VZCZCXRO9103
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHLJ #0030/01 0231406
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231406Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6374
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0037
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0036
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0147
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LJUBLJANA 000030 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG ECON TSPL TRGY KSCA KGHG SI
SUBJECT: GOS OFFICIALS DISCUSS CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES WITH 
DRS. WATSON AND DIXON AHEAD OF MEM2 MEETING 
 
REF: SECSTATE 05908 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) On January 18 OES Climate Negotiator Dr. Harlan 
Watson and CEQ-NSC Senior Coordinator for Energy Security and 
Climate Change Dr. Robert Dixon met with representatives from 
the Government of Slovenia (GOS) to discuss preparations for 
the various climate change meetings that will take place 
during Slovenia's EU presidency, including the upcoming 
Second Major Economies Meeting (MEM2) scheduled for January 
29-31 in Honolulu. Watson and Dixon met with MFA Director of 
the Americas Division Ambassador Roman Kirn, as well as 
Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Janez Podobnik. 
In both meetings Watson and Dixon stressed the importance of 
Slovenia's leadership in managing the processes involving 
energy and climate issues.  They emphasized the need to make 
concrete progress at the upcoming meetings and assured the 
Slovenes that MEM is designed to complement existing climate 
change processes, in particular the UNFCC.  GOS officials 
cautioned that Slovenia does not have the same authority on 
climate change issues as some of the larger EU member states, 
but noted that it has set discussion of energy and climate 
change as one of the top priorities for its EU presidency. 
Stressing that they hoped to make a connection between the 
MEM process and the U.S.-EU Summit, the Slovene officials 
said that the GOS hopes to play a constructive role in the 
debate to help achieve solid deliverables for the Summit. END 
SUMMARY 
 
 
Looking at Energy/Climate As a Deliverable for U.S.-EU Summit 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Kirn told Watson and Dixon that the energy and 
climate change would be one of the key transatlantic issues 
during Slovenia's EU presidency.  Kirn said that Slovenia 
hoped to use its presidency to encourage high level dialogue 
between the U.S. and the EU on the issue.  Kirn noted that 
the U.S. and EU have made a lot of progress on the climate 
change issue since the U.S.-EU summit in Washington last 
April and that Slovenia seeks to build on those advancements. 
 Kirn expressed the hope that future U.S.-EU progress on 
climate change would complement existing processes.  Dixon 
assured Kirn that MEM is designed to complement existing 
processes and that it would use the Bali action plan as a 
guideline. Kirn said he was glad to see that MEM process was 
part of the UN process to lead to a post-2012 framework. 
Both Watson and Dixon urged Slovenia to exercise strong 
leadership to make progress on these difficult issues. 
 
Managing the Climate Change Calendar 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶3. (SBU) Dr. Watson and Dr. Dixon expressed concern about the 
need to manage the complex climate calendar in the upcoming 
months.  They offered U.S support to GOS in managing the 
calendar during Slovenia's EU presidency.  Watson mentioned 
that there would be four meetings over the coming year in 
preparation for Copenhagen COP in December 2009.  Although 
the exact dates for some of these events have not been set, 
Watson indicated that there is likely to be a Leaders Summit 
in mid-2008.  Both the U.S. experts and the MFA agreed on the 
utility of aiming for deliverables for the U.S.-EU summit 
scheduled for sometime in June.  Dixon emphasized the need 
for concrete action and suggested that the U.S. and EU expand 
the March 3 high level dialogue on energy to either include 
climate or hold a high level dialogue on climate back-to-back 
in order to discuss possible deliverables for the U.S.-EU 
summit. Kirn did not commit on the timing of the sustainable 
development and climate high level dialogue, but said 
Slovenia was flexible.  He agreed on the need to lay the 
foundation for joint action and pledged to work closely with 
Washington to promote U.S.-EU cooperation on the issue. 
 
Preparing for MEM2 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) In their meeting with Minister Janez Podobnik, who 
was joined by Environment Undersecretary Andrej Kranjc and 
Bostjan Paradiz, Watson and Dixon focused on preparations for 
the upcoming MEM2 in Honolulu.  Minister Podobnik informed 
Watson and Dixon that he would unfortunately not be able to 
 
LJUBLJANA 00000030  002 OF 002 
 
 
attend the event, but that Andrej Kranjc would lead 
Slovenia's delegation in his stead.  Podobnik commented that 
the MEM process was an important contribution to post-Bali 
action.  Podobnik reiterated that climate change is a 
priority for Slovenia's Presidency.  He mentioned that he had 
been in touch with the Environmental Ministers from Germany, 
France and the U.K. and planned to visit Rome next week. 
Paradiz expressed concern that the UNFCC process maintain 
primacy, and Dixon assured him that the U.S. is mindful of 
that, supports the Framework Convention, and seeks to find 
the balance between the two processes.  The U.S. is looking 
for concrete deliverables in the MEM.  Watson and Dixon 
stressed that success would have to include China and India. 
 
¶5. (U) Podobnik inquired whether the U.S. would be able to 
accommodate a larger EU delegation.  (Note: Kranjc 
participated in MEM1 and at Bali.  End Note.)  Kranjc said 
Slovenia's delegation representing the EU presidency would 
include the following delegates, which responds to reftel: 
--Mr. Andrej Kranjc, Slovenia 
--Mr. Bostjan Paradiz, Slovenia 
--Mr. Tadej Furlan, Slovenia 
--Mr. Thomas Becker, Denmark 
--Mr. Bo Lidegard, Denmark 
--Mr. Humberto Rosa, Portugal 
--Mr. Fausto Brito e Abreu, Portugal (Note: Embassy Lisbon 
has informed us that Fausto Brito e Abreu will not attend. 
It is uncertain at the moment who from the Portuguese 
Ministry will take his place. There is the possibility that 
one delegate from Poland will attend, but the Poles have not 
contacted Kranjc. End Note.) 
 
¶6.  (U)  Dr. Watson and Dr. Dixon have cleared this cable. 
COLEMAN