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ACTION EUR-25
INFO OCT-01 EA-11 ISO-00 AEC-11 AID-20 CEA-02 CIAE-00
CIEP-02 COME-00 DODE-00 EB-11 FEA-02 FPC-01 H-03
INR-10 INT-08 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC-10 OMB-01 PM-07 RSC-01
SAM-01 SCI-06 SPC-03 SS-20 STR-08 TRSE-00 PA-04
PRS-01 USIA-15 AGR-20 NEA-11 IO-14 OIC-04 AF-10 DRC-01
/247 W
--------------------- 031587
R 141705Z FEB 74
FM AMEMBASSY DUBLIN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5392
INFO AMEMBASSY BONN
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
USMISSION EC BRUSSELS UNN
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS
USMISSION OECD PARIS UNN
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
UNCLAS DUBLIN 0220
STATE ALSO FOR T/IEP
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: ENRG, EEC, OECD, EI
SUBJ: ENERGY: IRISH REACTION TO WASHINGTON CONFERENCE
SUMMARY: IRISH MEDIA HAS GIVEN RELATIVELY MODERATE COVERAGE TO
WASHINGTON ENERGY CONFERENCE, WITH ONLY IRISH TIMES PROVIDING
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MUCH INFO. TIMES STRESSED THAT IRELAND HAD TAKEN "NEUTRAL"
POSITION. TRYING TO WORK OUT COMPROMISE ON CONFERENCE FOLLOW-
UP VIA OECD MACHINERY, IN ORDER MAINTAIN COHESIAN OF EC. EMBASSY
WILLFOLLOW-UP WITH IRISH DELEGATES TO CONFERENCE BUT WOULD
APPRECIATE ANY INFO AVAILABLE ON IRISH PARTICIPATION IH
WASHINGTON TALKS. END SUMMARY.
1. FEB. 14 IRISH TIMES REPORTED IRELAND TOOK "NEUTRAL STAND"
AT WASHINGTON MEETING. TIMES REPORTED DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS STATED FEB. 13 THAT IRISH INTERVENTION IN TALKS WAS
DIRECTED PARTICULARLY AT MAINTAINING COHESION OF EC NINE. PRIN-
CIPAL CONCERN OF IRISH DELEGATION WAS THAT DECISIONS SHOULD CON-
TRIBUTE TO A SOLUTION OF ENERGY CRISIS IN MANNER WHICH WOULD NOT
PREJUDICE SOLIDARITY OF COMMUNITY. IRELAND BELIEVED AS FAR AS
POSSIBLE FUTURE WORK SHOULD BE CARRIED ON BY EXISTING ORGANIZAT-
IONS, PARTICULARLY OECD, IN COOPERATION WITH PRODUCER AND DEVEL-
LOPING COUNTRIES. IRISH RADIO NEWS FEB. 14 QUOTED FONMIN FITZ-
GERALD ALONG SIMILAR LINES.
2. TIMES REPORTED IRISH TRIED TO ENSURE THAT FOLLOW-UP TALKS
SHOULD BE HELD UNDER OECD AUSPICES AND ALSO WANTED COMPREHENSIVE
ACTION PROGRAMM PREPARED BY CONFERENCE OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS OF
OECD. TIMES SAID THESE PROPOSALS WERE NOT SUPPORTED, HOWEVER.
3. IN EDITORIAL COMMENT FEB. 13 (WRITTEN PRIOR TO END OF CONFER-
ENCE), PRO-OPPOSITION IRISH PRESS NOTED FAILURE OF EC TO FIND
INTERNAL AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE, ENERGY, REGIONAL POLICY, AND
NOW OIL. PRESS SAID CURRENT "CRIES OF DESPAIR" HAD BEEN SPARKED
BY FRENCH ATTITUDE TOWARD WASHINGTON TALKS. PRESS CRITICIZED
FACT THAT FONMIN FITZGERALD HAD REPORTEDLY REMOVED HIS NAME FROM
LIST OF SPEAKERS, SAYING "IT MIGHT WELL BE THAT, DEPENDING SO
MUCH AS WE DO, ON THE SUPPORT OF FRANCE IN OUR DIRIVE FOR HIGHER
AGRICULTURAL PRICES WE DO NOT WISH TO OFFEND PARIS. BUT THERE
ARE TIMES WHEN LONG-TERM NECESSITY MUST OVERCOME IMMEDIATE
EXPEDIENCY." EDITORIAL HOPED THAT FONMIN WAS POURING OIL ON
TROUBLED WATERS BEHIND SCENES.
4. IRISH TIMES EDITORIAL FEB. 13 STRESSED DIVISIONS BETWEEN
US ANDFRANCE, STATING THAT FRENCH RESENTED WHAT THEY REGARDED
AS US ATTEMPT TO REINSTATE ITS AUTHORITY IN EUROPE. TIMES WENT
ON HOWEVER:
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"THERE IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR THE FRENCH VIEW
THAT THE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE IS REGARDED AS PROVOCATIVE BY THE
ARABS. NOTHING WILL BE GAINED BY GIVING THE IMPRESSION THAT THE
CONSUMER-NATIONS ARE GANGING UP ON THE PRODUCER-NATIONS. THIS
MAY BY WHY IRELAND, AT THE TIME OF WRITING, HAS ADOPTED A NEUTRAL
STANCE, WHILE WORKING FOR A COMPROMISE.
"THE ARABS, THE RUSSIANS AND THE FRENCH GENERALLY ADVOCATE
RECOURSE TO SUCH A BODY AS THE UNITED NATIONS - OR THE O.E.C.D. -
RATHER THAN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW ORGANIZATION. IT IS HARD
TO SEE HOW DR. KISSINGER'S PROPOSALS CAN PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE
SOLUTION, WHEN FACED WITH THIS KIND OF GLOBAL OPPOSITION. THERE
ARE SIGNS THAT ARAB UNITY ON THE PRICE AND DISTRIBUTION OF OIL
IS BEGINNING TO SHAKE APART; BUT THIS SHOULD NOT ENCOURAGE THE
WESTERN CONSUMER-NATIONS TO MAKE THE WRONG SORT OF GESTURE."
5. TIMES FEB. 14 EDITORIAL ALSO STRESSED FRENCH VIEWS, NOTING
THAT WHILE US CAN HOPE TO END FUEL IMPORTS BY 1980, EUROPE AND
JAPAN WILL CONTINUE TORELY HEAVILY ON MIDDLE EAST OIL AND THERE-
FORE MUST TAKE PARTICULAR CARE NOT TO OFFEND ARABS. TIMES NOTED
FAILURE OF IRISH EFFORT TO ACHIEVE COMPROMISE INVOLVING OECD
MACHINERY IN WASHINGTON CONFERENCE FOLLOW-UP AND STATED THAT
WHILE UNITY OF EC HAD TAKEN "ANOTHER KNOCK," "PARTNERS STILL
HAVE TOO MUCH TO LOSE TO ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE BROKEN APART
EVEN BY THE ENERGY CRISIS." MOORE
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