This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 003353 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2015 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID VE CU EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EUR PDAS VOLKER ENGAGES EU 
 
REF: A. A) USEU TODAY 09/09/05 
     ¶B. B) USEU TODAY 09/08/05 
 
Classified By: USEU POLOFF TODD HUIZINGA, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
 ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In his September 7-8 EU-related meetings in 
Brussels, EUR PDAS Kurt Volker stressed the need for a 
pragmatic U.S.-EU partnership, based on our common values, to 
solve problems globally.  With all of his interlocutors, he 
discussed the importance of working together to promote 
democracy and economic reform in the broader Middle East -- 
encouraging the EU especially to participate in the 
Fund/Foundation for the Future.  He also stressed advancing 
democracy in Europe and Central Asia, and increasing U.S.-EU 
cooperation on Venezuela and Cuba.  With the Commission 
officials covering transatlantic relations, Volker discussed 
upcoming meetings and follow-up to the June U.S.-EU summit. 
EU interlocutors were receptive to initiating closer 
consultations on promoting democracy and other common 
interests in the Middle East and globally, but reticent about 
contributing to the Fund/Foundation.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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WORKING TOGETHER IN THE BROADER MIDDLE EAST 
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¶2. (C) Volker's top priority was soliciting greater EU 
engagement jointly with the U.S. in the Broader Middle East 
and North Africa.  He discussed U.S. and EU programming and 
priorities in the Middle East in depth with European 
Commission (EC) Deputy Director-General Michael Leigh and 
Christian Leffler, EC Director for the Middle East and South 
Mediterranean.  Volker said that the EU's Barcelona Process 
and U.S. assistance efforts showed the U.S. and EU were going 
in the same direction.  The Fund for the Future and the 
Foundation for the Future offered important opportunities for 
the U.S. and EU to supplement their efforts by doing 
something together.  This would send an important political 
signal about our shared determination to support economic 
reform and promote democracy in the Middle East. 
 
¶3. (C) Leigh insisted that the EU catchphrase for cooperation 
with the U.S. on assistance to the Middle East remained 
"distinct but complementary."  He did not foresee the EC 
contributing directly to the Fund or the Foundation, as the 
EC's own funding instruments had "their own momentum."  This 
was especially the case because entirely new funding 
instruments were now being set up as a framework for EC 
development assistance beginning in 2007.  Getting agreement 
from all of the EU institutions and member states on the 
nature of these instruments, and now planning programming for 
the first time under the new regime, would continue to 
dominate the EC funding agenda for the Middle East. 
 
¶4. (C) That said, Leigh added, the EC was now programming 
their FY 2006-07 funds for the Middle East.  At this point 
there was still ample time for consultations with the U.S. in 
order to avoid overlap, ensure complementarity of funding, 
and coordinate on priorities.  Volker welcomed the initiative 
for deepening and broadening cooperation, particularly in the 
democracy and education spheres.  Leigh also described some 
of the EC's thinking for rewarding political reform in the 
region, by making extra funding available to countries that 
make progress on the democracy and human rights components of 
their Action Plans with the EU. 
 
¶5. (C) In a later meeting with Karel Kovanda, the EC Deputy 
Director-General responsible for transatlantic relations, 
Volker returned to the theme of the political and symbolic 
importance of EU involvement in the Foundation/Fund for the 
Future.  Kovanda agreed, but, with RELEX North America Unit 
Chief Gunnar Wiegand, echoed Leigh's comments about the EC's 
and member states' reticence about participating in a "common 
funding instrument" with the U.S., especially since the EC's 
new development assistance funding instruments were now being 
constructed.  Volker and USEU Charge McKinley stressed that a 
contribution would not affect other EU funding and could only 
make all of our efforts more effective by underlining U.S.-EU 
solidarity in promoting economic and political reform in the 
Middle East.  Kovanda said he was sympathetic, but he 
remained non-committal.  He said he would pass the message to 
Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner. 
 
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EC PREPARING AGREEMENT WITH IRAQ 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) On Iraq, Leigh said the EC was still moving ahead with 
plans to establish an EC Mission (Delegation) in Baghdad, but 
was still working through budgetary and security hurdles. 
Leigh said also that the EC would prepare for presentation to 
the member states, in the course of this fall, a set of 
directives that would govern negotiations on a trade 
agreement with Iraq that would include a development 
assistance component.  The EU would sign the agreement only 
with a constitutionally elected Iraqi government, but the 
negotiating directives were being worked out now so that the 
pact could be finalized as soon as possible after an Iraqi 
government is in place -- in order to send a political signal 
of support. 
 
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EU AND GULF STATES 
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¶7. (C) Since the EU's Barcelona Process and European 
Neighborhood Policy involve principally the countries that 
ring the Mediterranean, Volker asked Leigh and Leffler about 
the EU's relations with the Gulf states.  Leffler said 
relations were essentially economic, but that the EU was 
looking into how to broaden the relationship to include 
regional security, political reform and related issues. 
However, regional sensitivities regarding the EU's tendency 
to look at the internal political situation in partner 
countries remained strong. 
 
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ADVANCING DEMOCRACY IN EUROPE 
----------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) In his meeting with select EU Political and Security 
Committee (PSC) ambassadors, Volker praised the EU role in 
promoting democracy and economic reform in Ukraine, Georgia 
and the Balkans.  He said the prospect of EU membership had 
proven an important incentive for reform in those countries, 
and urged the EU to keep the door open.  For similar reasons, 
he said, the U.S. favored further NATO enlargement, with the 
prospect of NATO membership open to all those who fulfill the 
criteria.  On OSCE reform, Volker said the U.S. would insist 
on safeguarding the OSCE's primary area of strength -- 
promotion of democracy and respect for human rights, and its 
election observation activities, under the umbrella of the 
OSCE's Human Dimension. 
 
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SUMMIT FOLLOW-UP 
---------------- 
 
¶9. (C) EC Director for U.S. Affairs Richard Wright told 
Volker the EC was looking forward to a good Senior-Level 
Group (SLG) on September 19, and wanted to streamline 
preparation for future summits to avoid the large number of 
declarations that emerged at the last summit.  The Commission 
was working hard to complete its draft work program on 
implementing the economic declaration by the end of the 
month, and strongly supported the proposal of a high-level 
economic "event" in December.  Wright raised two specific 
bilateral concerns: the upcoming report on visa reciprocity 
which will have to deal with the sensitive issue of exclusion 
of ten EU member states from the visa waiver program, and 
concerns about France, Italy and Austria's inability to meet 
the new (extended) biometric deadline.  Wright also suggested 
the next East Asia Strategic Dialogue meeting should be an 
SLG-level affair concentrating on economic issues; he said 
the EU was waiting for confirmation of this idea from the 
U.S. side.  Finally, Wright requested a U.S. response to the 
proposal of EC President Barroso that a U.S.-EU High-Level 
Environmental Dialogue be launched. 
 
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IMPROVING COOPERATION ON VENEZUELA, CUBA 
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¶10. (C) In his meeting with Kovanda, Volker said the U.S. 
would like to work together more closely with the EU on Cuba 
and Venezuela.  On Cuba, we would like to see the EU do more 
for the democratic opposition, and build a consensus for a 
democratic transition on the island.  On Venezuela, the U.S. 
would be approaching the EU to discuss how to deal with 
common concerns about the weakening of democracy and Chavez's 
activities in the region.  Kovanda underscored Commissioner 
Ferrero-Waldner's interest in the region, and in coordination 
with the U.S. 
 
¶11. (U) This message has been cleared by EUR PDAS Kurt Volker. 
 
MCKINLEY