US embassy cable - 00THEHAGUE1950

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001950 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR S/NIS, EUR/WST, EUR/RPM, EUR/ERA, EUR/UBI 
DIR FSINNFATC FOR KOZAK 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2010 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, BO, NL, OSCE, EUN 
SUBJECT: DUTCH CONFIRM EU PLANS FOR MINISTERIAL TROIKA 
VISIT TO MINSK UNDERWAY 
 
 
REF: SECSTATE 122886 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY A/POLCOUNS ERIC LUNDBERG; REASONS 1.5 (B,D). 
 
 
1.(C)  DUTCH MFA UKRAINE/BELARUS OFFICERS CONFIRMED THAT THE 
FRENCH EU PRESIDENCY IS ASSUMING THE EARLIER EU TASKING TO 
THE PORTUGESE FOR A MINISTERIAL TROIKA VISIT TO MINSK BEFORE 
THE FALL ELECTIONS. THEY ATTRIBUTE THE IMPETUS FOR THIS HIGH 
LEVEL VISIT TO OSCE AMG HEAD AMB WIECK'S EARLIER APPEALS TO 
THE EU FOR HIGH LEVEL POLITICAL SUPPORT.  THEY NOTE THAT, 
WHILE THE NETHERLANDS PREFERRED A POLITICAL DIRECTOR LEVEL 
VISIT, MOST EU STATES OPTED FOR THE MINISTERIAL LEVEL BECAUSE 
THEY CONSIDERED THE CURRENT ELECTION WINDOW SUCH A HIGH 
PRIORITY.  ADDITIONALLY, THEY COMMENTED THAT THE PREVAILING 
SENTIMENT WITHIN THE EU IS THAT A VISIT TO MINSK MUST OCCUR 
BEFORE LUKASHENKO PROMULGATES A NEW ELECTION FRAMEWORK, 
OPERATIONALLY MEANING THE VISIT SHOULD OCCUR WITHIN THE NEXT 
TWO WEEKS. 
 
 
2.(C)  AS FOR THE VISIT'S GUIDELINES, THE DUTCH MFA OFFICIALS 
SAID THE TROIKA MINISTERS WOULD HEW CLOSELY TO THE OSCE 
TROIKA'S FOUR CONDITIONS AND COMMENTED THAT THE NETHERLANDS 
UNDERSTANDS THE NEED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO SPEAK 
TO LUKASHENKO WITH ONE VOICE.  THEY ADDED THAT THE 
NETHERLANDS WAS DEEPLY CONCERNED BY LUKASHENKO'S "BLATANT USE 
OF JUDICIAL PROCESSES TO MARGINALIZE AND LIMIT HIS POLITICAL 
OPPOSITION." 
 
 
3.(C)  ON A BILATERAL NOTE, MFA UKRAINE DESK OFFICER HANS 
SCHUTTE REMARKED THAT THE NETHERLANDS HOPES THE NEAR-TERM 
VISIT OF FOREIGN MINISTER VAN AARTSEN TO KIEV WILL  CONTRAST 
POIGNANTLY THE WESTERN COMMUNITY'S EMBRACE OF UKRAINE WITH 
ITS VERY CRITICAL ENGAGEMENT OF BELARUS.  SCHUTTE EXPLAINED 
THAT VAN AARTSEN PLANS TO PRAISE UKRAINE-NATO COOPERATION, 
SUCH AS THE RECENT SOFA FINALIZATION AND UKRAINIAN KFOR 
CONTRIBUTIONS, AS WELL AS DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE. 
 
 
 
 
TOKOLA