VZCZCXYZ0015
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBS #1871/01 1581139
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 071139Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5593
INFO RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY 0220
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY 0453
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 2350
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 7982
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0211

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001871 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
RABAT FOR BUSH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2017 
TAGS: PREL MILI CG BE
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S INITIAL MEETINGS WITH PM VERHOFSTADT 
AND FM DE GUCHT 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR SAM FOX, REASONS 1.4.B AND D. 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: IN AN HOUR-LONG MEETING, AMBASSADOR REVIEWED 
WITH PM VERHOFSTADT KEY ISSUES IN THE U.S.-BELGIAN 
RELATIONSHIP INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT'S CLIMATE CHANGE 
INITIATIVE, TROOPS FOR AFGHANISTAN, AND RECONSTRUCTION AID 
AND DEBT RELIEF FOR IRAQ.  PM REVIEWED PROSPECTS FOR THE 
FEDERAL ELECTIONS, WHICH WILL HAPPEN ON JUNE 10, AND PRESSED 
THE AMBASSADOR TO SUPPORT AN INTERNATIONALLY SANCTIONED TRIAL 
FOR JOSEPH KONY OF THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY.  IN A SHORTER 
MEETING WITH FM DE GUCHT, AMBASSADOR REVIEWED THE SAME 
ISSUES, PRESSING DE GUCHT FOR TO MEET SACEUR'S REQUEST FOR 
MORE TROOPS FOR AFGHANISTAN, AND DISCUSSED PROSPECTS FOR 
DEALING WITH RUSSIA ON KOSOVO. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) AMBASSADOR FOX, ACCOMPANIED BY DCM IMBRIE, MET FOR AN 
HOUR WITH PM VERHOFSTADT ON MAY 6.  PM'S NATIONAL SECURITY 
ADVISOR CHRIS HOORNAERT JOINED THE MEETING.  AFTER INITIAL 
GREETINGS AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE AMBASSADOR'S POSTING, PM 
REVIEWED THE IMPROVEMENT IN U.S./BELGIAN RELATIONS FROM THE 
LOW POINT OF 2003.  HE NOTED PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT TO 
BELGIUM IN FEBRUARY 2005 AND HIS SPEECH AS THE TURNING POINT. 
 VERHOFSTADT SAID THAT THE NATO/EU FOREIGN MINISTERS 
TRANSATLANTIC MEETINGS WHICH HE HAD PROPOSED HAVE BECOME AN 
EFFECTIVE MECHANISM FOR DISCUSSIONS WHICH TRANSCEND NATO AND 
EU INTERESTS, HIGHLIGHTING SPECIFICALLY DR. RICE'S EFFECTIVE 
"DE-DRAMATIZATION" OF THE CIA FLIGHTS ISSUE IN THE 
TRANSATLANTIC MEETING IN 2006. 
 
¶3. (C) AMBASSADOR AND DCM SUBSEQUENTLY MET WITH FM DE GUCHT 
WHO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY HIS CHEF DE CABINET, DIRK ACHTEN, HIS 
DEPUTY CHEF DE CABINET FOR TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS WALTER 
STEVENS, AND HIS DIRECTOR FOR WESTERN EUROPE AND THE 
AMERICAS, LUC DE VOLDER.  DE GUCHT, JUST BACK FROM A LONG DAY 
OF CAMPAIGNING IN THIS LATE EVENING MEETING, DISCUSSED ISSUES 
OF U.S. AND BELGIAN INTERESTS MORE BRIEFLY BEFORE EXCUSING 
HIMSELF TO RETURN TO THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. 
 
--------- 
ELECTIONS 
--------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) VERHOFSTADT REVIEWED THE JUNE 10 BELGIAN ELECTIONS, 
TELLING THE AMBASSADOR THAT OTHER THAN FOR THEIR MEETING, HIS 
TIME WAS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY DEDICATED TO CAMPAIGNING.  HE WAS 
LESS THAN OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE PROSPECTS FOR HIS OPEN VLD 
PARTY IN THE ELECTIONS AND SAID THAT POLLS INDICATE THAT EACH 
PARTY FAMILY IS PREDICTED TO RECEIVE ROUGHLY THE SAME NUMBER 
OF VOTES.  IF EACH RECEIVES BETWEEN 40 AND 44 SEATS, 
VERHOFSTADT THOUGHT A SIX-PARTY COALITION WOULD BE LIKELY, 
BUT IF ONE PARTY FAMILY RECEIVED SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER SEATS, 
THE OTHER FOUR PARTIES WOULD LIKELY JOIN FORCES.  HE 
PREDICTED THAT IT WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME TO FORM A NEW 
GOVERNMENT, VERY LIKELY NOT TO BE AGREED UNTIL LATE SUMMER. 
 
