US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS1766

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001766 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2014 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, PGOV, XI, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: APRIL 15 U.S.-EU TROIKA CONSULTATIONS ON 
THE MAGHREB (COMAG) 
 
 
Classified By: USEU Poloff David Armitage for reasons 1.4 (b,d). 
 
 1. (C) SUMMARY. On April 15, NEA/ENA Director Greg Berry led 
discussions on the Maghreb with the EU's Troika (COMAG). 
Issues discussed were: 
 
-- The Barcelona Process and European Neighborhood Policy: EU 
officials shared their views on the existing Barcelona 
Process and their new Neighborhood Policy in the context of 
their vision of an EU strategic partnership with the 
Mediterranean and Middle East. 
 
-- Greater Middle East Initiative:  The US provided a 
read-out of latest thinking.  EU officials cautioned that the 
G-8 should not go beyond a "statement of principles" at the 
Sea Island Summit. 
 
-- Algeria: Everyone agreed that the elections reflected the 
general will of the Algerians.  The EU believed that Algeria 
wanted to catch up with others in the region and hoped that 
the Association Agreement (yet to be ratified) would be a 
step in the right direction. 
 
-- Libya: The EU was encouraged by developments leading to 
Qadhafi's renunciation of WMD, but cautioned that the La 
belle disco and Bulgarian cases were acting as a constraint 
to formalizing EU-Libyan relations. 
 
-- Syria: The EU provided an update on the status of its 
Association Agreement with Damascus.  The agreement, the 
"last one in the ring" of the existing European-Mediterranean 
Partnership countries, also was the first one to include the 
WMD clause.  The EU believed that Syria is interested in 
ratifying to justify internal reforms, but the EU believed it 
would be delicate to get the wording and presentation right. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
 
EU Delegation 
------------- 
2. (U) The Irish EU Presidency was represented by 
Director-General for the Maghreb, Barcelona Process and the 
Gulf States Eamonn MacAodha, Deputy Director Paul Gunning, 
and Counselor to the Irish EU Mission Fergal Mythen.  The 
upcoming Dutch Presidency was represented by Middle East 
Department Director W.R. Beelaerts van Blokland, Middle East 
Desk Officer Angelique Eijpe, and Counselor to the Dutch EU 
Mission Remmert Cohen.  Mashrek/Maghreb Desk Officer Ruth 
Kaufmann-Buhler and Lene Hove, Desk Officer for Iran, Iraq, 
and GCC, represented the Council Secretariat.  Maghreb 
Division Head Leonello Gabrici, Deputy Xavier Marchal, and 
Deputy Head of Barcelona Process Division Michael Webb 
attended for the Commission.  The US Delegation included: 
Greg Berry, Director for Egyptian and North African Affairs 
for the Department of State; Kyle Scott, USEU Political 
Minister-Counselor; Patricia Lerner, USEU International 
Development Counselor; and David Armitage, USEU political 
officer (note taker). 
 
The Wider Region 
---------------- 
3. (C) EU officials outlined their existing Barcelona Process 
and their new European Neighborhood Policy.  Regarding the 
Barcelona Process, Irish delegation head Eamonn MacAodha said 
that Libyan membership was currently being discussed. 
Leonello Gabrici of the European Commission (EC) described 
the Neighborhood Policy as a new packaging of relations with 
these countries on the edge of the EU: with a political, 
security, and economic dimension.  Gabrici emphasized that 
the countries need a framework to support their internal 
reforms, and the Neighborhood Policy does that.  He added 
that the countries are eager to move forward on their 
individual Action Plans.  Berry noted that the EU's program 
resembled the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) in 
its emphasis on a regional approach. 
 
