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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001419 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE K SHARP, BELGRADE PASS TO PODGORICA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2018 
TAGS: EU PHUM PREL PGOVZL ZI SO TU YI RS BE
SUBJECT: FORTHCOMING EU FONMIN MEETING (GAERC) SEPTEMBER 
15-16, BELGIAN RESPONSE TO OUR DEMARCHE 
 
REF: STATE 096598 
 
Classified By: (U) Classified by Elizabeth Ewing, Acting Pol/Econ Couns 
elor.  Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) On September 12, MFA Director for EU External 
Affairs Filip David told Poloff Heimann the following: 
 
¶2. (C) Zimbabwe 
David said that the COREPER (i.e., EU Permreps)-drafted 
conclusions of the forthcoming GAERC included extending the 
EU sanctions beyond what they are now -- though David was not 
sure that they would include all of what the U.S. sanctions 
program contains.  But, given the overnight news that 
"apparently" the two sides have reached -- though not yet 
signed -- an agreement, the EU fonmins are likely to want to 
hold off until the next GAERC (October 13) making any 
statement in order to take the time to examine the agreement 
closely. If during this weekend, however, developments 
suggest that the agreement is a "non-starter," then the GAERC 
will probably go forward with the sanctions statement as 
drafted. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Somalia 
EU's intention to launch a naval operation is one with which 
all members agree and will be handled at the GAERC as an " A' 
point," meaning that it will appear in the conclusions of the 
GAERC without any further discussion.  There is, however, 
nothing in that text that specifically refers to the NATO-EU 
framework.  The EU, David says, is experiencing a "growing 
understanding" of just how bad the piracy problem is for EU 
and international safety and security at sea in the Somali 
and Horn straits. 
 
¶4. (C) Serbia 
--Serbia and Georgia (see septel) will be the two main topics 
of discussion at the GAERC.  David explained that the main 
question about Serbia to be considered at the GAERC is 
whether the EU will unfreeze the "interim agreement" (i.e., 
the economic portion) of the Stabilization and Association 
Agreement that was previously signed between the EU 
Commission and Council and Serbia, but which has not begun a 
ratification process -- neither at the European Parliament 
nor at member-state parliaments.  Indeed, the agreement's 
ratification process had been entirely frozen since the GAERC 
of April 29 pronounced a GAERC conclusion to that effect. 
David said that the purpose of freezing the entire agreement, 
with its Commission and member-state competencies, was in 
order to pressure Serbia to turn in indicted war criminals to 
the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia 
(ICTY). He noted that a similar strategy had worked with 
Croatia. 
 
--Now that the Serbs have handed over Karadzic to the ICTY, 
the question for the GAERC is: Should the Serbs have the 
ratification process of the economic part of the agreement 
unfrozen to encourage them to turn over the other major 
fugitives?  David explained that Belgian Foreign Minister De 
Gucht and his Dutch counterpart Verhaegen are both deeply 
committed to the eventual entry into the EU as full members 
of all the Western Balkan countries. But these two ministers 
insist that, as part of their progress towards that goal, the 
candidate countries must provide "full, unconditional 
cooperation with the ICTY".  De Gucht and Verhaegen think 
that the correct professional, non-political person to decide 
whether the Serbs are meeting that criterion is the ICTY 
Attorney General, Serge Brammertz.  Brammertz is leaving 
Belgrade today and will give his assessment to the EU. David 
expects that what the A-G describes will not meet the 
Belgo-Dutch requirements for unfreezing the ratification 
process for the economic portion of the agreement, much less 
the entire agreement. 
 
--The GOB believes that EULEX deployment should be to every 
part of Kosovo, including the North, though "perhaps not 
immediately."  The GOB also favors extension of the UNMIK 
mandate. 
 
¶5. (C) Turkey:  Not on the Menu this time. 
Although Turkey does not figure on this GAERC agenda, when 
 
BRUSSELS 00001419  002 OF 002 
 
 
poloff noted favorable mention of Turkey's actions in the 
Caucasus by FonMin De Gucht as reported in the Brussels paper 
Le Soir September 11, David pointed out that the GOB has 
always favored Turkish entry into the EU, however long it 
takes, and insists that no rpt no additional conditions be 
added to those in the original GAERC conclusion of Cophenagen 
in 1993. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Georgia: 
The GoB response to our demarche for the GAERC on Georgia is 
being sent septel. 
 
FOX 
.