US embassy cable - 05DUBLIN112

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000112 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PTER, EUN 
SUBJECT: GAERC: GOI POSITIVE ON U.S.-EU RELATIONSHIP 
 
REF: A. STATE 9678 
 
     B. DUBLIN 30 
 
Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF MARY DALY FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D 
 
1. (C)  On January 27, POL/ECON Chief met with Gerard Keown, 
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) EU correspondent, to get 
Irish views on the upcoming GAERC (reftel points had been 
shared earlier in the week).  Keown opened the meeting with 
high praise for A/S Jones' January 15 consultations with EU 
political directors.  He said the meeting was especially 
productive, and the Irish were pleased that the U.S. and the 
EU shared a similar approach to the agenda and the mechanism 
of the President's February trip.  The Irish expect the 
Middle East to be the most prominent issue on the agenda, but 
also said that new EU members hope to hear the President 
reconfirm U.S. support for European integration.  When urged 
by POL/ECON chief to use Ireland's influence to encourage EU 
cooperation with the U.S., Keown responded that Ireland 
believes that the relationship with the U.S. is the single 
most important relationship the EU has. He said PM Bertie 
Ahern regularly stresses that point with his counterparts. 
Keown also expressed Ireland's high regard for U.S.-EU 
cooperation in Ukraine and for U.S. relief efforts following 
the Tsunami.  Details follow. 
 
--Tsunami.  Keown said that the Irish government had high 
praise for U.S. relief efforts in Asia.  DFA Sec General 
Gallagher reinforced the point in a subsequent conversation 
with the Ambassador.  Gallagher said that Irish officials on 
the ground had been deeply impressed by the work of U.S. 
forces, noting that American troops were often more helpful 
and more effective even than indigenous forces.  Keown, 
meanwhile, said the EU was moving gradually from immediate 
humanitarian concerns to focusing on reconstruction and 
economic activity.  He also said the EU is considering how it 
can better coordinate national contributions to future civil 
crises, and whether it should formalize civilian rapid 
response teams. 
 
--Ukraine.  Keown, who served as an EU election observer in 
Ukraine, said U.S.-EU cooperation in Ukraine was a terrific 
example of what we can accomplish together.  (State Minister 
for Development Lenihan had said the same in a speech earlier 
in the week.)  Keown expressed great satisfaction at the turn 
of events in Ukraine, and concern that Ukrainians might be 
disappointed at the pace and difficulty of reform. 
 
--Iraq.  Later on January 27, the GOI issued a statement very 
supportive of Iraqi elections (septel).  The statement 
follows much embassy advocacy at many levels. 
 
--Middle East.  Keown cited the Middle East as the most 
important issue on the agenda when the President comes to 
Europe.  Asked what Ireland hoped the visit would achieve, 
Keown said the EU would like to hear a public reaffirmation 
of U.S. commitment to the Road Map and to working with the 
Quartet. 
 
--Hizballah.  Keown first gave a bureaucratic answer to the 
question of designating the political wing of Hizballah as a 
terrorist organization, saying it was "under review within 
the EU."  When POL/ECON chief suggested that that was a 
non-answer, given the amount of time the issue had been 
before the EU, Keown agreed and said that the issue was 
stalled because some countries feared that designating 
Hizballah would polarize the situation further, especially if 
it led to Hizballah's social services being interrupted. 
 
--Iran.  Keown made the surprising comment that the EU felt 
there was no point in discussing Iran at the February 28 IAEA 
Board meeting, since the meeting comes ahead of the March EU3 
- Iran working groups.  He said the EU would be prepared to 
discuss Iran at the June meeting.  He said the EU was 
skeptical of whether its approach with Iran would work, but 
wanted to give the process a chance to succeed.  He said the 
first round of talks were "a good start," but emphasized that 
the EU must adhere to conditionality and not reward Iran 
unless it met the criteria set. 
 
--Balkans.  GOI supports the Luxembourg presidency's approach. 
 
 
--Cuba.  Ireland has no embassy in Cuba, but continues to 
review U.S. ideas on how it can support the opposition (ref 
b). 
 
--China. See septel regarding PM Ahern's January trip to 
China. 
KENNY