Cablegate: Dutch Thoughts On U.S.- Eu Visa Ban and Sanctions

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001779

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2010
TAGS: PREL ETTC CVIS PHUM SR NL EUN
SUBJECT: DUTCH THOUGHTS ON U.S.- EU VISA BAN AND SANCTIONS
COORDINATION

REF: A. SECSTATE 108488
B. SECSTATE 109535
C. BRUSSELS 3427
D. LONDON 4266

1. (C) SUMMARY: THE DUTCH ARE PLEASED THAT THE 6/13-14 EU GAC
ENDORSED MORE FREQUENT UPDATES OF THE EU SERBIA VISA BAN
LIST. THEY THINK THEY NOW HAVE A POLITICALLY RESPONSIVE TOOL
TO PRESSURE MILOSEVIC AND HIS REGIME. THEY STILL SUPPORT
CLOSER EU COORDINATION WITH NON-EU STATES ON FINANCIAL
SANCTIONS, BUT SEE LITTLE PROSPECT OF AN EU CONSENSUS ON THIS
POINT. THEY SUGGEST MORE AD HOC APPROACHES TO THIS PROBLEM
AND WELCOME FURTHER BILATERAL CONSULTATION WITH THE U.S.
FINALLY, THE DUTCH SAY THAT THE UK AND THE NETHERLANDS ARE
"BRAINSTORMING" ON HOW TO MANAGE ANTICIPATED AUGUST CALLS TO
DROP OUTRIGHT THE EU SERBIA FLIGHT BAN. END SUMMARY.

2. (C) IN 6/15 FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSIONS ON THE EU VISA BAN
PROCESS (REF. A) AND FINANCIAL SANCTIONS COORDINATION, THE
DUTCH SAID THEY WERE PLEASED THAT THE 6/13-14 EU GAC ENDORSED
MORE FREQUENT UPDATES OF THE EU SERBIA VISA BAN LIST. THEY
THINK THEY NOW HAVE A POLITICALLY RESPONSIVE TOOL TO PRESSURE
MILOSEVIC AND HIS REGIME. THEY CAUTION, THOUGH, THAT THIS
POLITICAL COMMITMENT COULD STILL PROVE ELUSIVE IN PRACTICE.
STILL, THEY HOPE TO BUILD ON THE GAC MOMENTUM FOR
IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL LEAD TO A MORE TRANSPARENT AND
SYSTEMATIC VISA NOMINATION AND MAINTENANCE PROCESS. "NOW ONLY
THREE OR FOUR COUNTRIES USE THE COREU MESSAGE SYSTEM, AS WE
AGREED, TO SUGGEST NAMES. AND THEN OFTEN NO ONE SAYS ANYTHING
TO EACH OTHER IN REPONSE TO THE SUGGESTIONS," ONE MFA
OFFICIAL DESCRIBED," OTHER (EU MEMBER STATES) MIGHT BE ACTIVE
LOCALLY AMONG EU CHIEFS OF MISSION IN BELGRADE (REF.D), BUT
THERE IS NO PROOF OF THAT. MUCH DEPENDS ON THE PRESIDENCY´S
REACTIONS TO THE COREU SUGGESTIONS AND THE LIMITED COMMENTARY
ABOUT THEM. WE NEED TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS."

3. (C) DUTCH NEXT STEPS ON THE VISA BAN LIST ARE TO OFFER VIA
COREU THE U.S.-SUGGESTED NAMES WITH THE CAVEAT THAT THEY
FORESEE LITTLE LIKELY EU CONSENSUS TO EXPAND THE LIST TO
INCLUDE FAMILY MEMBERS OF MILOSEVIC REGIME SENIOR OFFICIALS.
"A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE EU HAVE A PROBLEM IN PRINCIPLE WITH
THIS STEP," ONE OFFICIAL DESCRIBED. ANOTHER POINTED OUT THE
QUANDARY THAT PRESSURING MILOSEVIC CRONY FAMILY MEMBERS MIGHT
PRESENT TO THIS DUTCH GOVERNMENT. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE
CURRENT COLAITION IS QUIETLY TRYING TO FASHION A PUBLIC
CONSENSUS ON THE SUITABILITY OF THE PROSPECTIVE FIANCEE TO
DUTCH CROWN PRINCE WILLEM ALEXANDER, MAXIMA ZORREGUIETA,
WHOSE FATHER WAS AGRICULTURE MINISTER IN THE NOTORIOUS
ARGENTINIAN JUNTA REGIME OF GENERAL VILEDA. THE DUTCH
ALLOWED THAT THE PARALLELS ARE NOT EXACTLY COMPARABLE, BUT
THEY STILL WISH TO AVOID THE APPEARANCE OF ANY DOUBLE
STANDARD. ADDITIONALLY, THE DUTCH ASKED POINTEDLY SEVERAL
TIMES DURING THE LAST FEW DAYS WHETHER THE SERB OPPOSITION
"WAS JUST FEEDING THE U.S. NAMES?" POLOFF NOTED THAT THE
U.S. USES A BROAD NUMBER OF SOURCES, TO WHICH SEVERAL MFA
OFFICERS RESPONDED WITH COMMENTS INDICATING THAT EU MEMBERS
DISCOUNT OPOSITION VISA BAN CANDIDATE SUGGESTIONS HEAVILY,
FEARING ENTANGLEMENT IN INTER-OPPOSITION SCORE-SETTLING.

4. (C) AS TO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SVETOZAR MILOSEVIC FROM THE
RECENT EU LIST, THE DUTCH PROFESS TO BE "PUZZLED" AND
"LOOKING INTO THE QUESTION." THEY DO NOT SHARE THE
DISAPPOINTMENT ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL CASE AS REPORTED IN
REF.D, BUT DO SEEM GENUINELY
DETERMINED TO GET A PORTUGESE EXPLANATION ABOUT THE PROCESS
BY WHICH MILOSEVIC WAS DROPPED.

5. (C) FINALLY, THE DUTCH SAY THAT THE UK AND THE NETHERLANDS
ARE "BRAINSTORMING" ON HOW TO MANAGE ANTICIPATED CALLS TO
DROP OUTRIGHT THE EU SERBIA FLIGHT BAN WHEN THE CURRENT
SIX-MONTH SUSPENSION EXPIRES IN AUGUST. MFA OFFICIALS, WHILE
STRESSING THAT DUTCH-UK TALKS ARE JUST GETTING UNDERWAY,
GENERALLY OBSERVED THAT A LIKELY OUTCOME OF THE FALL EU
SANCTIONS REVIEW WOULD BE A DEBATE OVER "WHETHER TO JUST TO
DROP THE FLIGHT BAN ALTOGETHER TO PROTECT THE FLANKS OF THE
VISA BAN LIST OR FIGHT FOR ANOTHER SUSPENSION ACTION WITH THE
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION OF ITS APPROPRIATE LENGTH. HE ALSO
PREDICTED THAT THERE WOULD BE PRESSURE FOR "FURTHER
TARGETING, OR SPECIFYING, OF HOW THE OIL BAN SHOULD CONTINUE
TO BE IMPLEMENTED.

SCHNEIDER

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