-------------- 
CLIMATE CHANGE 
-------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) AMBASSADOR RAISED THE PRESIDENT'S CLIMATE CHANGE 
INITIATIVE WITH THE PM, EMPHASIZING U.S. LEADERSHIP IN 
SEEKING A GLOBAL FRAMEWORK TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES AND 
REVIEWING THE LOW LEVEL OF U.S. EMISSIONS DESPITE STRONG 
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND POPULATION INCREASE.  VERHOFSTADT, WHO 
HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN BRIEFED ON THE INITIATIVE, NOTED THAT THE 
PRESIDENT'S INITIATIVE PUT AN END TO DISCUSSION OF WHETHER 
CLIMATE CHANGE WAS HAPPENING SO THE WORLD COMMUNITY COULD 
FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS.  HE NOTED BELGIUM'S PLANS TO BUILD 
200-300 MEGAWATT WIND GENERATION PARKS.  IN RESPONSE TO THE 
AMBASSADOR'S QUESTIONS ABOUT NUCLEAR ENERGY, VERHOFSTADT SAID 
THAT HE WOULD (IF HE WERE TO BE IN OFFICE) CLOSE THE OLDEST 
AND SMALLEST OF BELGIUM'S REACTORS, AND REPLACE THEM BY 
FOURTH GENERATION REACTORS, WHICH WOULD PRODUCE 200 TIMES 
LESS RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND 3000 TIMES LESS RADIOACTIVITY THAN 
CURRENT GENERATION REACTORS. 
 
--------- 
UN ISSUES 
--------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) AMBASSADOR FOX THANKED THE PM FOR BELGIUM'S STAUNCH 
SUPPORT ON THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS ISSUE AND FOR ITS 
CHAIRING THE IRAN SANCTIONS COMMITTEE IN THE UNSC.  HE NOTED 
THE CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BELGIUM AND THE U.S. 
IN THE UNSC AND ASKED THE PM'S VIEWS ON THE KOSOVO 
RESOLUTION.  THE PM SAID HE HAD NO CLEAR IDEA IF RUSSIA WOULD 
 
ABSTAIN OR VETO THE RESOLUTION, HOPING THAT PRESIDENT BUSH'S 
MEETING WITH PUTIN COULD HELP PUSH THEM IN THE RIGHT 
DIRECTION. 
 
--- 
DRC 
--- 
 
¶7. (C) IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ON THE DRC, THE PM SAID THAT 
HE HOPED THAT KABILA COULD OPEN TALKS TO RECONSIDER OLD 
CONTRACTS WHERE THE DRC'S NATURAL RESOURCES WERE BEING 
EXPLOITED WITHOUT ANY BENEFIT TO THE GOVERNMENT OR THE 
CONGOLESE.  THE PM RAISED THE ISSUE OF ESTABLISHING AN 
INFORMAL INTERNATIONAL BODY TO ADVISE KABILA ON ECONOMIC 
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES.  HOORNAERT NOTED THAT THE MONUC EXTENSION 
RESOLUTION APPROVED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SUCH A MECHANISM, 
BUT IT HAD YET TO COME INTO BEING. 
 
