(U) The Secretary's April 20, 2009 Meeting with

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 039633 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2029 TAGS: MARR EAID PREL PGOV PHUM NATO SOCI KWMN KPAO, AF, UN, NL SUBJECT: (U) The Secretary's April 20, 2009 Meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen ¶1. (U) Classified by EUR Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶2. (U) April 20, 2009, 10:45 - 11:10, Washington, D.C. ¶3. (U) Participants: U.S. Secretary Clinton EUR PDAS Marcie Ries Spokesman Robert Wood S Staff Joseph Macmanus NSC Western Europe Director Tobin Bradley Timothy L. Smith (EUR/WE Notetaker) The Netherlands Foreign Minister Verhagen Ambassador Renee Jones-Bos MFA Political Director Pieter de Gooijer MFA Western Hemisphere Director Peter Potman Political Counselor Jack Twiss Quarles van Ufford MFA Spokesman Bart Rijs Political Advisor Gieneke Talsma Private Secretary Marcel de Vink ¶4. (C) SUMMARY. Secretary Clinton met with Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen on April 20, 2009 at the Department of State. The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed the need to control Somali piracy, the Dutch role in Afghanistan, U.S. re-engagement with the UN Human Rights Council, and the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's explorations in New York. END SUMMARY. ¶5. (C) PIRACY: The Secretary thanked the Dutch for committing resources to patrol the Gulf of Aden to protect humanitarian shipments and commercial shipping. She mentioned the recent case of Dutch marines liberating a Yemeni shipping vessel, but then letting the pirates go. Verhagen responded that the Dutch did not have the jurisdiction to retain the pirates absent a Dutch link (flagged ship, Dutch crew, Dutch-owned vessel, etc.),and contrasted the Yemeni case with the intervention of the Danish a few months ago to free a Dutch flagged-ship from pirates. In that case, the Dutch did decide to prosecute the pirates in the Netherlands. Verhagen agreed, however, that EU, NATO, and other involved partners must work together to solve the issue of jurisdiction. He noted that though the EU has arrangements to turn over pirates to Kenya, NATO does not. In this instance the Dutch were acting as part of a NATO mission. He suggested the International Criminal Court as a possible venue, although international law would need to be modified to permit such a solution. The Secretary responded this was a long-term solution; what was needed was an urgent fix. She and Verhagen agreed that the U.S. and the Netherlands would jointly take the initiative to develop a NATO mechanism that would facilitate prosecution of pirates. ¶6. (C) AFGHANISTAN: The Secretary thanked Verhagen for hosting the successful March 31 Afghanistan Conference in The Hague and commented that the Dutch "3D" approach (diplomacy, development, defense) is a model for the U.S. and other partners to follow. She asked the Foreign Minister how we can work together to maintain a Dutch presence in Uruzgan Province. Verhagen emphasized the need for a combined approach with the UN and partner countries to make sure that no region of Afghanistan is neglected. He also stressed the need for "Afghanization" - or turning over security responsibilities to the Afghan police and army - which will help the Dutch "sell an exit strategy." The police in particular need better training to be able to provide improved law enforcement, where the public sometimes view the Taliban as more effective. Verhagen confided that he personally is in favor of a continued Dutch military presence in Uruzgan "as a junior partner," but the other coalition parties are not yet convinced. ¶7. (C) HUMAN RIGHTS/UNHRC: The Secretary thanked Verhagen for Dutch support for the United States' UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) bid and during the Durban review process, which both countries decided not to continue. On the UNHRC, the U.S. will address the denial of health care, education, the right to work, and other basic human rights issues. Verhagen said the Dutch look forward to working with the U.S. on the UNHRC during the next year (the remainder of The Netherlands' term) and asked the Secretary if the U.S. would support an UNGA side event on girls' rights. She responded positively and commented that we should also approach Latin American, African, and Asian countries to co- sponsor such an event. ¶8. (C) NEW YORK 400: Verhagen invited the Secretary to participate in commemorative events in September and November and agreed to provide a specific proposal through the Dutch Embassy. The Secretary agreed. Before the meeting, Foreign Minister Verhagen presented the Secretary with a framed print of a 17th-century map of Manhattan and a copy of the Schagen letter reporting the "purchase" of Manhattan by the Dutch Governor. The Secretary gave Verhagen a copy of a letter from George Washington nominating John Quincy Adams ambassador to The Netherlands. CLINTON