US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE2531

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 002531 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2014 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, NL, EUN, NATO 
SUBJECT: AC/PDAS RECORD'S SEPTEMBER 28 MEETING WITH DUTCH 
MFA SECURITY POLICY DIRECTOR JOCHEMS 
 
REF: A. STATE 208511 
 
     B. STATE 207640 
 
Classified By: Classified by Political Counselor Andrew Schofer for rea 
sons 1.4 (B and D) 
 
 1. (C) Summary:  AC/PDAS Frank Record met with Dutch MFA 
Security Policy Director Maurits Jochems on September 28. 
The two reviewed a broad resume of arms control issues 
including the NPT, Non-strategic nuclear weapons, missile 
defense, FMCT, and a proposed U.S. landmine export ban.  They 
also discussed the EU China and Libya arms embargoes and the 
Iranian nuclear program.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arms Control 
Frank Record met with Dutch MFA Security Policy Director 
Maurits Jochems on September 28.  Jochems is the A/S-level 
official responsible for all "T" issues within the Dutch MFA. 
 PDAS Record expressed U.S. appreciation for the Netherlands' 
efforts in the Global War on Terrorism including Dutch 
deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He advised Jochems of 
his recent meeting with NPT RevCon Chair Duarte, which 
focused on U.S. Article VI commitments.  He also said that 
the U.S. and the Russians were working to develop joint 
language for the UN First Committee in addition to the 
improvement initiative.  Concerning Non-strategic nuclear 
weapons (NSNW), he raised the recent New Agenda Coalition 
paper (which the Dutch had agreed to) and underlined that 
this did not seem to have been fully vetted with all NATO 
members. 
 
3. (C) PDAS Record noted U.S. concerns about the possible 
lifting of the EU's China arms embargo.  He said that the 
U.S. had a great deal of difficulty seeing how proposed 
improvements to the EU's Code of Conduct on arms transfers 
would satisfy our concerns.  Jochems observed that the EU 
Presidency was in a sense a "poison gift," as the Netherlands 
was less in a position to present its own national views 
while holding the chair.  Jochems said that the Dutch 
understand U.S. regional security concerns in Asia, but he 
repeated familiar Dutch arguments that a strengthened EU Code 
of Conduct on arms transfers would capture more items than 
the current code.  He noted the December EU-China Summit in 
The Hague and said the Chinese would not be pleased if the 
embargo was not lifted. 
 
4. (C) Concerning a possible lift of the EU arms embargo 
against Libya, Jochems acknowledged a connection with the 
China arms embargo in that if the so-called "toolbox 
mechanism for post-embargo countries could be developed for 
the Libya case, it would help with China.  Jochems favored 
asking the Libyans to accept the toolbox retroactively if it 
could not be agreed prior to a lift.  He said the remaining 
obstacles to a lift of the Libya embargo were the Bulgarian 
medics situation and the toolbox. 
 
5. (C) On Missile Defense, PDAS Record said A/S Rademaker 
would be in Moscow shortly to discuss where the issue of 
ground-based interceptors in European countries.  Jochems 
said the Dutch MFA shares the lead for the GONL on this issue 
with MOD.  MFA is very interested in missile defense 
concepts, while MOD was more focused on their current budget 
shortfalls.  Jochems thought the Dutch were not doing so 
badly on missile defense in that they were procuring PAC3 
missiles for their Patriot launchers. 
 
6. (C) Jochems said that one success of the Dutch EU 
Presidency had been their insistence on a nonproliferation 
clauses in EU trade and association agreements.  He said that 
the Netherlands, the UK and Germany had stood firm on this 
issue, and that the EU agreement with Syria was now up for 
ratification.  Nevertheless, Jochems warned that this effort 
might have implications for the EU's relationship with 
Israel.  On the Iranian nuclear issue, Jochems observed that 
the EU3 effort had been stagnated but nevertheless an 
agreement had been arrived at concerning the November IAEA 
BOG Meeting.  The GONL was committed as EU President to "keep 
the EU together" as well as "keep the U.S. and the EU 
together" on this issue.  Procedurally, the Dutch remain 
unhappy at the way the EU3 had handles the issue (i.e., by 
cutting out other members).  Jochems noted MFA Secretary 
General Frank Majoor's recent meeting with NP/PDAS Burk in 
which he had asked about our envisioned scenario following a 
UNSC referral.  Jochems said he personally supported 
referral, and that it was not credible to endlessly continue 
the IAEA process. 
 
7. (C) PDAS Record raised the U.S. proposal for a landmine 
export ban and noted that this, as well as the U.S. Fissile 
Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) proposal, will need to be 
reconsidered in Geneva by the CD in January 2005.  He 
stressed that the U.S. was not trying to undermine the Ottawa 
Convention.  Jochems said the Dutch were grateful for the 
U.S. FMCT initiative as it had given the CD a "new lease on 
life," and might reverse the process of the CD losing 
accredited Ambassadors.  The Netherlands wants to develop an 
EU view on FMCT that "does not lose sight of the Atlantic 
relationship."  He did note the difference in views over the 
question of verification, and said it was politically 
difficult to avoid verification given that its role in the 
NPT.  The Dutch appreciate the U.S. landmines proposal, but 
the GONL believes this would be better addressed by Ottawa 
and the CCW.    PDAS Record said the U.S. continues to give 
priority to those institutions but said the real problem is 
the continued proliferation of landmines, noting they are not 
produced where they are used, and the U.S. proposal gets to 
the heart of this issue.  He said there was no prospect the 
U.S. would sign the Ottawa convention.  Concerning the FMCT, 
PDAS Record said the need was for effective verification. 
 
8. (U) PDAS Record has cleared this message. 
SOBEL