US embassy cable - 03THEHAGUE2480

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002480 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, NL 
SUBJECT: NEW DUTCH FOREIGN MINISTER DESIGNATED - BERNARD 
"BEN" BOT 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Mary E. Daly reasons 1.5 (b & d) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  On September 30, Prime Minister Jan Peter 
Balkenende asked retired career diplomat Bernard Bot to 
accept the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs beginning in 
early December, 2003.  Bot declared himself "most willing" to 
accept the position.  The intention is for de Hoop Scheffer 
to stay in office through the OSCE Ministerial December 1-2. 
The primary reason for choosing Bot is the need for an 
accomplished technocrat to run the Dutch EU presidency.  Bot 
most recently served as the Netherlands' permanent 
representative at the EU between 1992 and 2002.  Prior to 
that, he was Dutch ambassador to Turkey and to NATO, as well 
as Secretary General of the MFA.  Privately, sources close to 
the Prime Minister told us that the Prime Minister insisted 
that foreign policy remain unchanged, especially regarding 
relations with the United States and Israel.  Bot's interview 
with the Prime Minister this weekend was reportedly very long 
and designed to assess whether he was willing to carry out 
the current policy line.  According to the PM's top political 
advisor, Balkenende was fully satisfied that Bot was strongly 
committed to the Atlantic partnership.  The Prime Minister 
passed over candidates from the political class.  While he 
would have liked CDA floor leader Maxime Verhagen in the job 
(the men are extremely close personally and on policy), he 
could not spare him from parliament.  Bot's resume follows. 
 
2.  (C)  Dr. Bernard Rudolf Bot 
Born November 21, 1937 in Batavia, Indonesia 
Widower, three children 
 
Education:  St. Aloysius College, The Hague 
Law studies, University of Leyden 
Academy of International Law, The Hague, 
Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Mass USA (LLM) 
Doctorate in law (cum laude), University of Leyden 
 
Career:  Joined the diplomatic service of the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs October 22, 1963. 
 
Postings:  1964 - 1970 - Brussels, Permanent Representation 
of the Netherlands to the European Communities 
1970 - 1973 - Buenos Aires 
1973 - 1976 - (East) Berlin 
1976 - 1982 - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague 
1982 - 1986 - Brussels, Deputy Permanent Representative of 
the Netherlands to NATO 
1986 - 1989 - Ankara, Ambassador 
1989 - 1992 - Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
The Hague 
October 1, 1992 - Brussels, Permanent Representative of the 
Netherlands to the European Union 
January 1, 2003 - Partner, Praaning Meines Consultancy Group 
 
Other Positions: 
Chairman, Association of the Members of the Diplomatic 
Service (1978 - 1982) 
Member of the Board of Governors, "Fondation Journalistes en 
Europe" 
Member of the Supervisory Board, Hotel School The Hague 
Chairman of the Advisory Board, Energy Charter Secretariat 
Member of the Board of Trustees of the European Centre for 
Work and Society 
Member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Tilburg 
 
Publications: 
Non-recognition and Treaty Relations (1968), edited by 
Sijhoff and Oceana 
Articles on the Common Market, European Political 
co-operation, NATO and various other political matters 
SOBEL