SECRETARY CLINTON'S MEETING WITH DANISH FOREIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 027305 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2019 TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV PHUM NATO AF PB RS DA SUBJECT: SECRETARY CLINTON'S MEETING WITH DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER PER STIG MOLLER, MARCH 13, 2009, 1:00 P.M., WASHINGTON, D.C. ¶1. (U) Classified by EUR Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶2. (U) March 13, 2009, 1:00 - 1:30, Washington, D.C. ¶3. (U) Participants: U.S. -------------- The Secretary EUR Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried Acting Deputy Spokesman Gordon Duguid NSC Director Maria Germano EUR/NB Desk Officer Stephen Wheeler (Notetaker) Denmark -------------- Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller, Ambassador Friis Arne Petersen U/S of State Michael Zilmer-Johns Political Director Anders Carsten Damsgaard, Chief of Staff Lars Gert Lose Dept. Head Jens-Otto Horslund Minister Counselor Jesper Sorensen Political Officer Peter Lehmann Nielsen ¶4. (C) Summary: The Secretary's March 13 meeting with FM Moller covered Afghanistan, Pakistan, climate change, NATO, the Middle East, and the Durban Review Conference. Moller praised the U.S. for staying open to NATO enlargement and urged that Georgia and Ukraine remain on the NATO agenda. He welcomed U.S. plans to send more troops to Afghanistan, suggesting that Europe also be asked to do more. Moller was pleased that the United States is open to including Syria in the discussion on peace in the Middle East. The Secretary noted Danish contributions in Afghanistan, and assured Moller we will work closely with Denmark during the run-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-15) in Copenhagen. The Secretary noted the appointment of Assistant Secretary Fried as Special Envoy on Guantanamo as a sign of U.S. seriousness on closing the facility, and said that after a careful review, we see no chance for joining Durban II. Moller also called on Special Representative Holbrooke, with whom he discussed Afghanistan and Pakistan. End Summary. -------------- Afghanistan/Pakistan -------------- ¶5. (C) The Secretary thanked Denmark for its many contributions in Afghanistan and called the bilateral relationship "one of our best partnerships." She welcomed Denmark's input on our Afghanistan/Pakistan strategy review, adding that it will lay out specific requests -- both military and civilian -- of Allies and citing the need for a regional approach to find solutions. She asked Denmark to send a representative to the April 17th Pakistan Donor's Conference in Tokyo. Moller said the EU was late in engaging "the most dangerous country in the world(Pakistan)." ¶6. (C) Moller noted that Denmark had doubled its financial assistance to Afghanistan last year -- in contrast to the EU, which had delivered only half of 400 promised police trainers. "If I were the United States, I would tell Europe to do more," he stated flatly. The Secretary replied that everyone can do more. Moller said Denmark would participate in the April 5 Informal US-EU Summit in Prague, but added that it would be difficult for Denmark to do more in Afghanistan given its already generous contributions and casualties suffered (the most per capita deaths of any ISAF country). Denmark's experience in Helmand province had shown, Moller said, that "by throwing the Taliban out, stability can be achieved, schools for girls made viable, and small businesses can thrive." The Secretary cited Denmark's effective military-civilian integration as key to its successful efforts. STATE 00027305 002 OF 003 NATO Summit and Russia -------------- ¶7. (C) The Secretary thanked Denmark for its innovative ideas on NATO, including support for Headquarters reform, NATO Response Force reorganization, and moving forward with the Peacetime Establishment Review. U.S. priorities include French reintegration, reassuring Eastern Europe on Russia and bringing Albania and Croatia into the Alliance. She dismissed the notion of "spheres of influence" in Europe, noting that nothing should prevent "independent action by sovereign nations." ¶8. (C) Commenting on her recent dinner with Russian FM Lavrov, the Secretary said she sensed a new openness to cooperation. However, she added, the United States has no illusions that Russia has had a change of heart, "only a change of circumstances." Moller agreed that Russia is not the country it was six months ago. Fiscal crisis and collapsing energy prices mean that "Russia needs peace with you." Moller was glad to hear the Secretary remark on the need for NATO to remain open to Georgia and Ukraine; it is important to keep both countries on the NATO agenda, he said. Moller commented that