US embassy cable - 05HELSINKI1022

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 001022 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2010 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KDEM, KPAL, FI, TU, EUN, EU-GAERC 
SUBJECT: FINLAND: TURKEY, IRAN AND CROATIA TO DOMINATE 
OCTOBER GAERC 
 
REF: STATE 153187 
 
Classified By: Polchief Gregory Thome, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: Finland believes discussions of Turkey and 
Iran are likely to dominate the Oct. 3 GAERC meetings.  The 
GOF is optimistic about an Oct. 3 start date for EU accession 
talks with Turkey, but fears that some member states may try 
to push prematurely for a statement regarding Croatia's start 
date.  The EU fully shares the U.S. goal of keeping nuclear 
weapons out of Iran; however, not all EU member states agree 
on how to achieve this goal and the GOF hopes the UK, France 
and Germany will produce a strong joint statement that 
creates unity within the EU on Iran policy. End Summary. 
 
2. (C) PolChief met with GOF EU Correspondent Jarno Syrjala 
Sept. 27 to discuss reftel talking points and Finland's 
priorities for the October 3 EU foreign ministers' meeting 
(GAERC) in Luxembourg.  Syrjala noted that discussions of 
Iran, Turkey, and possibly Croatia are likely to dominate 
GAERC discussions.  On Turkey, Finland continues strongly to 
support an Oct. 3 start date for EU accession talks.  Various 
members will continue to horse trade and float additional 
suggestions through the Sept. 29 COREPER meetings and likely 
right up until the ministers' meeting on Oct. 3, Syrjala 
predicted.  Nevertheless, the GOF is confident that "a 
ceremony will be held." 
 
3. (C) Syrjala expressed some concern that certain member 
states also may seek to "link" the start of talks with Turkey 
to a statement in favor of an earlier start date for Croatia. 
 The GOF continues to believe that Croatia must produce hard 
evidence that it is in full cooperation with the 
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia 
(ICTY) as a precondition for the start of EU talks with 
Croatia.  The best such evidence, Syrjala said, would be to 
hand over Gotovina.  However, Austria and some other member 
states suggested that "full cooperation" could perhaps be 
more loosely defined.  Syrjala emphasized that the GOF does 
not support softer definitions; remains convinced that the 
pressure currently being put on Croatia is working; and will 
not support a "premature" statement on Croatia. 
 
4. (C) On Iran, the EU fully shares the U.S. goal of keeping 
nuclear weapons out of that country, Syrjala said;  the 
problem is that not all EU members currently agree on how to 
get there.  Iran dominated large portions of the GYMNICH 
agenda in September, he added, but the discussions were 
inconclusive and there is not much clarity as to how unified 
the EU is internally.  The GOF is hopeful that the UK, France 
and Germany will produce a strong joint statement that charts 
a way forward and builds EU unity on Iran policy. 
MACK