----------------------------------- 
KONY AND THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) PM VERHOFSTADT TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT HE WANTED TO 
RAISE AN ISSUE OF GRAVE PERSONAL CONCERN TO HIM, AN ISSUE HE 
HAS RAISED WITH DR. RICE, PRESIDENT SARKOZY, AND PM BLAIR 
AMONG OTHERS.  JOSEPH KONY, LEADER OF THE LORD'S RESISTANCE 
ARMY, WHO HAS DEVASTATED UGANDA AND SUDAN WITH HIS CHILD 
SOLDIERS, WAS NOW IN THE EASTERN CONGO AND WAS TRYING TO FORM 
A NEW ARMY IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC.  THE PM WANTS TO 
FIND SOME WAY TO BRING KONY TO TRIAL, NOTING THAT THIS WOULD 
BE AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE TO OTHER AFRICAN WARLORDS THAT 
IMPUNITY WOULD NOT BE TOLERATED.  HE DID NOT CARE WHETHER IT 
WAS A NATIONAL, A MULTINATIONAL OR AN INTERNATIONAL COURT. 
THE POINT WAS TO HAVE A TRIAL.  DCM SUGGESTED THAT THE 
BELGIANS MIGHT WANT TO START WITH THE SOUTH AFRICANS AND TRY 
TO BUILD SUPPORT IN THE UNSC FOR A UNSC PRESIDENTIAL 
STATEMENT SUPPORTING A TRIAL MECHANISM.  (NOTE: THE PM'S 
INTEREST IN THIS SUBJECT HAS BEEN SPARKED BY A KAMPALA-BASED 
BELGIAN JOURNALIST WHO RECENTLY WROTE A BOOK ABOUT KONY AND 
HIS CRIMES.  THE BOOK HAS BECOME A MUCH TALKED ABOUT SUBJECT 
IN BRUSSELS.  END NOTE) 
 
----------- 
AFGHANISTAN 
----------- 
 
¶9. (C) AMBASSADOR THANKED THE PM FOR BELGIUM'S MILITARY 
PARTICIPATION IN ISAF SINCE THE BEGINNING, BUT NOTED SACEUR'S 
REQUEST FOR BELGIUM TO CONTINUE ITS PRESENCE IN KABUL AND TO 
PROVIDE OMLT AND CST-A TEAMS AND TO FILL THE VACANT BILLETS 
IN ISAF HEADQUARTERS.  VERHOFSTADT SAID THAT BELGIUM WOULD 
NOT ONLY STAY AT THE KABUL AIRPORT, BUT WOULD INCREASE ITS 
PRESENCE THERE BY 40 TROOPS IN OCTOBER AND WOULD TAKE OVER 
COMMAND OF THE DETACHMENT.  THE TRAINING TEAMS, HOWEVER, WERE 
A "NEW" COMMITMENT.  DCM ASKED IF THIS MEANT THAT THE 
CARETAKER GOVERNMENT COULD NOT MAKE THIS DECISION.  NOTING 
SINCE BELGIUM WAS ALREADY COMMITTED TO ISAF, HE ASKED IF THIS 
COULD THIS NOT BE CONSIDERED A DECISION THAT COULD BE MADE 
BEFORE THE NEW GOVERNMENT WERE FORMED.  THE PM COMMITTED TO 
REVIEW THIS WITH THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND GET BACK TO THE 
AMBASSADOR. 
 
---- 
IRAQ 
---- 
 
¶10. (C) AMBASSADOR THANKED THE PM FOR BELGIUM'S 
RECONSTRUCTION ASSISTANCE AND OTHER CIVILIAN SUPPORT TO IRAQ 
AND ASKED IF BELGIUM COULD NOT DO MORE.  FOR EXAMPLE, THE 
AMBASSADOR ASKED WHEN BELGIUM WOULD COMPLETE RELIEF OF IRAQ'S 
DEBT.  THE PM NOTED THAT BELGIUM HAD FORGIVEN 2/3 OF THE 
DEBT, BUT THAT WHILE THEY HAD COMMITTED TO FORGIVING THE 
REMAINDER OF THE DEBT, FOR BUDGET REASONS IT WOULD NOT BE 
DONE UNTIL 2007 OR 2008.  THE AMBASSADOR PUSHED BACK, 
SUGGESTING THAT AS THIS WAS A BOOKKEEPING ISSUE, NOT A CASH 
FLOW ISSUE, BELGIUM SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMPLETE ITS DEBT 
FORGIVENESS NOW, AS IT SHOULD NOT IMPACT ON THE BUDGET 
NEGOTIATIONS.  PM SAID HE WOULD EXPLORE THIS WITH THE BUDGET 
OFFICE AND GET BACK TO THE AMBASSADOR. 
 
