(CORRECTED COPY) SWISS FOREIGN MINISTER \

76571 2006-08-29 17:54:00 06BERN1593 Embassy Bern CONFIDENTIAL VZCZCXRO0211\ OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR\ DE RUEHSW #1593 2411754\ ZNY CCCCC ZZH\ O 291754Z AUG 06 ZDS\ FM AMEMBASSY BERN\ TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2924\ INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY\ RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2587\ RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0095 C O N F I D E N T I A L BERN 001593 \ \ SIPDIS \ \ C O R R E C T E D C O P Y -- FORMATTING \ \ SIPDIS \ \ STATE FOR P, G, EUR, EUR/AGS/TRICK AND SAINT-ANDRE \ \ E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2016 \ TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD SZ SUBJECT: (CORRECTED COPY) SWISS FOREIGN MINISTER \ CALMY-REY EMPHASIZES IMPORTANCE OF U.S.-SWISS \ RELATIONS, REGRETS "MISUNDERSTANDING" CONCERNING HER \ RECENT REMARKS TO THE SWISS AMBASSADORS' CONFERENCE \ \ \ Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES A. I. CAROL URBAN, REASONS 1.4 B/D \ \ ¶1. (C) Charge Urban met with Swiss Foreign Minister Calmy-Rey \ this afternoon at the FM's invitation. The FM wished to \ clarify remarks she made about the U.S. during her August 21 \ speech to the Swiss ambassadors conference in Bern. Asked to \ speak first, the Charge noted concerns in Washington over the \ FM's singling out of the United States for criticism in a \ public forum (press had been invited to cover the speech) \ without any mention of the positive aspects of the U.S.-Swiss \ relationship. She emphasized that it was difficult to \ reconcile the FM's remarks with the several U.S-Swiss \ cooperative efforts and successes of the past year. \ \ -------------- \ "Not Meant as a Criticism" \ -------------- \ \ 2.(C) The 45 minute meeting, which included Swiss State \ Secretary (and Political Director) Ambuehl and POL/ECON \ \ SIPDIS \ Counselor, was extremely cordial, and Calmy-Rey took pains to \ express her concern over the "misunderstanding" that her \ remarks had created. She blamed this partially on the press, \ noting that her remarks about the United States had been \ taken out of context. She protested that her remarks were \ perhaps not "la formule la plus elegante" (not the most \ elegant formulation) but that they were simply "une \ constatation" (statement of fact) and not meant to be taken \ as a criticism or "singling out" of the United States. She \ was simply trying to lay out the parameters and limits of \ Swiss foreign policy "based on principles of international \ law" to her assembled ambassadors. Ambuehl added that \ Calmy-Rey had put great emphasis on the U.S.-Swiss \ relationship in previous speeches, and is planning another \ speech in the near future that will focus on the \ relationship, which he noted is based on common values. \ \ -------------- \ Importance of Political MOU \ -------------- \ \ 3.(C) Calmy-Rey went on to state that Switzerland needs a \ "coherent foreign policy" with the United States, and \ repeated several times that she was proud of the recently \ signed MOU that provides for enhanced U.S.-Swiss political \ cooperation, and which she counted as one of her personal \ successes. She emphasized that the MOU framework must be \ "institutionalized as soon as possible" and that she was \ looking forward to an early meeting in Bern between A/S Fried \ and Ambuehl, hopefully at the end of September or in early \ October. She promised that important topics would be raised, \ and she hoped for positive press coverage to set the record \ straight. Ambuehl added that Calmy-Rey had already chaired \ two meetings to discuss possible topics for the discussions, \ and that they had developed a good list of substantive \ issues. He promised to share them with the Embassy soonest \ in order to speed preparation for the high-level meeting. \ \ ¶4. (C) Comment: Calmy-Rey and Ambuehl obviously realized \ that her recent speech was unbalanced and were extremely \ polite and apologetic. They were eager to repair any damage \ done and were intent on establishing a positive tone for the \ upcoming talks under the political framework MOU. Embassy \ will follow up on their proposed "substantive agenda" and \ provide EUR with comments and suggestions. End comment. \ \ \ URBAN \