US embassy cable - 05BRUSSELS1472

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001472 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR S/IRAQ ENVOY - AMB. JONES, NEA/I-R.OLSON, AND 
EUR/ERA; 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, IZ, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN COMMISSION THINKING ON INTERNATIONAL IRAQ 
CONFERENCE 
 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary.  The European Commission wants to see a 
successful U.S.-EU co-hosted Iraq conference in June, and is 
convinced this means keeping it to a one-day event, and 
focusing the agenda on next steps in Iraq between now and the 
next round of elections.  The EC is in synch with U.S. 
thinking on the conference, but has some concerns such as how 
to schedule 50-70 ministers' speaking time and whether a 
face-face preparatory meeting is necessary.  The EC also 
wants to see UN participation in the planning, hopes the 
Iraqi delegation will include civil society and Sunnis, sees 
Turkey as key to bringing Iraq's neighbors to the event, and 
is cool to the Japanese offer to be a third co-host. EC 
Middle East Director Leffler hopes to speak to EB A/S Wayne 
soon, and looks forward to Ambassador Jones' April 21 visit. 
End Summary. 
 
 
2.  (SBU) The European Commission has started to focus on the 
U.S.-EU co-hosted international conference on Iraq.  Key 
officials on the staff of EC Middle East Director Christian 
Leffler, who has the lead on the conference, met with Poloff 
and Development Counselor on April 13.  Keying off the points 
shared by EUR Acting A/S Bradtke with the EU at the April 11 
U.S.-EU Political and Security Committee Troika meeting 
(septel), the officials said the EC is in agreement with the 
U.S. on "95 percent" of the issues.  EC thinking on key 
issues is outlined below. 
 
Venue: Brussels or Luxembourg okay; but 70 ministers? 
-------------------- 
3.  (SBU)  EC is agnostic on whether Brussels or Luxembourg 
would work best, noting that the EC has never organized a 
70-delegation ministerial-level conference.  Of concern, 
regardless of venue, is how to organize a one-day ministerial 
conference with up to seventy delegations.  If even 50 
ministers are present, all will want three minutes to speak. 
In the EC's view, that is a formula for wasting a day with 
nothing to show at the end. 
 
Structure:  Keep it one-day and simple 
----------- 
4.  (SBU)  EC is concerned that, with only six weeks to plan, 
the conference should be focused on sending the right 
political message of support to the new Iraqi government.  It 
should be a one-day event; there isn't time to organize 
follow-on civil society or private sector gatherings. 
Rather, ministers could give mandates to other groups to 
follow up in these areas.  The EC also does not want to 
overburden the Iraqis with an overly ambitious agenda. 
 
Themes: Reconciliation, Int'l Support, Iraqi vision 
------------------ 
5.  (SBU) EC sees three objectives for the conference:  (1) 
promote "reconciliation" (i.e. Sunni participation); (2) 
demonstrate international support for the transitional 
government; (3) allow the new Iraqi government to articulate 
its goals and priorities between now and the next elections. 
This should not be seen as a donor pledging conference. 
Further funding is not being raised at this event and the 
emphasis is now on disbursement of existing pledged funds. 
The EC sees value-added for the conference by having it focus 
on the specific period between now and the next elections. 
They see the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs taking the 
lead, with Ministry of Planning in a support role. 
 
Prominent UN Role 
----------- 
6.  (SBU)  The EC wants to see a prominent UN role in the 
conference, to help UN Rep Qazi in his role. For example, the 
EC thinks the UN should be part of the small coordinating 
group that plans the conference. 
 
Cairo Preparatory Meeting: Too much? 
----------------- 
7.  (SBU)  The EC asked for more details on this idea.  Their 
concern is that a truly substantive preparatory meeting will 
divert resources from planning the conference itself.  If the 
preparatory meeting is not substantive, there's no reason to 
hold it.  EC would prefer to handle coordination through 
conference calls, much as donor coordination is handled, so 
decisions can be made quickly and on a regular basis, as 
planning progresses. 
 
Turkey 
------ 
8.  (SBU)  The EC sees Turkey as playing a key role to bring 
Iraq's neighbors to the conference. 
 
Iraqi delegation: Include Civil Society 
--------------- 
9.  (SBU) The EC believes it is essential that the Iraqi 
delegation include civil society, women, and Sunnis.  This 
will help address issues the international community can be 
expected to raise re reconciliation, human rights, and civil 
society. 
 
EU cool to Japan as co-host 
---------------- 
10.  (SBU)  The EU Presidency (Luxembourg) has informed Japan 
that it would welcome a special Japanese role in the 
conference, perhaps chairing a specific session, but is cool 
to the idea of co-sponsorship by Japan.  Our interlocutors 
like the notion of a U.S.-EU event and want to keep 
sponsorship limited.  Otherwise, why not include Canada or 
others, too? 
 
Next Steps:  EC Needs Iraqi Request for the Conference 
---------- 
11.  (SBU)  EC Middle East Director Leffler, who is traveling 
April 13 to Jerusalem, will try to contact EB A/S Wayne on 
April 13th or 14th to discuss these issues in more detail. 
The EC also looks forward to Ambassador Jones' April 21 
meetings in Brussels to help flesh out the way forward.  The 
EC sees the Amman donors conference as coming after the US-EU 
conference, being broader in scope, but held at the 
technical, vice political, level.  Finally, the EC reiterated 
it needs an official Iraqi government request for the 
conference. 
 
12.  (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
MCKINLEY 
.