----------------- 
RUSSIA AND KOSOVO 
----------------- 
 
¶11. (C) THE FM TOLD AMBASSADOR THAT HE EXPECTED CONTINUING 
PROBLEMS WITH RUSSIA ON KOSOVO IN THE UNSC.  RELATIONS 
 
BETWEEN THE WEST AND RUSSIA WERECOMPLEX.  FOR EXAMPLE, 
RUSSIA WAS COOPERATINGON IRAN, BUT POSTURING OVER MISSILE 
DEFENSE.  BELGIAN PERMREP VERBECKE RECOMMENDED THAT IN 
COORDINATION WITH US PERMREP KHALIZAD THEY PRESS RUSSIA TO 
ABSTAIN ON THE KOSOVO RESOLUTION IN JUNE, BUT THE FM SAID HE 
WAS NOT CONFIDENT OF A BREAKTHROUGH.  DE GUCHT SAID THAT IF 
IT WERE OPPORTUNE, HE WAS READY TO TRAVEL TO RUSSIA TO TALK 
TO LAVROV, WITH WHOM HE HAS MET FREQUENTLY.  IF THE RUSSIANS 
VETO, THINGS IN KOSOVO WILL BE IN A BAD STATE -- THERE WILL 
BE NO BASIS FOR THE EU MISSION AND NOT ALL OF THE EU MEMBERS 
WILL RECOGNIZE A UNLATERAL DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.  IN 
ANSWER TO A QUESTION FROM THE AMBASSADOR, DE GUCHT SAID THAT 
THERE MAY BE SOME VIOLENCE AND ETHNIC CLEANSING, BUT SERBIA 
WILL NOT ATTACK AND NATO TROOPS SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTAIN ANY 
WIDE-SPREAD VIOLENCE. 
 
--------- 
ELECTIONS 
--------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) DE GUCHT, A FLEMISH LIBERAL (THE SAME PARTY AS THE 
PM), SAID THAT THE OUTCOME OF BELGIAN ELECTIONS WAS UNCLEAR. 
THERE MAY BE MONTHS OF NEGOTIATIONS TO FORM A GOVERNMENT, 
CERTAINLY ONE WILL NOT BE AGREED UNTIL AUGUST.  HIS PARTY'S 
BEST HOPE WAS FOR THE LIBERALS AND CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS TO 
FORM A COALITION, LEAVING THE SOCIALISTS IN OPPOSITION.  BAD 
RELATIONS BETWEEN THE WALLOON LIBERAL AND SOCIALIST LEADERS 
WILL MAKE IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTINUE WITH THE CURRENT 
LIBERAL/SOCIALIST COALTION. 
 
----------- 
AFGHANISTAN 
----------- 
 
¶13. (C) AMBASSADOR RAISED THE ISSUE OF ADDITIONAL TROOPS FOR 
AFGHANISTAN.  THE FM ASSERTED THAT THE CARETAKER GOVERNMENT 
COULD NOT MAKE THIS DECISION; CONSTITUTIONALLY THIS IS OUT OF 
BOUNDS UNTIL A NEW GOVERNMENT IS IN PLACE.  DE GUCHT NOTED 
THAT, PERSONALLY, HE SUPPORTED THE US REQUEST, BUT THE 
GOVERNMENT COULD NOT MAKE SUCH A COMMITMENT NOW.  BELGIUM 
CONTINUES TO PROVIDE ECONOMIC AND RECONSTRUCTION HELP AND 
NOTED THAT VERY DAY TWO AGRICULTURAL AGREEMENTS TO SUPPORT 
AFGHANISTAN HAD BEEN SIGNED.  (NOTE: IN IMPLEMENTATION OF 
BELGIUM'S THREE-YEAR, 30 MILLION DOLLAR ASSISTANCE 
COMMITMENT. END NOTE) 
 
-------------- 
CLIMATE CHANGE 
-------------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) AMBASSADOR REVIEWED THE PRESIDENT'S CLIMATE CHANGE 
INITIATIVE WITH THE FM IN THE SAME TERMS AS WITH THE PM.  THE 
FM CONSIDERED IT A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT WAS 
DISAPPOINTED THAT THE US WAS NOT WILLING TO AGREE TO AN 
EMISSION CAP, NOTING THAT NEW EUROPEAN STATISTICS 
DEMONSTRATED THAT BELGIUM WAS MAKING PROGRESS TOWARDS ITS 
KYOTO GOALS AND NOTED THE EU'S RECENT GOAL OF 20 PERCNET 
REDUCTION IN EMISSIONS. 
FOX 
.