UPDATE ON CZECH DIPLOMATIC AND RECONSTRUCTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 000534

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015
TAGS: PREL EAID EZ IZ IS
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON CZECH DIPLOMATIC AND RECONSTRUCTION
ACTIVITY IN IRAQ


Classified By: Political Officer Kim Krhounek for reasons 1.4(b) and (d
).


1. (C) Summary. On April 14, we met with Ivo Silhavy,
Director of the Middle East Department at the MFA, to discuss
the latest developments in Iraq. Silhavy described
Czech-Iraqi relations as "very good and very intense,"
building on prior contacts with the Iraqi Minister of Culture
and new Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. The MFA remains
committed to Iraqi reconstruction and has allocated their
entire 200 million Czech crown (approximately $8.7 US Dols)
Iraqi reconstruction budget; a fund that they successfully
protected from attempts to raid it after the tsunami disaster
in Southeast Asia. In addition, a separate "transformation
assistance" fund will continue to offer pilot programs
assisting Iraqi NGO's from 2005-08. The Czech Embassy in
Baghdad continues to operate with minimal staff until Czech
security services monitoring the security situation allow
them to return to normal staffing levels. The current Czech
Charge d'Affaires in Baghdad is slated to return home this
summer after two years in Iraq; his replacement is not yet
known. End summary.


2. (C) The Czechs have maintained their Iraqi foreign policy
focus through a difficult period in which other Ministries
attempted to raid their Iraq reconstruction budget after the
tsunami disasters in Asia, and the nearly two months of

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intragovernmental squabbling among coalition members that
caused the resignation of FM Svoboda on March 31. Silhavy
believes that the Czech commitment to Iraq will remain
intact, no matter who takes over the head of the MFA in the
weeks or months to come. The Czechs are maintaining close
ties with the current Iraqi government through the Iraqi
Minister of Culture, Mufid Mohammed Jawad al-Jazairi (who
worked for Czechoslovak radio in the 1960's and 70's and has
a Czech wife),and now the newly appointed President Jalal
Talabani. Talabani was hosted by the GOCR on a visit in June
2004 as the Czechs had foreseen he would play an important
role in the new Iraqi government. Talabani also met with
former President Vaclav Havel in the early 1990's in his role
as a opponent to the regime of Saddam Hussein.


3. (C) The MFA is drawing from two separate funds to provide
assistance in Iraq; one is a 200 million Czech crown ($8.7
million US dols) fund specifically designated for Iraqi
reconstruction, and the second is part of a more general
"transformation assistance" fund that is administered by a
special office in the MFA. Out of these funds, the GOCR has
participated in a variety of feasibility studies and projects
of reconstruction in Iraq including: training of Iraqi police
in Jordan, and Iraqi diplomats and judges in Prague,
transformation of civil society projects and protection of
Iraqi cultural heritage (restoration of manuscripts in the
National Library of Baghdad),provision of equipment for the
Police Academy at Az Zubayr and specialized training programs
for experts in various fields. The funds available in the
Iraqi reconstruction budget have been completely allocated;
future projects will depend on whether it receives a fresh
infusion from the state budget. The Transformation
Assistance office however, has an permanent budget and
current and future projects, such as the project for NGO
training in Iraq which is funded from its budget, will
continue into at least 2008.


4. (C) Silhavy noted that the Czech Embassy in Baghdad is
still short-staffed; there are only two other diplomatic
personnel there besides the Charge. The MFA is working with
its security services to determine when the security
situation in Baghdad will allow for additional personnel to
return. The Current Charge d'Affaires, Martin Klepetko, who
has been in Baghdad for the past two years, is scheduled to
return to Prague this summer. His replacement has not yet
been determined.


5. (C) Septel will report recent MOD discussions on
possibilities for extending Czech Military Police trainers
currently in Iraq.


6. (C) Silhavy also gave us a quick readout of his recent
trip to Israel which was organized by the American Jewish
Committee. This trip was the first-ever AJC sponsored group
of Central European policy-makers to Israel, and the group
included a mixed group of technocrats and policy-makers
(including Members of Parliament). The 10-day trip was
conducted as an intensive seminar and included access to
Israel's top officials including the Prime Minister, members
of the MFA and representatives of NGO's. Silhavy praised the
trip as a great success in educating Central Europeans about
Israel and the Middle East. It was particularly valuable for
the Czechs, as they are currently serving as the NATO contact
Embassy for Israel.

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