Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10BRUSSELS224
2010-02-25 14:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:
BELGIUM: NO PLANS TO CHANGE POSITION ON CHINA ARMS
how-toVZCZCXRO9787 PP RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHBS #0224 0561404 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 251404Z FEB 10 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0057 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1809
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000224
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/ERA, EAP/CM, PM/RSAT, ISN/RA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2020
TAGS: PREL PARM CH EUN BE
SUBJECT: BELGIUM: NO PLANS TO CHANGE POSITION ON CHINA ARMS
EMBARGO
REF: STATE 013969
Classified By: Acting Pol/Econ Counselor Robert Kiene for
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
(C) Poloff delivered reftel points to Philippe Beke, Head of
the Asia desk at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MFA),on February 19. Beke said Belgium,s policy is
"EU-driven," reiterated that a discussion on the arms embargo
will take place later this year, and said he took note of the
U.S. position and would "take it on board during the EU
discussions." The MFA,s special envoy for disarmament and
nonproliferation, Werner Bauwens, also has a large voice in
Belgian policy on export control issues. Poloff met with
Bauwens to discuss reftel, who stated that while it was on
the agenda, there should be no change. Bauwens said that he
had spoken to then EU Commissioner for Trade, Belgian Karel
De Gucht, about the embargo who said there is no reason the
EU's position will change. Furthermore, he stated that there
was currently "no valid reason to even re-open negotiations"
on the embargo.
Gutman