US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS4951

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 004951 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/UMB AND EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2009 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, BL, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: EU ON BELARUS PARTICIPATION AT CEI SUMMIT 
 
REF: SECSTATE 244290 
 
Classified By: USEU POLOFF LEE LITZENBERGER REASONS 1.4 (B,D) 
 
1.  (C)  We presented reftel demarche to Commission and 
Council officials on 17 November, asking their support in 
pressing the Government of Slovenia to rescind its invitation 
of a senior Belarus government official to the November 24-26 
Central European Initiative (CEI) Summit hosted by Slovenia. 
The EU is unlikely to put additional pressure on the 
Slovenes.  The Council explained that it approached Slovenia 
two months ago with a concern that Lukashenko might attend, 
and urged the Slovenes to keep attendance below the level of 
Prime Minister.  Slovenia therefore acted according to the EU 
guidance it had received. 
 
2.  (C)  The Commission noted that Slovenia's position was in 
line with EU policy to limit bilateral contacts, but not 
multilateral contacts.  Additionally, according to the 
Council Belarus desk, a potential EU visa ban on the minister 
in question would not apply to the CEI summit because it is a 
multilateral event.  Under the EU's policy, the Slovenes may 
not bilaterally meet with the Belarussian minister on the 
margins of the conference.  In response to our point about 
Greece and the EU's successful exclusion of Sports minister 
Sivakov from the Olympics, our Commission contact replied 
that this exclusion was based on Sivakov's direct implication 
in disappearances as related in the COE's Pourgerides report. 
 
3.  (C)  We pressed for the EU to reconsider its policy on 
multilateral events or, at least, consider making an 
exception to its policy at this event to send strong signals 
of disapproval and honor the spirit of the EU's "selective 
engagement" policy toward Belarus.  We argued that inviting a 
Belarusian official at the ministerial lever shortly after 
the elections and referendum on the elimination of term 
limits on the presidency, which fell significantly short of 
the OSCE's standards for democratic elections, could 
undermine the EU effort to publicly support democracy and 
human rights in Belarus.  The Commission official argued that 
the EU is unlikely to expand its "selective engagement" 
policy to multilateral events because EU Member States that 
neighbor Belarus, such as Poland and Lithuania, maintain they 
must have a means of engaging Belarus. 
 
4. (C)  The EU is meeting next Monday to prepare Conclusions 
on Belarus for the EU Foreign Ministers' GAERC on November 
22-23.  They are preparing to impose visa bans on officials 
responsible for electoral fraud and violation of human rights 
of demonstrators, but do not have a list of names.  The 
Council asked if we had a list of names we were considering, 
which we could share so we act on the same individuals.  We 
encouraged the EU to include consideration of the CEI issue 
in Monday's discussion.  However, it appears extremely 
unlikely the EU will approach Slovenia on this issue. 
McKinley