Wikileaks - DCCXLIX
108275 5/15/2007 13:20 07THEHAGUE923 Embassy The Hague UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 07STATE62464 VZCZCXYZ0591 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHTC #0923 1351320 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 151320Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9174 INFO RUEHSS/OECD POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1995 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0426 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 1159 RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA PRIORITY 0263 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 1718 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0580 RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA PRIORITY 0668 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 0362 RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA PRIORITY 0173 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO PRIORITY 0165 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA PRIORITY 0450 RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN PRIORITY 0173 RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 2881 RUEHVT/AMEMBASSY VALLETTA PRIORITY 0261 RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS PRIORITY 0187 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0483 UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000923
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE SIPDIS
PARIS ALSO FOR USOECD
E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON, OECD, EUN, NL SUBJECT: DUTCH ON OECD ENLARGEMENT AND FINANCING REFORM
REF: STATE 62464
THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY.
1. (U) Econ Chief forwarded reftel points on May 10 to Peter Post, Head of the OECD Unit, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Post was not available to meet and discuss the points until May 14. Econ Chief also shared the points with Jerome Larosch, OECD Coordinator in the Trade Policy Unit, Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.
2. (SBU) Post said Trade Minister Frank Heemskerk planned to represent the Dutch at the May 15-16 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting. He noted the GONL welcomed the USG position on Russia and agreed with the approach outlined in the current draft Council report, which invites the Secretary-General to set out terms, conditions, and a process
SIPDIS for Russian accession. Post agreed that Russia did not currently meet OECD standards of open market reform and a commitment to democratic government, but said the GONL saw the accession process as the best means for encouraging such reforms.
3. (SBU) The GONL understood USG concerns that EU membership should not imply entitlement to OECD membership, Post noted. While the GONL supported eventual membership for all EU member states, he said the GONL would be willing to consider a "sequencing" of non-OECD EU member states. However, he cautioned that some countries (i.e., Russia) should not be allowed to use their accession to block the later accession of others (i.e, Baltic states).
4. (SBU) On the issue of financing reform, Post said the GONL could support new arrangements that better reflected the need for OECD members to cover their recurring costs. However, he questioned whether such steps might entail dramatic increases for smaller countries such as Iceland and Luxembourg. ARNALL