during his own February 25 visit to Moscow, the Russians expressed fear of two possible events: either Medvedev removing Putin and making him a scapegoat for Russia's troubles, or the reverse. None of his interlocutors would predict who might win in such a struggle, he added. -------------- Climate -------------- ¶9. (C) The Secretary said the United States would do all it can to advance climate change, as we had "too long ignored" the issue; we want to work closely with Denmark leading up to the COP-15 conference, she added. Moller cited the need for binding targets on technology transfer, as China or Brazil could ruin the process if denied access to technology. The Secretary said that progress would require careful coordination and a range of measures for differing needs. Moller asked for U.S. views on China's seriousness to engage on climate change. The Secretary said that while China is sincere and dedicated to green technology, it is wary of inhibiting growth. We must ensure that climate measures don't undermine its standard of living or the development of its middle class, she added. We need to encourage greater use of wind, solar, and geothermal power by China and the U.S. is willing to work with it on intellectual property transfer. -------------- Israel/Palestine and Syria -------------- ¶10. (C) The Secretary thanked Moller for hosting the February 4-5 Copenhagen meeting on Gaza arms interdiction. She said the United States will not finance a unity government in which Hamas does not adhere to core principles. Moller welcomed the United States "opening up" to Syria, and was more optimistic about comprehensive peace prospects when approaches start "outside Israel." The Secretary said that Special Envoy Mitchell would return to the region once there is a new Israeli government. -------------- Guantanamo (GTMO) -------------- ¶11. (C) The Secretary asked for help promoting an EU framework for accepting detainees, noting the recent appointment of EUR Assistant Secretary Fried as Special Envoy on GTMO as a sign of our seriousness and determination. A/S Fried said that while countries will decide on an individual basis whether to accept detainees for resettlement, an EU-wide framework could provide a useful political backdrop for countries to make those decisions. Moller said that while Denmark would not block the creation of a framework, Danish law prevented the acceptance of any detainees. -------------- Arctic STATE 00027305 003 OF 003 ¶12. (C) The Secretary noted deep U.S. interest in the Arctic and our commitment to doing more in cooperation with Denmark and others. Moller mused that new shipping routes and natural resource discoveries would eventually place the region at the center of world politics. He noted that the United States was the only country not to send a minister-level representative to last year's Ilulissat meetings and hoped that the Secretary would visit Greenland, perhaps for an Arctic Council meeting during Denmark's 2009-2011 chairmanship. The Secretary asked for a date as early as possible to include on her calendar. -------------- Piracy -------------- ¶13. (SBU) The Secretary thanked Denmark for its efforts on piracy, noting the "excellent" response from Europe and Asia. -------------- Durban Review Conference -------------- ¶14. (C) Moller asked if the United States would participate in the Durban Review Conference. The Secretary replied that while combating racism was of great importance to all countries, the process has been distorted, focusing on Israel and the "defamation of religion." She added that we had sent a delegation to Geneva to negotiate the draft statement, but had been forced to conclude that the document was not salvageable and that therefore we would not participate. Freedom of expression, the Secretary noted, is deeply ingrained in U.S. culture, and we could not participate in something that violated this principle. Moller said that he was coming to a similar conclusion, but had not given up hope; Denmark would attend an EU review of the issue. -------------- Meeting with S/R Holbrooke -------------- ¶15. (C) Moller briefly met with Special Representative Holbrooke, who said that we would roll out our Afghanistan/Pakistan before the March 31 meeting at The Hague. Holbrooke noted the strategic inseparability of the two countries; in Afghanistan, the U.S. would focus on the south and east while asking others (and requesting the Germans, Italians and Japanese to do much more) to help out in the north and west and opening U.S. Consulates in Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif. S/R Holbrooke said that pending Senate legislation would significantly increase U.S. financial assistance, and urged Denmark to attend the April 17 Pakistan Donors Conference. CLINTON