INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Reply : Estonia On Arab League Support for Lebanon

Published: Fri 23 May 2008 09:57 PM
VZCZCXRO2517
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBC RUEHBW RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK
RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHC #5850 1442205
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 232157Z MAY 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN IMMEDIATE 5977
INFO ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 8495
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 5223
UNCLAS STATE 055850
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL SY EU LE EN
SUBJECT: REPLY : ESTONIA ON ARAB LEAGUE SUPPORT FOR LEBANON
REF: A. A. STATE 52061
B. B. TALLINN 174
1. (SBU) The Department appreciates Post's inquiry as to
how best to encourage the Estonian MFA to increase its
engagement in the Middle East, in particular in Lebanon and
Syria. Estonia's prior work in
Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and Kosovo provides it
with excellent credentials to promote democracy and market
reform.
2. (SBU) Past engagement with Syria by European
Foreign Ministers has been unproductive. If any engagement
must take place, the Department strongly prefers that
European Union High Representative Javier Solana be the
sole point of contact for the European Union with Syria.
Interlocutors are encouraged to desist from senior-level
travel to Syria unless there are direct humanitarian reasons
compelling such travel, and are also encouraged not to invite
Syrian officials to travel to their home countries.
2. (SBU) With respect to Lebanon, we encourage host
governments to provide tangible political, economic, and
security
support to the democratically-elected Government or its March
14
majority coalition in Lebanon and to ratchet up pressure
against
the Syrian regime and its proxies. Host governments should
support
the United Nations Special Tribunal for Lebanon and
condemn political violence. The Special Tribunal will
help bring to justice those responsible for the February
14, 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Economic assistance can be offered in the
form of grants and support to the Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF) or Internal Security Forces (ISF).
3. (U) For additional guidance, please contact NEA/ELA
Matthew Irwin at 202-647-1058 or IrwinMT@state.sgov.gov.
RICE
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media