Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BERN1710
2006-09-15 10:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bern
Cable title:  

SWISS RESPONSE ON SRI LANKA CONTACT GROUP MEETING,

Tags:  PTER PHUM PINS PREL MARR CE SZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4267
PP RUEHBI
DE RUEHSW #1710 2581045
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 151045Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY BERN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3030
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 0772
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0677
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0854
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0032
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0400
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0099
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2041
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0600
RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 0013
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 0481
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0647
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 1322
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0111
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 0007
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 0276
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
C O N F I D E N T I A L BERN 001710 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2016
TAGS: PTER PHUM PINS PREL MARR CE SZ
SUBJECT: SWISS RESPONSE ON SRI LANKA CONTACT GROUP MEETING,
SEPTEMBER 27

REF: A. SECSTATE 149054


B. BERN 1626

Classified By: Poloff Eric Lundberg, Reasons 1.4 b/d
C O N F I D E N T I A L BERN 001710

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2016
TAGS: PTER PHUM PINS PREL MARR CE SZ
SUBJECT: SWISS RESPONSE ON SRI LANKA CONTACT GROUP MEETING,
SEPTEMBER 27

REF: A. SECSTATE 149054


B. BERN 1626

Classified By: Poloff Eric Lundberg, Reasons 1.4 b/d

1.(C) Per ref A request, Poloff spoke again to Swiss DFA
South Asia desk officer Boris Richard concerning Swiss plans
for the September 27 contact group meeting in Washington.
Richard responded to the description of the planned agenda
with a suggestion that the meeting lay out participants'
intentions regarding the frequency and level of future
meetings. The Swiss have not yet identified the level or
focus of their delegation; these decisions would be made
based on what officials other countries planned to send.
Poloff offered to contact SCA to find out.

2.(C) The Swiss understand that the contact group will focus
on the financing and arms smuggling to the Tamil Tigers,
Richard assured. The Swiss are not looking for this
particular contact group to serve as a forum for human rights
or the peace process. However, Richard left open the
possibility that at some point the Swiss might propose the
creation of a group to deal with the "human security" issues.

Comment
--------------

3.(C) As noted in ref B, the Swiss bottom line has been to
maintain their ability to engage both sides of the conflict.
We are encouraged that Swiss officials understand the
financing/arms-smuggling focus of the contact group, but
anticipate some push by the Swiss to promote "human security"
issues -- in this or another forum. In order to harness
Switzerland -- with its banks and significant Tamil refugee
community -- to the process, some gesture on our part in
their direction could be fruitful.
URBAN