US embassy cable - 05DUBLIN683

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000683 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 
TAGS: ASEC, PREL, EUN 
SUBJECT: IRISH RESPONSE TO DEMARCHES ON U.S.-EU 
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON IRAQ 
 
REF: A. STATE 93742 
 
     B. STATE 103222 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Jonathan Benton; Reasons 1.4 (B) 
 and (D). 
 
1.  (U) On June 2, Post delivered ref A talking points to 
Stephen Dawson, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) First 
Secretary for the Middle East and North Africa.  Dawson said 
 
SIPDIS 
that the Commission has been in touch with Member States 
about the June 21-22 U.S.-EU International Conference on 
Iraq, though Ireland has not yet received an invitation. 
Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern and DFA Political Director 
David Cooney plan to represent Ireland at the conference, 
assuming that Minister Ahern's duties as UNSYG Annan's 
Special Envoy for UN Reform do not require him to travel 
elsewhere on those dates.  To Dawson's knowledge, Ireland 
does not intend to announce any new forms of support for Iraq 
at the conference.  He noted that senior GOI officials have 
made frequent public statements in the Irish Parliament in 
support of Iraq's political, security, and economic 
institutions.  The GOI is also looking to allocate euro 1.5 
million that has not yet been spent out of Ireland's original 
euro 3 million reconstruction pledge for Iraq.  Dawson said 
that the lack of reconstruction activity has made it 
difficult for the GOI to identify recipients for the 
remaining funds.  During the week of June 7, the GOI will 
host Iraqi Deputy Minister for Planning and Development 
Cooperation, Dr. Fa'aq Abdul Rasrul, and nine other Iraqi 
officials for a five-day program focused on Ireland's trade 
and investment model.  Dawson offered to brief Post on the 
results of the visit. 
 
2.  (C) On June 3, the Ambassador and DCM discussed ref B 
talking points with DFA Secretary General Dermot Gallagher, 
who promised a more substantive response at a later time. 
Gallagher noted that Ireland planned to establish full 
diplomatic relations with Iraq, but did not intend to 
establish an Embassy as yet in Baghdad. 
KENNY