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

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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

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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