Ref ID: 08LONDON1623
Date: 6/13/2008 13:06
Origin: Embassy London
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Destination: 08STATE62450
Header: VZCZCXRO8727PP RUEHAG RUEHROVDE RUEHLO #1623/01 1651306ZNY CCCCC ZZHP 131306Z JUN 08FM AMEMBASSY LONDONTO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8928INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITYRUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITYRUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0100RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 2672RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO PRIORITY 0114RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE PRIORITY 0150RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA PRIORITY 0265RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB PRIORITY 0185RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1207
Tags: PREL,PHUM,PGOV,ETRD,EAID,ZL,ZK,IR,IZ,IS,CU,SU,CD,CT,UK
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 001623 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2018 TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PGOV, ETRD, EAID, ZL, ZK, IR, IZ, IS, CU, SU, CD, CT, UK SUBJECT: UK ON CUBA, IRAN AND OTHER ISSUES AT THE JUNE GAERC REF: STATE 62450 Classified By: Political Counselor Richard Mills for reasons 1.4 (B) an d (D). Foreign Office officials provided to Poloffs on June 12 the responses below to ref points on key GAERC agenda items, as well as a general readout of UK expectations for the June GAERC meeting. Cuba ----
2. (C) The UK supports lifting the EU's Restrictive Measures on Cuba at the June 16 GAERC and initiating a human rights dialogue with Cuba, because other EU Members have agreed to review the dialogue's progress within a year, Paul Williams, the Foreign Office's new EU Corespondent, told Polcouns on June 12. Dean and Williams both agreed with ref points that the goal of an EU-dialogue with Cuba had to be release of political prisoners, free access to information and freedom for the EU to pursue "Track Two" engagement with civil society, but that other EU Members believed listing these specific benchmarks in the GAERC conclusions was counter productive. The UK, Williams said, might have agreed to list specific benchmarks in the GAERC conclusions, but there was "not enough support" for this among other EU members. Williams and Dean confirmed that the EU's two-track policy remains in place.
3. (C) In a separate conversation the same day, Matthew Forbes, the Foreign Office's Caribbean Office Chief, told Poloff the UK had scored "quite a victory" by achieving agreement in the EU that to continue the dialogue after one year would require an affirmative consensus of all EU Members, rather than the dialogue with Havana continuing unless a consensus of all states acted to end it. According to Forbes this affirmative approach gives each individual EU Member state much more leverage with the Cubans; the UK could act alone to stop the dialogue in a year, if the Cubans interfere with the UK outreach to Cuban dissidents or refuse to engage with London. Under current EU policy, as Forbes explained it, EU Members like the UK who reach out to the opposition are isolated, leaving the discussions with the regime on human rights to EU Members such as Spain. Forbes told Poloff that the agreement on mechanics of the one-year renewal would not be spelled out in the GAERC conclusions, but be the subject of a confidential side agreement among Members. Havana would learn about the mechanics in any case, as the Spanish leak information to them on all developments inside the COLAT, Forbes added. Forbes echoed his EU colleagues and said that the EU's twin-track policy is still in effect. Forbes said that the GAERC conclusions, although not containing benchmarks for a dialogue, would make reference to human rights, which would itself irritate Cuba and might delay the start of the dialogue. Iran ----
4. (C) EU Correspondent Williams said the UK wanted action taken at the June GAERC on designation of Bank Melli and other individuals associated with Iran's nuclear programs and was pressing hard "to do it now," but German objections made it "increasingly uncertain" that the designations would be taken at next week's GAERC. According to Williams, the Germans want to wait "several weeks" after EU Commission Solana presents the P5 1 enhanced incentives package to Tehran, before moving forward with the designations. Williams said Foreign Political Director Mark Lyall Grant was pressing his German counterpart to let the designations move forward for June 16; as a fall back the determinations might be authorized at a June 23 EU meeting, Williams said, but he was not certain that the Germans would agree to this. He described the timing of the designations as still an open question which may not be resolved until the June 14-15 weekend. (Embassy note. FCO's Coordination Office separately followed up with Embassy on June 13, telling Poloff that the Melli designation will not be on the June 16 GAERC agenda, but is now firmly on the agenda for the June 23 Agriculture and Fisheries session. End note).
