VZCZCXRO3444
OO RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHBS #1194/01 2401214
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 281214Z AUG 09
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA IMMEDIATE
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI IMMEDIATE
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA IMMEDIATE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001194 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS AF/FO FOR KEITH AND LASRY, AF/C FOR LAMORA AND 
EUR/WE FOR MARCUS 
PARIS PASS TO ROBERTA KANEDA FOR WOLPE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID MASSZF BE ZF
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR S/E HOWARD WOLPE'S MEETINGS WITH 
THE EUROPEAN UNION 
 
REF: A. A) STOCKHOLM 515 
     ¶B. B) BRUSSELS 1069 
     ¶C. C) USEU TODAY JULY 27 
 
Classified By: USEU POL MC, CHRIS DAVIS, FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) 
 
Summary: 
--------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Your visit will be welcomed as an opportunity to 
deepen US-EU cooperation in the Great Lakes region.  The EU 
has been heartened by the Obama administration's approach to 
Africa, and during A/S Carson's US-EU Troika on Africa 14 
July in Stockholm, it was noted that the U.S. and EU are more 
like-minded than ever before regarding the continent (REF A). 
 There are many openings for furthering cooperation with the 
EU on the DRC and Great Lakes.  Our contacts at the European 
Council in particular have been actively seeking more 
dialogue and closer coordination with the United States (REF 
B).   End Summary. 
 
Recent EU Engagement 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The EU continues to deepen its engagement in Africa. 
 The Cotonou Agreement, which is due for its second revision 
in 2010, has provided not only the framework and funding for 
that engagement, but is viewed by the EU as a useful 
structure for initiating political dialogue.  The Africa-EU 
Strategic Partnership is moving forward on eight fronts: 
peace and security; democratic governance and human rights; 
trade, regional integration and infrastructure; millennium 
development goals; energy; climate change; migration, 
mobility and employment; and science, information society and 
space.  EU involvement in the Great Lakes region is also 
increasing.  The funding for humanitarian actions in the DRC 
was 30 million euros in 2007 and 2008.  This increased to 45 
million euros in 2009.  In addition, many EU member states 
have significant bilateral assistance programs. 
 
Looking for U.S. Leadership 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Our contacts at the Commission, the Council, and 
ECHOhpt in closer coordinatio  The Council has been pa@ 
hoping for more from thrly active.  He he signals an 
intention fmoreconcerned abo suspension of the manda@o 
LRA-Affected Areas u 
and Eu restructure and rebuild 
the army.  Member States are divided over how much EUSEC 
should focus on strategic level advising, advocated by 
Belgium, as opposed to specific projects, an approach 
supported by the UK among others.  Among the promising 
successes of EUSEC is the chain of payments project, intended 
to help establish a corruption-free payment system for 
Congolese army units.  There is also tension between EUSEC 
and the European Commission over which organization should 
oversee specific projects, and disagreement among Member 
States over how much EUSEC should coordinate European 
bilateral efforts.  The EU is currently developing a new 
operations plan to take effect in October, but it will 
 
BRUSSELS 00001194  002 OF 002 
 
 
probably not resolve these tensions. 
 
¶5. (U)  You will meet with Mika-Markus Leinonen, Director of 
Civilian Crisis Management and Marco Solaini, Head of the 
Africa Section in the Civil Planning and Conduct Capability, 
who can speak to EUPOL issues.  You will also meet 
Claude-France Arnould, Director of Defense Issues at the 
Council Secretariat, who can speak to EUSEC issues.  Both 
EUPOL and EUSEC are increasing their efforts to combat sexual 
and gender-based violence.  Given the Secretary's recent 
strong comments and funding commitment, your counterparts may 
want to discuss potential areas of cooperation and 
collaboration.  They may want to know more about our 
initiatives, and may look to you to suggest specific areas 
where we can partner. 
 
The PSC Ambassadors 
------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C)  The Charge will host a lunch for you with some 
Ambassadors from the Political and Security Committee (PSC). 
This is an important group, as EU foreign and security policy 
is developed through a continuous process of consensus 
building in the PSC.  The PSC is made up of ambassadors from 
all 27 member states who meet at least twice a week to debate 
and prepare decisions on the full range of external relations 
issues of concern to the EU. Their discussions lead the way 
for agreed positions of their foreign ministers, who convene 
monthly at the General Affairs and External Relations Council 
(GAERC) meetings.  The PSC is led by the representative of 
the rotational EU presidency--at this time the Swedes.  They 
and we have asked that you meet with the PSC Ambassadors most 
closely involved in Africa. 
 
MURRAY 
.