CZECH DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER KOLAR ON IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 000896

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2015
TAGS: PREL CVIS PINR EAID IZ BK EZ EUN
SUBJECT: CZECH DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER KOLAR ON IRAQ
CONFERENCE, CUBA, AND BILATERAL RELATIONS

REF: A. SECSTATE 103222


B. PRAGUE 869

Classified By: ECON OFFICER SAMSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Czech republic is promoting former Czech
Ambassador to the US Alexandr Vondra to become the Special EU
Representative to Bosnia, and has garnered the support of
Slovakia and Poland. The Czechs are presenting a proposal on
the EU on dealings with Cuba which includes development of a
fund for dissidents, limitations on high-level official
travel to Cuba to just foreign ministers, and a reversion to
past practice of inviting Cuban dissidents to national day
receptions. Kolar said that the Czechs expected to continue
to provide Iraqi police training (now in Jordan and perhaps
to move to the Czech Republic) and would follow-through on
using development assistance budgeted for Iraq. In a
discussion about visas and the road map, Kolar was reminded
that the process would be a long one and that it was
important not to raise false public expectations. Kolar
stated that Paroubek's planned visit to NY in September would
be a good opportunity for the PM to meet the President and to
"balance out" Paroubek's recent visits to China and Russia,
and would help keep Paroubek on course as a transatlantic
partner. END SUMMARY

IRAQ
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2. (C) During a June 10 meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister
for Bilateral Affairs (and future Czech Ambassador to the US)
Petr Kolar, DCM raised ref A points on the upcoming
US-EU-Iraq conference. Kolar noted that FM Svoboda, who will
lead the GOCR delegation, will not be announcing any new
initiatives at the conference. Kolar went on to summarize
current Czech assistance to Iraq: 400 million Czech Crowns
($16 million) of development funds for 2006 and 2007,
including the extension of police training in Jordan, and
likely new police training in the Czech Republic. Kolar was
pleased by the success story of training Iraqi diplomats in
the Ministry's diplomatic academy, and they will likely offer
this training again next year. He gave assurances that they
would follow-through in drawing upon these budgeted
assistance funds.

CUBA
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3. (C) According to Kolar (protect),who was speaking off the
record, a Czech diplomat was refused entry into Cuba several
days earlier in apparent retaliation for Czech support of
dissidents. He said that continued strong support for the
dissidents in Cuba remains a priority for the Czech
government. His forecast was that Cuba's public
denouncements of the Czechs would strengthens public and
governmental support for the Czech position. Kolar (protect)
complained of intense pressure from Spain, including a threat
to withdraw support for a Czech seat on the UN Security
Council in retaliation for the CR's continued hard-line
approach against Cuba. Kolar explained Czech goals for EU
Cuba policy in the same terms provided earlier this week by
the MFA Czech desk officer (ref B),including EU funding for
dissidents, limiting high-level official travel to Cuba to
foreign ministers, and inviting dissidents to national day
celebrations.

EU Special Rep for Bosnia
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4. (C) Kolar discussed GOCR efforts to get former Czech
Ambassador to the US Alexandr (Sasha) Vondra selected as
Special EU Representative to Bosnia. Kolar said that Poland
and Slovakia had recently agreed to support Vondra's
candidacy, but Hungary was opposed because it believes that
this would endanger the Hungarian candidate for the Deputy
Rep position. If Vondra does not get the position in Bosnia,
the Czechs may put him forward for the same job in Macedonia.
Kolar commented that the EU Special Rep competition with
Hungary is a continuation of recent personnel rivalries with
Hungary that have become a leitmotif, although Kolar was not
specific.

Visas -- a Long March
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5. (C) DCM briefed Kolar on the recent meeting of the
Bilateral Visa Working Group, which was very cordial and
productive. DCM stressed to Kolar that the focus needs to be
on more than just the refusal rates and that the Road Map is
a long-term effort. Kolar took the opportunity to disavow
MFA authorship of the recent European Parliament resolution
critical of US visa policy toward the new EU members states.
The invocation of the visa solidarity mechanism on May 26
against Canada has stirred up action from the Canadians, who
are sending representatives from their Foreign Affairs and
Immigration office to meet on visa issues. The Canadians are
reportedly telling the Czechs that they are under pressure
from the US not to eliminate the Canadian visa requirement
for Czech tourists.

MFA Keen on Paroubek Visit
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6. (C) Kolar took the opportunity to underscore the utility
of Prime Minister Paroubek meeting with the President on the
margins of the September UN Five-Year Anniversary Millennium
Summit or in Washington. DCM noted that there would be a
crush of visitors at that time. Kolar stated that he
understood this, but stressed that Paroubek's recent visits
to China and Russia need to be "balanced out" by a
high-profile transatlantic meeting with the President.
Deputy Secretary Zoellick's recent visit was important, but
Kolar stated that it is not enough, as Gross was PM at that
time.
CABANISS