GERMAN VIEWS ON THE EU ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST CHINA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000198 SIPDIS EUR/ERA, EAP/CM, PM/RSAT, ISN/RA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2020 TAGS: PREL MARR PARM NATO EUN GM CH IR HA UP SUBJECT: GERMAN VIEWS ON THE EU ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST CHINA AND THE FEBRUARY 22 EU FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL REF: A. STATE 13969 ¶B. FEBRUARY 17 KONICK E-MAIL Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR GEORGE GLASS. REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (U) Post delivered points from both reftels to deputy MFA European Correspondent Hans-Peter Jugel on February 19. EU ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST CHINA ¶2. (C) In response to our reaffirmation of U.S. opposition to a lifting of the EU arms embargo against China, Jugel distanced Germany from Spanish and French efforts to bring this up for discussion in the EU. He emphasized that Germany "currently" had "no intention" of supporting a lifting of the embargo. He agreed that now was not the right time to change the status quo. IRAN ¶3. (C) Jugel emphasized that Germany continued to believe that the EU should avoid any public discussion or consideration of autonomous EU sanctions to avoid "endangering" the fragile ongoing process of bringing Russia and China on board in supporting a new UNSCR. He said the discussion of Iran at the February 22 FAC will therefore focus on the implications of the latest IAEA report regarding Iran's nuclear program and bringing the rest of the EU up to speed on the most recent deliberations of the E3 plus 3. UKRAINE ¶4. (C) Jugel agreed that the successful conduct of the presidential election, which the OSCE monitors had uniformly judged to be free and fair, provided a positive example for the rest of the region. He said it was not yet clear whether EU High Rep Ashton would attend the February 25 inauguration of Yanukovych. Because of other prior commitments, FM Westerwelle will not able to go, but Jugel said Germany would almost certainly be represented by someone from Berlin. HAITI ¶5. (C) Jugel said the foreign ministers would discuss "lessons learned" from the earthquake episode. He said that Germany had been "satisfied" with the EU's role, but conceded that other member states, particularly France, had been unhappy that the EU was not more prominent and that Ashton did not travel there. Jugel noted that the EU Commission and member states had already contributed a combined 219 million Euros in Haiti relief. He said that did not include the additional 100 million Euros that the EU was planning to make available for reconstruction or the 90 million Euros it had just offered in humanitarian aid in response to the UN's February 18 "flash" appeal. Jugel highlighted the German contribution of 15 million Euros in humanitarian assistance, as well as the 2 million Euros for the Haiti police (in lieu of sending gendarmerie forces, which, unlike France and Italy, Germany does not have). Jugel also noted that private German donations to Haiti have totaled 86 million Euros so far. Delawie