US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE2723

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 002723 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PTER, PGOV, ECON, NL, RU 
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/EU/RUSSIA:  SLOUCHING TOWARD THE SUMMIT 
 
Classified By: POLCOUNS ANDREW J. SCHOFER FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  According to the Dutch EU Presidency, the 
October 19 EU-Russia troika made only limited progress toward 
finalizing agreements in the four "common spaces" preparation 
for the November 11 EU-Russia summit. Outstanding differences 
remain in the areas of external security (where the Russians 
reportedly do not want to engage on the basis of the EU's 
"common neighborhood" policy with regard to the states of the 
former Soviet Union) and freedom, security, and justice 
(where Russian proposals to promote counter-terrorism 
cooperation have raised human rights and civil liberties 
concerns on the EU side.)  Although the EU insists that the 
four agreements should only be announced as a package, both 
sides have agreed to be flexible in implementing specific 
proposals if the package is not completed by the summit.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) Tony van der Togt, Director of the Dutch MFA's Office 
of Eastern and Central European Affairs, told POLCOUNS on 
October 20 that the EU-Russia Ministerial Troika on October 
19 in The Hague made only limited progress toward finalizing 
preparations for the November 11 EU-Russia summit.  Van der 
Togt noted that the "slow pace" of discussions made it 
unlikely that the EU and Russia would conclude agreements 
with regard to the "four common spaces" put on the agenda 
last year in St. Petersburg.  He stressed that the EU would 
continue to insist that all four agreements (which he 
characterized as "political declarations" or "roadmaps") 
should be treated as a single package and announced 
simultaneously. 
 
3. (C) Of the four "common spaces," van der Togt said that 
work in the common economic space (including trade, 
investment, telecommunications, transport, energy, and 
environment issues) and the "research, education, and 
culture" spaces had progressed the farthest.  Van der Togt 
noted that Prime Minister Fradkov's visit to The Hague on 
September 29 had helped smooth the way for the EU to offer 
Russia "most favored nation" status.  Russia's decision to 
ratify the Kyoto Protocol, he added, also removed an obstacle 
to improved economic relations.  Van der Togt noted that 
Russia had earlier tried to de-link environmental issues from 
the economic dialogue, but now understood that the EU could 
not engage fully unless its concerns in this area were taken 
seriously.  On the research/education/culture space, Van der 
Togt said that the only remaining questions to discuss fall 
into the category of "who pays for what" and would likely be 
resolved soon.  Van der Togt saw no major obstacles in 
principle to concluding roadmaps in both areas by the summit, 
although he reiterated any such agreements would not be 
announced until the full package was ready. 
 
4. (C) With regard to the "freedom, security, and justice" 
common space, van der Togt said that several "sticky 
questions" remained with regard to the appropriate role of 
human rights and rule of law discussions.  He added that the 
Russians had pushed hard to strengthen anti-terrorism 
cooperation, but had quickly run up against European civil 
liberties concerns by demanding the extradition of 
high-profile Chechen asylum seekers and restricting their 
access to the media.  (Note:  Van den Togt said that the EU 
deliberately chose not to raise Chechnya as a separate issue 
during the discussions, although he expected it would come up 
during the summit.)  Van den Togt said that there would be an 
experts-level meeting in Brussels to consider Russian 
proposals in this area, followed by a ministerial JHA meeting 
in Luxembourg next Tuesday.  The EU also plans to send EU 
Counter-terrorism Coordinator Gijs de Vries to Moscow in 
early November (prior to the summit) to explore possible 
areas of cooperation, which might be reflected in a joint 
summit statement.  Van der Togt was skeptical, however, that 
a roadmap for this space would be completed in time for the 
summit. 
 
5. (C) Van der Togt was even less optimistic about concluding 
a roadmap with regard to the final common space, "external 
security."  Van der Togt said that the Russian delegation did 
not want to engage on the basis of the EU's "common 
neighborhood" policy focusing on the states of the former 
Soviet Union.  According to van der Togt, the Russians 
increasingly view EU interest in this area as unwelcome 
interference in Russia's sphere of influence.  The Russian 
side also dismissed OSCE involvement the former Soviet space 
as lopsided and biased against Russian.  (Note:  Van den Togt 
noted that this message appeared inconsistent with the 
approach of the Russian mission to the OSCE, but stressed 
that Lavrov was quite blunt in expressing his views.) 
Although the EU side suggested updating mechanisms for 
addressing issues of common concern in Moldova and the 
Caucasus, van den Togt felt that the Russian side showed 
little interest in modifying processes that currently favor 
Russian interests.  The Russian side was also unrealistic, he 
said, in seeking a "visa free regime" with the EU by 2008 and 
pushing hard for EU concessions on Kaliningrad transit 
arrangements. 
 
6. (C) Despite the lack of substantial progress in some 
areas, van der Togt described the talks as "businesslike" and 
cordial.  There was no evidence of any remaining bad blood 
over FM Bot's earlier remarks about the Beslan tragedy, he 
added.  Both sides agreed that while the roadmaps would only 
move forward as a "package," they would exercise flexibility 
with regard to implementing specific positive steps if 
appropriate.  In any event, van der Togt said, the "roadmaps" 
would only cover the period from now until 2007 because the 
current EU-Russia association agreement expires in 2008 and 
will need to be renegotiated. 
 
 
SOBEL