COUNCIL OF EUROPE LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA REGARDING

UNCLAS STRASBOURG 000031 SIPDIS STATE ALSO FOR EUR/ERA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL SENV COE FR SUBJECT: COUNCIL OF EUROPE LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA REGARDING COPENHAGEN REF: CARVER-KONICK EMAIL DEC. 1 2009 ¶1. (U) Mission France received December 1 a letter (pouched to EUR/ERA) from Council of Europe (COE) Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President de Puig asking us to forward a letter from de Puig to President Obama regarding Copenhagen. ¶2. (U) Begin text: Strasbourg, 30 November 2009 Dear President, The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has been deeply committed for many years to discussions on mitigating climate change. Our unique membership of 47 European states, including the Russian Federation, meant that during the negotiation on the Kyoto Protocol, we were able to exert valuable influence on the settlement that finally led to the Protocol's entry into force. This December in Copenhagen the world is facing a new challenge. We all know what is at stake for the future of our planet and it is therefore of major importance for the First World countries to lead the way. For this reason, at its meeting on 23 November 2009, the Committee on the Environment, asked me to write to you to respectfully urge you, above all, with your unique position, to take the lead and help to maximize the likelihood of an agreement by personally attending the Copenhagen Summit and giving your full support to the difficult but critical decisions that hopefully will be made in Denmark. Yours sincerely, / s / Luis Maris de Puig H.E. Mr. Barack Obama President of the United States of America CARVER