5. (C) Williams said that there would be no action on LONDON 00001623 002 OF 002 adopting UNSCR 1803 "goldplating" into EU policy at the June GAERC. Most EU Members wanted to wait further to see how Tehran would react to the new P5 1 proposals and wanted to hear from Solana, who will brief the GAERC immediately upon his return from Tehran. Kosovo ------
6. (C) The UK does not expect any language on Kosovo in the GAERC conclusions or much general discussion, but will use the GAERC to lobby EU Members that have not yet recognized Kosovo independence. Williams said that FS Miliband plans to target his Portuguese and Maltese counterparts on the GAERC margins. Western Balkans ---------------
7. (C) The UK is pleased that the Stabilization and Association Agreement with Bosnia will be signed. The UK will make a statement urging rapid implementation in order to make clear the EU's commitment to Bosnia's future in Europe. Williams said that Greece was pressing for a GAERC conclusion on Macedonia's accession that would address the name issue; the UK is opposed to raising the name dispute in this context, joined by the Slovenian Presidency and "most" other Members, according to Williams. Williams said the issue may not be resolved until early on June 16 as Greece is refusing to drop the matter. Williams said that there would be no other statements and little discussion on the Western Balkans, other than perhaps a statement of welcome for the recent handing over a wanted war criminal to the ICTY. African Issues ---------------
8. (C) Sudan, the Great Lakes region, and Somalia will be discussed at the GAERC, Williams told Polcouns, but there will not be any formal conclusions. Zimbabwe is the most important African issue for the UK at the June GAERC. Williams said the UK is nearing agreement on a "strong text" that will express the EU's deep concern over the situation in Zimbabwe and recognize that the violence and intimidation thus far are cause for fears about how the election will be carried out. The UK wants the GAERC conclusions and discussion to set the stage for the June 18-19 European Council meeting shortly after at which the UK will press for discussion of post-election EU actions should the poll be as unfair as now appears. Ground Work for European Council Meeting ---------------------------------------
9. (C) Williams and Dean agreed that for the UK the most important aspect of this June GAERC is laying the groundwork for the subsequent European Council a few days later. Prime Minister Brown wants to focus the Council meeting on several of his economic and development priorities: coordinated actions in response to rising oil and food prices, encouraging progress on the Millennium Development Goals, and reforming international institutions like the Bretton Woods institutions. Brown, according to Williams, also wants to press the EU to move forward on Doha round negotiations. The UK goal for the GAERC is to lay the ground work for high-level action at the European Council meeting. Visit London's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX TUTTLE
Tags: PREL,PHUM,PGOV,ETRD,EAID,ZL,ZK,IR,IZ,IS,CU,SU,CD,CT,UK
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 001623 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2018 TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PGOV, ETRD, EAID, ZL, ZK, IR, IZ, IS, CU, SU, CD, CT, UK SUBJECT: UK ON CUBA, IRAN AND OTHER ISSUES AT THE JUNE GAERC REF: STATE 62450 Classified By: Political Counselor Richard Mills for reasons 1.4 (B) an d (D). Foreign Office officials provided to Poloffs on June 12 the responses below to ref points on key GAERC agenda items, as well as a general readout of UK expectations for the June GAERC meeting. Cuba ----
2. (C) The UK supports lifting the EU's Restrictive Measures on Cuba at the June 16 GAERC and initiating a human rights dialogue with Cuba, because other EU Members have agreed to review the dialogue's progress within a year, Paul Williams, the Foreign Office's new EU Corespondent, told Polcouns on June 12. Dean and Williams both agreed with ref points that the goal of an EU-dialogue with Cuba had to be release of political prisoners, free access to information and freedom for the EU to pursue "Track Two" engagement with civil society, but that other EU Members believed listing these specific benchmarks in the GAERC conclusions was counter productive. The UK, Williams said, might have agreed to list specific benchmarks in the GAERC conclusions, but there was "not enough support" for this among other EU members. Williams and Dean confirmed that the EU's two-track policy remains in place.
