VZCZCXRO9312
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHLI #2769/01 3411644
ZNY CCCC ZZH
P 071644Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO UEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5406
INFO RUEHZL/EROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0329
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKY PRIORITY 0486
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIRITY
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI PRIORITY 0038

C O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 2769 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2016 
TAGS: PRM PGOV PHUM PREL PO CH EUN YI SR BK IS
LEIR, TU, AFIN, KPAL 
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL'S POLICIES IN ADVANCE OF THE DECEMBER 
GAERC 
 
REF: A. SESTATE 195044 
 
     ¶B. SECSTATE 194456 
     ¶C. LSBON 2719 
     ¶D. LISBON 2736 
 
Classified By: ep Pol/Econ Counselor Cari Enav for Reasons 1.4 (b) and 
 (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Deputy 
Director for 
the Common Foreign and Security Policy Ana Filomena Rocha 
provided a review of MFA's preparations for the reftel 
December 11-12 European Union (EU) General Affairs and 
External Relations Council (GAERC) in a December 7 
discussion. On China, Portugal does not support any linkage 
between lifting the arms embargo and approving a legally 
binding instrument and predicts a stalemate on this issue at 
the meeting.  Portugal will continue to be the voice of 
moderation in EU-Turkey Accession talks and maintains its 
position of strict conditionality with regard to Serbia's 
accession talks. Spain's proposal for an International Middle 
East Conference would be discussed at the Dec 14-15 European 
Council meeting, not at the GAERC, according to Filamena 
Rocha. FM Amado has already stated that the Road Map should 
be the central framework for any peace agreement. At the 
GAERC, Javier Solana is expected to call on 
Israeli/Palestinian neighbors to play a greater role in the 
peace process and suggest that moderate Arab states 
participate in the next Quartet meeting. Portugal does not 
support the European Security and Defense Policy Initiative 
to work with the Lebanese Armed Forces, (preferring UN 
initiatives) nor does it support the initiative to train the 
Afghani Police Force. Portugal is concerned about 
developments in Iran and believes it is time to implement 
sanctions. 
 
CHINA 
 
¶2. (C) Filamena Rocha said that France is leading the call to 
lift the arms embargo and is threatening to block the 
approval of a legally binding instrument on arms export 
control if the embargo were not lifted.  Portugal does not 
support any linkage between the two and predicts a stalemate 
- with neither the arms embargo being lifted nor the legally 
binding instrument being approved.  She was non-committal 
with regard to Portugal's position on lifting the arms 
embargo, noting that Portugal did not have a particular 
interest in the issue. 
 
TURKEY EU ACCESSION: 
 
¶3. (SBU) Portugal will continue to be a voice of moderation 
during the current debate on Turkey's Accession to the EU and 
reaffirmed Portugal's support for Turkey's EU membership (ref 
c). 
 
WESTERN BALKANS: 
 
¶4. (C) Filomena Rocha commented that the EU was divided on 
Serbia's integration into the EU. Portugal belonged to the 
camp that wanted to maintain strict conditionality - that is, 
full ICTY cooperation and the handover of Mladic before 
resuming accession talks.  She noted that former 
Austro-Hungarian member states preferred a softer approach, 
enticing Serbia with a carrot rather than a stick. 
 
¶5. (U) Kosovo and Bosnia are not on the December 11 agenda. 
The EU plans to wait until after Serbia's January 21 
elections to discuss the situation in Kosovo further. 
 
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES: 
 
¶6. (C) Filomena Rocha said that Spain's call for an 
International Middle East Conference would be taken up at the 
Dec 14-15 European Council, not at the GAERC.  In a separate 
early December meeting, MFA Director for Middle Eastern 
Affairs Isabel Pedrosa told post that Portugal remained 
committed to the Roadmap as the central framework for any 
peace settlement, yet believed ways must be found to 
reenergize its implementation(ref D). At the GAERC, Filamena 
Rocha expected Javier Solana to call on the conflict's 
neighboring states to play a greater role in finding a 
lasting solution. He would likely underscore the need for 
greater financial and political commitments on their part.