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O 091522Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4850
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0181
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 0105

C O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 001110 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2016 
TAGS: PREL EUN KPAL UN YI MW SR BO IR PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL: JUNE 12 GAERC READOUT 
 
REF: STATE 91167 
 
Classified By: P/E Officer Rhonda Ferguson-Augustus for reasons 1.4 (b/ 
d). 
 
¶1. (C) P/E officer delivered reftel demarche June 8 to MFA 
Deputy European Correspondent Ana Filomena Rocha.  Rocha 
observed that Kosovo would not be on the agenda and proceeded 
to address the following reftel points: 
 
Balkans 
------- 
2, (C) Montenegro:  The Montenegrin Parliament's declaration 
of succession was followed up with a letter from Prime 
Minister Milo Djukanovic to the EU.  The EU is urging a 
harmonious transition process between Montenegro and Serbia. 
Rocha said that Portugal hoped that Serbia would be the first 
country to recognize Montenegro, so as to send the message of 
its acceptance of Montenegrin independence and its commitment 
to working constructively with it in the future. 
 
¶3. (C) Serbia and ICTY: The EU has suspended negotiations 
with Serbia on the Stabilization and Association talks.  At 
this point, the EU is unsure how the new Montenegrin 
independence will impact Serbian actions, and is concerned 
with its diminishing influence with Serbia.  Rocha cautioned 
that Serbia couldn't be pushed too hard; at the same time, it 
would be counterproductive to leave the country behind in 
accession talks.  However, she emphasized, the EU cannot 
compromise on ICTY compliance and will continue to seek 
Serbia's deliverance of Ratko Mladic and other war criminals 
to the Hague. 
 
Iraq 
---- 
¶4. (C) Rocha said the EU and Portugal were heartened by 
recent Iraqi appointments of ministers of Defense and 
Interior and thought that the government was starting to gain 
momentum.  On an upbeat note, she informed P/E officer that a 
contingent of Iraqi police and magistrates had arrived June 5 
to begin training in Portugal. Rocha was unaware of any 
planned visits to Iraq by members of the GOP. 
 
Cuba 
---- 
¶5. (C) Rocha said that the EU was in the process of 
reevaluating their Cuba policy, taking into account those who 
prefer more engagement with the Cuban government -- an 
approach favored by Portugal -- and the faction led by the 
Czech Republic and Poland which prefers to focus on increased 
support for Cuban dissents.  Recalling that one of the EU 
pillars was dialog, Rocha opined that the EU Cuba policy 
should embrace a dialog with the Castro government, given the 
negative impact of the 'freezing' of relations last year. 
Dismissing the Czech proposal as one of trying to make their 
bilateral problem into a multilateral one, Rocha demurred 
when asked about including in the EU policy timelines and 
benchmarks related to support for the Cuban opposition. 
 
Palestinian Assistance 
---------------------- 
¶6. (C) The EU is moving to establish a temporary mechanism 
for assistance delivery to the Palestinian people.  Rocha 
expressed concern that the humanitarian needs of the 
Palestinian people be met, including addressing the issue of 
subsidizing salaries. 
Hoffman