3. (C) In a separate conversation the same day, Matthew Forbes, the Foreign Office's Caribbean Office Chief, told Poloff the UK had scored "quite a victory" by achieving agreement in the EU that to continue the dialogue after one year would require an affirmative consensus of all EU Members, rather than the dialogue with Havana continuing unless a consensus of all states acted to end it. According to Forbes this affirmative approach gives each individual EU Member state much more leverage with the Cubans; the UK could act alone to stop the dialogue in a year, if the Cubans interfere with the UK outreach to Cuban dissidents or refuse to engage with London. Under current EU policy, as Forbes explained it, EU Members like the UK who reach out to the opposition are isolated, leaving the discussions with the regime on human rights to EU Members such as Spain. Forbes told Poloff that the agreement on mechanics of the one-year renewal would not be spelled out in the GAERC conclusions, but be the subject of a confidential side agreement among Members. Havana would learn about the mechanics in any case, as the Spanish leak information to them on all developments inside the COLAT, Forbes added. Forbes echoed his EU colleagues and said that the EU's twin-track policy is still in effect. Forbes said that the GAERC conclusions, although not containing benchmarks for a dialogue, would make reference to human rights, which would itself irritate Cuba and might delay the start of the dialogue. Iran ----
4. (C) EU Correspondent Williams said the UK wanted action taken at the June GAERC on designation of Bank Melli and other individuals associated with Iran's nuclear programs and was pressing hard "to do it now," but German objections made it "increasingly uncertain" that the designations would be taken at next week's GAERC. According to Williams, the Germans want to wait "several weeks" after EU Commission Solana presents the P5 1 enhanced incentives package to Tehran, before moving forward with the designations. Williams said Foreign Political Director Mark Lyall Grant was pressing his German counterpart to let the designations move forward for June 16; as a fall back the determinations might be authorized at a June 23 EU meeting, Williams said, but he was not certain that the Germans would agree to this. He described the timing of the designations as still an open question which may not be resolved until the June 14-15 weekend. (Embassy note. FCO's Coordination Office separately followed up with Embassy on June 13, telling Poloff that the Melli designation will not be on the June 16 GAERC agenda, but is now firmly on the agenda for the June 23 Agriculture and Fisheries session. End note).
5. (C) Williams said that there would be no action on LONDON 00001623 002 OF 002 adopting UNSCR 1803 "goldplating" into EU policy at the June GAERC. Most EU Members wanted to wait further to see how Tehran would react to the new P5 1 proposals and wanted to hear from Solana, who will brief the GAERC immediately upon his return from Tehran. Kosovo ------
6. (C) The UK does not expect any language on Kosovo in the GAERC conclusions or much general discussion, but will use the GAERC to lobby EU Members that have not yet recognized Kosovo independence. Williams said that FS Miliband plans to target his Portuguese and Maltese counterparts on the GAERC margins. Western Balkans ---------------
7. (C) The UK is pleased that the Stabilization and Association Agreement with Bosnia will be signed. The UK will make a statement urging rapid implementation in order to make clear the EU's commitment to Bosnia's future in Europe. Williams said that Greece was pressing for a GAERC conclusion on Macedonia's accession that would address the name issue; the UK is opposed to raising the name dispute in this context, joined by the Slovenian Presidency and "most" other Members, according to Williams. Williams said the issue may not be resolved until early on June 16 as Greece is refusing to drop the matter. Williams said that there would be no other statements and little discussion on the Western Balkans, other than perhaps a statement of welcome for the recent handing over a wanted war criminal to the ICTY. African Issues ---------------
8. (C) Sudan, the Great Lakes region, and Somalia will be discussed at the GAERC, Williams told Polcouns, but there will not be any formal conclusions. Zimbabwe is the most important African issue for the UK at the June GAERC. Williams said the UK is nearing agreement on a "strong text" that will express the EU's deep concern over the situation in Zimbabwe and recognize that the violence and intimidation thus far are cause for fears about how the election will be carried out. The UK wants the GAERC conclusions and discussion to set the stage for the June 18-19 European Council meeting shortly after at which the UK will press for discussion of post-election EU actions should the poll be as unfair as now appears. Ground Work for European Council Meeting ---------------------------------------
9. (C) Williams and Dean agreed that for the UK the most important aspect of this June GAERC is laying the groundwork for the subsequent European Council a few days later. Prime Minister Brown wants to focus the Council meeting on several of his economic and development priorities: coordinated actions in response to rising oil and food prices, encouraging progress on the Millennium Development Goals, and reforming international institutions like the Bretton Woods institutions. Brown, according to Williams, also wants to press the EU to move forward on Doha round negotiations. The UK goal for the GAERC is to lay the ground work for high-level action at the European Council meeting. Visit London's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX TUTTLE
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