA FOR PKNOPF AND ALENTZ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR MASS PARM KWBG PHUM IS EZ PREL SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC COMMENTS ON GAZA REF: A. CARNIE-LENZ E-MAIL 1.16.09 ¶B. STATE 4387 ¶1. (SBU) Emboff spoke with Ambassador Josef Koutsky of the MFA Middle East and North Africa Department on January 15 and again on January 16. Koutsky noted that Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg has been highly engaged in reaching out to his counterparts to advance efforts to attain a sustainable cease fire in Gaza. According to Koutsky, the FM has been in regular contact over the last few days with the Egyptians (speaking with the Egyptian FM twice on January 15 alone),as well as European Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner, French FM Kouchner, German FM Steinmeyer as well as the Brits and Norweigians. With FM Schwarzenberg in Capetown January 15-16 for an EU Troika meeting with South Africa, Koutsky said that his department has had difficulty getting details about the exact content of these conversations. As a case in point, while there have been numerous conversations regarding the proposed donors' conference on humanitarian assistance for Gaza, Koutsky indicated he is not, as yet, fully aware of where things stand between his FM and the Egyptian FM regarding hosting the conference. He is aware, however, through other channels, that French FM Kouchner is on board with the Czech offer to host the donors' conference in Prague. ¶2. (SBU) On January 16, Schwarzenberg cut short his meetings in Capetown in order to consult with the Egyptians and Israelis and to join Czech Prime Minister Topolanek at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit on January 18. Following this summit, the Czech Presidency announced on January 19, that it will organize a dinner in Brussels for the EU 27 with Israeli FM Livn on Wednesday, January 21. On Sunday, January 25 (on the margins of the GAERC) the Czechs will host another dinner in Brussels for the EU 27 with Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and the Palestinian National Authority at the FM level. -------------- U.S.-Israeli Anti-Smuggling MOU -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Emboff also presented the reftel points to Ambassador Koutsky regarding the anti-smuggling MOU. He thanked us for these details and noted that in a similar vein the EU is also trying to address this issue via its renewed offer to support a Border Assistance Mission in Rafah. In closing he noted that this too is something Schwarzenberg has and will continue to discuss with the Israelis and Egyptians. Thompson-Jones