US embassy cable - 05DUBLIN598

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000598 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, EUN 
SUBJECT: IRISH RESPONSE TO PRE-GAERC DEMARCHE 
 
REF: A. STATE 90085 
     B. DUBLIN 512 
     C. DUBLIN 542 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Jonathan Benton; Reasons 1.4 (B) 
 and (D). 
 
1.  (C) Summary: On May 18, Post delivered ref A talking 
points to Gerard Keown, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) 
EU correspondent.  Keown noted that Ireland viewed the China 
arms embargo in terms of the EU's opportunity to send a major 
political signal encouraging China to play a constructive 
international role.  He said that the SFOR-EUFOR transition 
in Bosnia and Herzegovina showed the EU's ability to assume 
more robust military responsibilities, and he remarked that 
Ireland was considering ways to support the expanded African 
Union Mission in Sudan in response to AU Chairman Konare's 
May 17 discussions with EU officials.  End summary. 
 
China Arms Embargo 
------------------ 
 
2.  (C) Going beyond ref A talking points, Emboff asked Keown 
to elaborate on indications from Prime Minister Ahern and DFA 
Secretary General Dermot Gallagher in recent discussions with 
 
SIPDIS 
the Ambassador that Ireland preferred to see the China arms 
embargo lifted (refs B and C).  Keown noted that, for 
Ireland, the issue centered on the EU's opportunity to send a 
major political signal that would encourage China to play a 
constructive international role, such as with UN reform, 
North Korea, and global trade.  The GOI had not initiated the 
proposal to lift the embargo, but wished to acknowledge 
changes in China since the Tiananmen era, including 
discernible, if slow, movement on human rights.  Echoing 
Gallagher's points, Keown said that it was unfair to put 
China in with the same category of rogue states as North 
Korea and Zimbabwe, which also faced EU arms embargoes.  At 
the same time, the GOI was aware of USG concerns and welcomed 
the opportunity to begin a strategic dialogue on East Asia. 
The GOI also sought to ensure that any action on the arms 
embargo would include concomitant efforts to prevent 
increases in EU weapons transfers to China.  Keown added that 
the arms embargo was not on the May 11 GAERC agenda and that 
the GOI did not expect a decision on the embargo anytime 
soon.  Emboff stressed that the Administration and Congress 
remained strongly opposed to the embargo's removal and would 
take serious interest in Ireland's position on the matter. 
 
ESDP 
---- 
 
3.  (C) Like the United States, Ireland and Member States 
were pleased with the SFOR-EUFOR transition in Bosnia and 
Herzegovina and with EUFOR's performance of its mandate, said 
Keown.  The transition showed that the Berlin-Plus 
arrangements were effective and that the EU was capable of 
assuming increasingly robust military responsibilities.  The 
Member States were also reviewing the transition with a view 
to fine-tuning Berlin-Plus.  Keown pointed out, however, that 
while Defense Ministers would attend the May 23 GAERC, 
EU-NATO cooperation was not on the agenda. 
 
Sudan 
----- 
 
4.  (C) Following AU Chairperson Konare's May 17 discussions 
with EU officials, Member States would reflect on "who might 
provide what" to meet EU procurements for the expanded 
African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), noted Keown.  The May 
17 discussions had advanced the EU's ongoing negotiations 
with the AU on logistical support for AMIS, which extended to 
transportation, housing, equipment, and technology.  The AU, 
exercising its UN-mandated lead role in Sudan, had been clear 
that it preferred to have European assistance rather than 
European troops.  Ireland would consider what material 
support to provide and would continue to review the 
possibility of contributing troops to a UN peacekeeping 
operation in Darfur.  (Note: We have reported previously that 
prospects for Irish troop contributions are slim, since 
Ireland already has soldiers in Afghanistan, Liberia, and 
Bosnia and is near its cap on the number of soldiers (850) 
who can be deployed overseas.) 
KENNY