CZECHS AT GYMNICH: SUPPORT SANCTIONS FOR IRAN;

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 001065 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS EUR/NCE FOR ERIC FICHTE E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016 TAGS: PREL EU IR KNNP PARM PGOV UN EZ SUBJECT: CZECHS AT GYMNICH: SUPPORT SANCTIONS FOR IRAN; DRAGGING FEET ON UNIFIL REF: A. STATE 143323 ¶B. PRAGUE 1060 Classified By: Political-Economic Counselor Mike Dodman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summery. MFA Director of the CFSP Department said EU foreign ministers will informally discuss Iran, Lebanon, and EU-Russian relations at the upcoming Gymnich meeting. No final conclusions are expected to be made. On Iran, the Czechs will support sanctions against Iran if it fails to comply with UNSCR 1696. On Lebanon, the Czechs are still considering a troop commitment to UNIFIL, but are taking a long-term view; a commitment may not come before the second half of 2007. On Russia, the Czechs support renegotiating the PCA, but urge focus on the practical application of the agreement. End summary. ¶2. (C) Poloff met with MFA Director of the CFSP Department Vaclav Balek on August 31, to discuss the September 1 Gymnich meeting and deliver Ref A talking points on Iran. Balek said the foreign ministers will discuss Iran, Lebanon and EU-Russian relations at the meeting, which he described as a brainstorming session. No firm conclusions on these issues are expected. -------------- Iran -------------- ¶3. (C/NF) On Iran: Balek said the Czechs have always taken a hard line on Iran's nuclear ambitions. Although the Czechs have not seen Iran's response to the P5 1 offer, the text will be discussed in depth at the Gymnich meeting. The Czechs will support referral of Iran to the UNSC for sanctions if, as is expected, Iran does not comply with UNSCR 1696 by today (August 31). The Czechs think UNSC consensus on next steps is crucial, as Iran will seek to create and exploit any divisions among UNSC members. Among EU member states sitting on the UNSC, Balek predicted UK will support the imposition of sanctions, and France while taking a tough stand, may urge further negotiations with Iran before voting to impose sanctions. -------------- Lebanon -------------- ¶4. (C) On Lebanon: The Czechs see the role in EU in Lebanon as important and long-term, and expect that EU troops will be the "backbone" of the new UNIFIL mission. Accordingly, Balek said Czech troops will serve in Lebanon "sooner or later." Czech MFA has recommended in favor of committing troops to UNIFIL, but the MOD has argued against, citing budget constraints and the impact of the commitment on other foreign missions as obstacles (Ref B). The decision will be made by the new Czech government. However, Balek said he thought this issue will not/not be among the first priorities of the new government. He also said recent discussions within the MFA have been focused on the mid- or long-term view. Thus, he predicted a Czech contribution to UNIFIL would be made later rather than sooner; perhaps in the second half of 2007. ¶5. (C) In addition to direct troop contribution, the Czechs are considering other ways to support the UNIFIL mission, such as by providing training or equipment to the Lebanese Army. In addition, although the MFA has previously stated that commitment to UNIFIL must not impact commitments to other foreign missions, Balek said the Czechs are considering the possibility of redeploying Czech troops currently stationed in Bosnia. The argument in support is that Bosnia is stable, and the bulk of the work performed there is policing. The Czechs could therefore redeploy some troops to Lebanon where the need is greater. (Note: this option is not necessarily inconsistent with the goal of not affecting other missions. Previously planned Czech troop rotations will soon slightly reduce the total number of Czech troops deployed in the region, making it possibly to redeploy them in Lebanon. End note.) -------------- PRAGUE 00001065 002 OF 002 Russia -------------- ¶6. (C) The Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation (PCA) will be the third topic of discussion. The Czechs are willing to renegotiate the agreement, as it is outdated, but believe the practical application of the agreement is more important than the institutional framework. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶7. (C) Comment. The MFA understands the importance of supporting Lebanon, and will continue to advocate for commitment of troops to UNIFIL and/or military assistance to the Lebanese Army. As Balek said, the Czechs must back their words with actions to be credible. However, turbulent political and pragmatic realities (e.g., a new government, MOD budget cuts, current commitments to other missions that stretch the number of available troops) could delay the final decision, and limit the size and nature of the commitment. We expect the Czechs to provide substantial funds (by Czech standards) for humanitarian assistance to Lebanon in the short term. However, discussions with MFA and MOD officials in recent days have forced us to conclude that a Czech commitment to UNIFIL, while likely, may be disappointingly slow in materializing. End comment. CABANISS