US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI4205

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 004205 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2015 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, IN, IZ, India-Iraq 
SUBJECT: INDIA DELIBERATING ON LEVEL OF BRUSSELS CONFERENCE 
ATTENDANCE 
 
REF: A. STATE 103222 
 
     B. NEW DELHI 4194 
 
Classified By: Acting DCM Geoffrey Pyatt, Reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
1. (C) Responding to Acting DCM's presentation of ref A 
demarche on Iraq, MEA Joint Secretary (Gulf) Sanjay Singh 
reported June 3 that GOI is still deliberating on its level 
of representation at the Brussels International Conference. 
Foreign Minister Natwar Singh is scheduled to be in London 
and Rome June 21-23.  A decision by the Minister to adjust 
his European calendar to attend the Brussels Conference would 
be a significant gesture furthering the GOI's expressed 
intention to step-up its involvement in Iraq (ref B). 
However, in our June 3 conversation Joint Secretary Singh 
refused to be drawn out on GOI intentions, committing only 
that New Delhi will be represented at the Brussels 
Conference.  Our EU colleagues, who demarched the GOI 
separately as a Troika, have warned that only Ministers will 
be given a speaking roll in Brussels, which gives the GOI 
another incentive to consider representation above the level 
of West Asia Special Envoy Gharekhan.  We will follow-up to 
encourage senior representation and additional offers of 
assistance in connection with Ambassador Jones' June 10 visit 
to New Delhi. 
BLAKE