SECRETARY CLINTON'S APRIL 15 MEETING WITH EU

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 039151 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2019 TAGS: EUN PGOV PREL SUBJECT: SECRETARY CLINTON'S APRIL 15 MEETING WITH EU HIGH REPRESENTATIVE JAVIER SOLANA Classified By: Classified by EUR Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried. Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (U) Meeting took place April 15, 2009; 12:30 - 1:10 pm; Washington, DC. ¶2. (U) Participants U.S. -------------- The Secretary Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy, Richard Morningstar EUR - Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary NSC - Kristina Kvien, Director EUR/ERA - William Lucas (notetaker) EU -------------- High Representative (and Council Secretary General),Javier Solana Council Secretariat Political Director, Robert Cooper Enrique Mora, Solana Chef de Cabinet Stephane Soboul, Solana Aide ¶3. (C) Summary: After brief comments to the press, and before a one-on-one lunch, the Secretary and HiRep Solana met for 40 minutes of discussion focusing primarily on Iran and Afghanistan/Pakistan. On Iran, Solana reported on his follow-up with the Iranians after the recent P5+1 meeting in London. There was agreement on the need to maintain momentum and continue close coordination. On Afghanistan/Pakistan, Solana reiterated EU intentions to provide election monitors and more police training but flagged the need for adequate security for the personnel involved. There were brief exchanges on the President's Prague meetings, energy security, Western Balkans, Georgia/Russia, Moldova, and Ukraine. Guantanamo (GTMO) was discussed on the margins. End Summary. ¶4. (C) Iran: The Secretary and Solana agreed that the recent P5+1 meeting in London, marking full U.S. engagement in future talks with Iran, was an important step. In accordance with the document produced at that meeting, Solana reached out immediately to the Iranians but it took Jalili three days to get back to him. Their April 13 phone conversation, the first in several months, went well, with Jalili favoring continuation of talks with the P5+1, but indicating an Iranian desire to respond in writing. (Solana voiced his preference to the Secretary for moving away from such exchanges of written messages, as it consumed too much time.) Solana said if he had not heard again from the Iranians by April 20, he would call Jalili again; it was important to maintain momentum. Solana reaffirmed support in the P5+1 for the "freeze for freeze" approach but noted the need to keep working on Russia and China. Noting the time factor, the Secretary said Iran does not appear to be slowing its nuclear program and could be developing covert nuclear activities. She stressed the need for unity and close cooperation between the U.S. and EU and within the P5+1 -- including on developing additional inducements -- and to continue working on China and Russia and to a lesser extent the EU-3 to maintain a united front. Solana cautioned that there was no guarantee of success. In a side conversation later, Robert Cooper said EU consensus for additional sanctions at this time would be difficult without another UNSCR or major (negative) development. ¶5. (C) Afghanistan/Pakistan: Solana reiterated the EU's commitment to increase police training, including by boosting EUPOL to 400 trainers. He noted the longstanding problem of protection for these police trainers and for potential EU election monitors; the EU is still talking to NATO about a possible solution. (Later, Cooper brushed off suggestions of a UN umbrella for election monitors and requested U.S. assistance in providing protection, if NATO efforts fail.) On Pakistan, Solana said the EU should do more on trade and development, but it was difficult to increase EU engagement in Pakistan. Nevertheless, EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner will attend the donors' conference and there will be an EU-Pakistan summit in the coming weeks. ¶6. (C) Regional Issues: The Secretary urged EULEX to have more of a presence in the north of Kosovo and STATE 00039151 002 OF 002 reaffirmed our interest in seeing better relations with Serbia. A/S Fried complimented EU post-OHR plans for Bosnia and its strategy for dealing with Serbia. The Secretary urged a solution to the Croatia-Slovenia border issue and the Macedonia name dispute. The Secretary and Solana agreed the Georgian leadership is holding up reasonably well under considerable domestic and Russian pressure. Solana thought Saakashvili needed to enter into meaningful dialogue with the opposition. There was agreement to try to maintain UN, EU, and OSCE monitors in Georgia. On Moldova, the Secretary said we would look to the EU's lead. On Ukraine, the Secretary urged efforts to "press and help" Ukraine through this difficult period. Solana commented that the political system is not working properly. Cooper added Ukraine is too big and primitive to become an EU candidate at this stage; it needed to mature politically. Special Envoy Morningstar noted the energy sector needed attention, too. ¶7. (C) Other issues: SE Morningstar and Solana exchanged pledges to cooperate closely on energy security issues. The Secretary and Solana agreed that the President's trip to Europe was highly successful and the Prague leaders' and Foreign Ministers' meetings had gone very well. They agreed that now we must turn to the hard work of implementation and achieving results. On the margins of the meeting, Solana's staff said EU discussions were underway regarding a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. that would allow willing member states to accept released Guantanamo detainees. CLINTON