AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH EU PRESIDENCY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000770 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2019 TAGS: PREL KPKO KNNP KGHG PHUM UN IS KPAL KWBG EUN SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH EU PRESIDENCY Classified By: Ambassador Susan E. Rice for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On August 11, Ambassador Rice met with European Union representatives to discuss issues including climate change, non-proliferation and disarmament, UN peacekeeping, the Middle East peace process, and the upcoming 64th UN General Assembly -- including budget and human rights issues. Ambassador Rice set a positive tone for the meeting, noting that U.S. policy had shifted, resulting in greater commonality between U.S. and European views. Rice urged EU representatives to capitalize on this shift and to resist efforts to divide us on key policy issues. In particular, she urged the EU to work with the U.S. for peace in the Middle East by changing its position on General Assembly resolutions that seek to slam Israel. Speaking on behalf of the EU Presidency, Swedish Perm Rep Anders Liden expressed appreciation for the overall shift in tone and indicated that the EU looked forward to working with the United States on key issues. End Summary. ¶2. (U) At the request of the Presidency of the European Union, on August 11, Ambassador Rice met with members from the Swedish mission, including Perm Rep Anders Liden, Deputy Perm Rep Per Orneus, and Political Counsellor Peter Ericson. As Spain will take over the Presidency next, the Spanish Charge D'Affairs Belen Alfaro also attended, as did the Charge D'Affaires for the Delegation of the European Commission Roland Tricto and the Deputy Head of the New York Liaison Office of the European Council to the UN Stephan Marquardt. The U.S. delegation included Ambassador DiCarlo and the USUN deputy political and acting economic counselors. Climate Change -------------- ¶3. (C) The meeting began with a discussion of the Secretary-General's September 22 High-Level Event (HLE) on Climate Change. Swedish PR Liden said that while the HLE would not be a forum for negotiations, it would provide an opportunity to generate momentum for the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen December 6 to 13. Liden suggested that the HLE could result in broad agreement on the less than two percent temperature rise goal as well as on an initial funding "package" for adaptation. ¶4. (C) Ambassador Rice noted that the U.S. will participate in the HLE, and wants a strong outcome that will contribute to Copenhagen. However, Rice said that the timing of the event is sensitive for the U.S. because of climate change legislation pending before the Senate. Ambassador Rice noted that the best case scenario for the HLE would be China and India providing positive input at the meeting. ¶5. (C) Liden said that pressure from developing countries is important for making progress, and that if money were on the table in September, this would be helpful. Liden noted that although Africa does not often intervene within the G-77, African countries are influential. Liden suggested that the U.S. and EU encourage African countries to be more active. Ambassador Rice agreed that it was worth trying but wondered whether, outside of the the Carribean Community (CARICOM) and the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS),it would be realistic to believe that the G-77 would turn its attention to China and India. UN Peacekeeping -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Ambassador Rice said that the U.S. position on UN peacekeeping reform had been clearly delineated in her June 29 and August 5 interventions before the Council. She briefly recapped the highlights of her interventions, also pointing to the need to unlock UN procurement and contracting restraints in a way that would not increase the potential for fraud and abuse. Rice said that the U.S. would use the renewal of peacekeeping mandates as an opportunity to rationalize those mandates. Ambassador DiCarlo added that the real commitment to peacekeeping reform must be realized through a Council commitment to devising achievable mandates. ¶7. (SBU) Ambassador Rice asked about how the EU planned to address peacekeeping reform challenges, and Liden responded that the EU welcomed the UN's New Horizon reform initiative. Liden also said that the UK and France would represent EU views on the Council. While historically, Liden said, the EU had contributed to UN Peacekeeping Operations, he noted that EU contributions currently focus on support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) efforts in Afghanistan. Ambassador DiCarlo suggested that the EU could play a role in groups such as the Friends of UNAMID in helping Troop USUN NEW Y 00000770 002 OF 003 Contributing Countries obtain necessary equipment. Liden noted that the EU actively cooperated with the African Union (AU) to strengthen AU capacity. Non-Proliferation and Disarmament -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Liden began by saying the EU was pleased with the U.S. commitment to reduce the stockpile of nuclear weapons, particularly in view of the upcoming Review Conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He asked about U.S. plans for the Security Council Summit on non-proliferation and disarmament scheduled during the U.S. Presidency of the Council in September. Ambassador Rice responded that the Summit would not focus on particular countries but rather on a "basket of opportunities" outlined by the President in Prague. Liden said that Western countries need to develop a common position and asked whether the EU could help with the Summit in any way. Ambassador Rice noted that some EU colleagues need to be more forward leaning, and Liden acknowledged internal divisions within the EU on non-proliferation issues. ¶9. (C) Liden asked about North Korea and Iran. Rice said that North Korea knows what it needs to do, and the U.S. is willing to continue bilateral dialogue in the context of six-party talks if the DPRK were to uphold its prior commitments. On Iran, Rice said that the U.S. was still awaiting a response to the P-5 plus one position, noting that the offer is not permanent and will expire at some point. Middle East Peace -------------- ¶10. (C) Ambassador Rice noted that the Middle East is a prime example of how the U.S. and EU can work together more constructively at the UN, particularly mentioning General Assembly resolutions that are not constructive and seek only to slam Israel. Rice said that, given our larger efforts to strengthen the transatlantic relationship, we would look to the EU to work with the U.S. and avoid re-hashing these poisonous resolutions. Liden said that the Palestinians need the resolutions; they are the underdogs, and the resolutions help the Palestinians "blow off steam." Liden indicated that the EU position on these resolutions likely would be the same as in the past because Liden viewed the role of the Presidency as keeping the EU together despite internal divisions. ¶11. (C) Rice said the role of the EU, especially the Presidency, should be to keep the United States and the EU together, and she urged the EU to send a different message, saying that the EU could catalyze change. Rice also underscored that all parties must show flexibility; there is no need for sixteen resolutions. She urged the EU to reconsider its position, noting that continued EU support sends a message. Liden responded that the UN is not the appropriate context for a breakthrough, and Rice said that continued status quo only reinforces hardliners. Liden conceded that the EU would like to work with the U.S. on this issue. United Nations Budget/Scales of Assessment -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Liden noted that last year the U.S. did not vote in favor of the budget, and he hoped that this year the budget could be based on consensus. Rice said that the United States had appropriated funds in July to clear U.S. peacekeeping arrears from 2005 to 2008, and also appropriated $2.2 billion to fund U.S. peacekeeping obligations in 2009. Rice said these actions indicate our good faith. However, she noted that spending must be constrained, with avoidance of last-minute surprises. She said that any increase in the PKO assessment would put the U.S. in a difficult position that we must avoid. Liden said that the EU shared the U.S. views on the PKO budget and looked forward to working closely with the U.S. Liden also raised the need to change the scales of assessment, noting that emerging economies need to contribute more. Liden specifically referred to China. Human Rights -------------- ¶13. (SBU) Rice said the UN's record on human rights in both the Third Committee and the Human Rights Council (HRC) was very poor. She noted that the U.S. had joined the HRC as a constructive partner and hoped the EU would stand up with us to hold the most egregious human rights abusers accountable. Rice reiterated that the HRC should not be an anti-Israel "slug-fest." Liden asked about follow-up to Durban, and Rice said that the U.S. position in the General Assembly would not USUN NEW Y 00000770 003 OF 003 be different with respect to our unwillingness to reaffirm Durban in its entirety. She also said that the U.S. has concerns with respect to language on defamation of religions and that it would be important to find a more nuanced appropach in any GA resolution. RICE