VZCZCXRO1777
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHUP #1144/01 3331526
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281526Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3643
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BUDAPEST 001144 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
OES FOR EGC 
EUR FOR PGI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG KGHG SENV HU US EUN
SUBJECT: CLIMATE CHANGE: OUTREACH TO HUNGARY ON U.S. 
ENGAGEMENT IN DECEMBER NEGOTIATIONS 
 
REF: A) STATE 119282 A) STATE 112885 (NOTAL) 
 
  ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Ambassador Foley delivered USG 
   talking points on the 14th Conference of the 
   Parties (COP-14) of the UN Framework Convention 
   on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to Hungarian Minister 
   of Environment Szabo on November 20, and ESTH Hub 
   Officer followed up with Hungarian climate change 
   negotiator Tibor Farago on November 26.  In both 
meetings, the GOH emphasized that tangible 
progress at the UN climate negotiations in 
Copenhagen is necessary to demonstrate to the 
public that leaders are serious about taking 
action to address climate change, and that a 
successful outcome cannot be achieved without 
U.S. commitments.  The GOH agreed that key 
developing countries like Brazil, China and India 
must also be included in a way that does not 
compromise their economic development.  The GOH 
suggested that it would be useful for either the 
U.S. or the UN to host a preparatory conference in 
the U.S. between the December 1-12 negotiations in 
Poznan and the targeted conclusion of international 
climate change negotiations in December 2009 in 
Copenhagen. 
 
¶2. (SBU) While the Hungarian position does not 
oppose the USG,s preference that COP-14 lay a solid 
foundation for Copenhagen without limiting the 
Obama Administration,s options, our sense is that 
the Hungarians would prefer that the U.S. make firm 
commitments and that they hope to learn more in 
Poznan about the incoming Administration,s 
policy position on climate change.  End summary. 
 
--------------------------- 
Meeting with Minister Szabo 
--------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ambassador Foley delivered USG talking 
points on COP-14 (ref A) to Environment Minister 
Imre Szabo in a twenty-minute meeting on 
November 20.  Szabo mentioned that the attendees 
at the October 13-14 informal ministerial meeting 
to discuss outcomes of COP-14 hosted by Poland in 
Warsaw (ref B) are looking forward with high 
expectations to America,s stance in Poznan. 
According to Szabo, the ministers in Warsaw all 
agreed that the U.S. has a decisive role on this 
issue.  He commented that a preparatory conference 
in the U.S. sometime between the Poznan and 
Copenhagen negotiations, hosted by either the 
USG or the UN would be beneficial.  The Minister 
emphasized that climate change is a global problem 
which requires a global response, and agreed with 
the U.S. that key developing countries like Brazil, 
China and India must be included in the process in 
a way that avoids undue economic harm.  Szabo noted 
that there is no consensus within the EU on issues 
such as the purchase by EU countries of rainforest 
land in developing countries to offset their 
emissions, and he did not comment on the expected 
EU position in Poznan. (Note: Tibor Farago, who 
represents Hungary at climate change negotiations, 
was in Brussels meeting with the EU and other member 
states on this subject on November 20.  End note.) 
Szabo reported that participants at the informal 
ministerial in Warsaw commented that failure to make 
progress in Copenhagen will undermine the chances of 
implementation of commitments to address change made 
in Kyoto, and create the public perception that 
governments were not serious about these commitments. 
The Minister expressed his own belief in the need for 
a positive outcome in Copenhagen, noting that without 
the U.S. such an outcome could not be implemented. 
 
------------------------- 
Meeting with Tibor Farago 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) On November 26, ESTH Hub Officer and ESTH FSN 
delivered the same talking points to Tibor Farago. 
Farago,s response to the talking points concurred with 
that of the Minister of the Environment.  Farago opined 
that the internal EU disagreements on the details of 
the EU climate package will not have an impact on 
COP-14.  He indicated that the EU delegations were 
interested in hearing what the official and 
 
BUDAPEST 00001144  002 OF 002 
 
 
"unofficial" U.S. delegations would have to say in 
Poznan.  ESTH Hub Officer advised Farago that our 
understanding is that President-elect Obama will not 
have representatives at COP-14. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU)  The GOH position does not preclude the USG,s 
preferred COP-14 outcome of progress on laying the 
ground work for the 2009 negotiations in Copenhagen, 
without tying the hands of the new Administration. 
However, our sense is that the Hungarians would prefer 
that the USG make firm emissions reduction commitments 
in Poznan, and they will likely try in Poznan to find 
out more about the Obama Administration's plans on 
climate change. 
Foley