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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBW RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTC #0362 1151455
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241455Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1389
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHAT/AMCONSUL AMSTERDAM 3955
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASH DC

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000362 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EEB/IFD/ODF (CHARBAUGH), EUR/WE (TSMITH) 
TREASURY FOR DO/IA/IDP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREL TU NL
SUBJECT: DUTCH ON TURKEY'S CHANGE OF STATUS AT THE EBRD 
 
REF: STATE 41999 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Freek Keppels, Head of International Economy and 
Financial Institutions, Ministry of Finance (MOF), told 
Econoff April 24 that the GONL takes a "positive attitude" 
towards Turkey becoming a country of operation at EBRD but 
agrees with USG that a decision should not be made hastily. 
Keppels, along with Gerben Planting, Deputy Head of 
International Financial Institutions Section, Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, and Karen Rot, Senior Policy Advisor, 
Foreign Financial Relations Directorate, MOF, added that the 
GONL is amenable to expanding the EBRD's mandate going 
forward.  They explained, however, that the Dutch attached 
three caveats to any such expansion:  first, the EBRD should 
"stick to what it is good at;" second, an expanded EBRD 
mission must avoid duplication with other multilateral 
financial institutions; and third, any changes to the EBRD's 
mandate should enjoy a "wide consensus" and avoid alienating 
shareholders. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Regarding the USG proposal for an accelerated 
strategic review, Keppels said that a discussion of EBRD's 
fundamentals "appeals to us."  Rot predicted this would be a 
"tough discussion," especially coming on the heels of a 
contentious debate over the EBRD's dividend distribution and 
in advance of a scheduled 2009 capital adequacy review. 
Keppels and Planting said that before reaching a final 
position on the USG proposal, the GONL would need to gain a 
firm grasp on the following three questions: 
 
-- How broad should the strategic review be and how would it 
relate to the 2009 review of the EBRD's capital adequacy? 
 
-- What does the USG envision as the strategic review's 
outcome? 
 
-- Is it feasible to conclude a strategic review within a 
six-month timeframe? 
 
Gallagher