4. (C) Michael Webb of the Commission elaborated, saying that 
the Neighborhood Policy builds on the Barcelona Process to 
encourage "South-South" cooperation.  The first tangible 
example is the Agadir Agreement signed on February 25.  There 
will be a trade ministers meeting in July, and the EU hopes 
to pursue further trade liberalization in services, 
agriculture, energy, gas, electricity, and encourage 
infrastructure projects.  The EU envisions a blueprint for a 
transport connector and telecommunications regulations at the 
regional level. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is running 
ahead of schedule and has now invested 2 billion euros in the 
region.  The EIB's Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment 
and Partnership (FEMIP) is also interested in pursuing 
regional cooperation in judicial and police arenas, 
particularly with regards to developing an integrated 
approach to migration and fighting organized crime.  The EC 
would devote 10 million euros to a databank in 2005-06.  The 
Commission also had projects in audio-visual cooperation, 
cultural heritage, youth exchanges, and higher education, but 
Webb stressed that the Commission needed to raise its 
visibility.  The EU was "not good at publicizing our 
accomplishments." 
5. (C) Berry outlined latest thinking on the Greater Middle 
East Initiative (GMEI).  He reiterated that reform needed to 
grow out of democratic currents in the region itself, with 
support from the international community.  Democracy could 
not be imposed from outside.  In response to a question from 
the U.S. delegation about mixed signals from the EU on GME, 
EU officials said they were fully on board for the G-8 to 
issue a "Statement of Principles" on the need to support 
reform in the Middle East.  However, they prefer to leave a 
detailed Action to the US-EU summit later in June.  MacAodha 
pointed out that the G-8 included only some EU member states 
and the Commission, while the EU's flagship Barcelona Process 
is an EU-wide initiative that should remain separate and 
distinct from the G-8.  There was also discussion about the 
role of the Arab League, whose credibility everyone agreed 
was at an all-time low.  Berry noted that, despite the 
League's dubious record on reform, a declaration from the 
League would be very helpful, since it would represent an 
example of reform in itself, would offer a basis for the 
international community to support reform, and would provide 
political cover for national leaders. 
 
Algeria 
------- 
6. (C) The EU provided its views on the situation following 
President Bouteflika's 83% landslide victory in the April 8 
elections.  There was agreement that the outcome - although 
larger than expected - reflected the genuine will of the 
Algerian people.  Berry felt it was a real step forward and 
hoped it would serve as a model for the rest of the region. 
He said that US-Algerian relations were steadily improving, 
but from a relatively low base, and that US-European 
cooperation on shared concerns in Algeria was particularly 
important.  Gabrici believed that Algeria wanted to catch up 
economically, and the European Commission hoped to open a 
mission there soon.  He added that the EU-Algeria Association 
Agreement was not yet ratified. 
 
Libya 
-------- 
7. (C) Berry recounted the rapid turn of events leading to 
Libya's rapprochement with the international community. 
Berry stressed Libya's good faith in meeting its commitment 
to dispose of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), although 
there remained some areas for discussion and follow-up on 
WMD.  He noted that cooperation on terrorism was growing, and 
that Washington was studying Libya's performance on 
terrorism-related issues as part of the review of the 
potential removal of Libya from the list of state sponsors. 
Other areas - particularly human rights and Libyan policy in 
Africa - would have to be addressed as US-Libyan bilateral 
relations grew.  The Irish stated that the EU was generally 
pleased by the developments, but cautioned that the pace of 
normalization from an EU perspective depended on resolution 
of the La belle disco and Bulgarian cases. 
 
Syria 
----- 
8. (C) Gabrici described the status of the EU-Syria 
Association Agreement (AA) as the "last one in the ring" of 
the Barcelona Process, but it was also the first with the 
EU's insistence on a WMD clause.  EU officials believed that 
the Syrians were interested in ratifying the AA to justify 
internal reform, but the EU would have to tread carefully on 
how to present the WMD clause.  Both the language and the 
presentation were important, and the EU hoped to have an 
agreement within the next three weeks.  Berry encouraged the 
EU to remain firm on its proposed WMD language, and briefed 
on the structure and status of the Syrian Accountability Act. 
 
SCHNABEL