SCENESETTER FOR CZECH FM SVOBODA'S MAY 16 MEETING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRAGUE 000505

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR SECRETARY RICE FROM AMBASSADOR CABANISS
ALSO FOR S STAFF, EUR/FO, EUR/NCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EZ OVIP PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR CZECH FM SVOBODA'S MAY 16 MEETING
WITH SECRETARY RICE

REF: PRAGUE 482


1. (SBU) Madame Secretary, This is your first bilateral
meeting with Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda. I have
found him to be a strong and committed supporter of
transatlantic relations. Under Svoboda's leadership, the
Czechs have become trailblazers in supporting democracy and
promoting human rights in countries of importance to the
United States. The Czechs are with us on the ground in Iraq
and Afghanistan. Although Svoboda's future after next
month's elections is uncertain, we do not expect any
significant shifts in Czech foreign policy. I hope you will
use this meeting to (1) encourage the Czech government to
continue its pro-democracy activism in countries like Cuba,
Belarus, and Iraq; (2) acknowledge Czech contributions to the
GWOT and deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans;
(3) thank the GOCR for its contribution to Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). The Czechs have assured us
that they intend to touch on visas only lightly during your
meeting.


2. (SBU) The United States and Czech Republic enjoy excellent
bilateral relations. The Czechs are strong supporters of
transatlantic relations and the Global War on Terror. The
Czechs play important roles on issues such as the EU arms
embargo against China, where they are among the countries
least in favor of lifting restrictions, and democracy
promotion in Cuba and Belarus, where they are among the most
active supporters of human rights. They view NATO as the
cornerstone of their foreign and security policies; while
they are working with their EU partners to make ESDP a
reality, they insist that this not come at the expense of
NATO. The Czech Republic is scheduled to hold the rotating
EU presidency for the first time in 2009. They are also
vying for a rotating seat on the UN Security Council,
beginning in 2008.

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A Leader and Partner in Democracy Promotion
--------------


3. (U) CUBA: Among EU countries, the Czech Republic is the
most active promoter of human rights in Cuba. Czech efforts
include providing on-island assistance to political prisoners
and their families, teaching Cuban dissident groups about the
Czechs, own peaceful transition to democracy, and raising
international public awareness about ongoing human rights
abuses in Cuba. Within the EU, the Czechs are recognized as
the leader of efforts to craft a common policy that actively
supports peaceful dissidents and limits official contacts
with the regime.


4. (U) BELARUS: Here, too, the Czechs are emerging as a
catalyst for EU efforts to support the democratic opposition.
The Czechs supported a strong EU-U.S. statement denouncing
Belarusian dictator Lukashenko before the recent presidential
election, and supported travel restrictions on Lukashenko and
key members of his regime after the election was declared
fraudulent. Additionally, the Czechs plan to spend
approximately $1 million in 2006 on projects in Belarus that
will increase access to independent media, support human
rights and the democratic opposition, and provide assistance
to those persecuted by the Lukashenko regime.


5. (U) IRAQ: Czechs have spent over $5 million in Iraq in
humanitarian aid and democracy programs since 2003. This
year, in addition to other humanitarian assistance, the
Czechs plan to spend $600,000 on a medevac program that
provides life-saving cardiac surgery to Iraqi children (and
material assistance to their families). The Czechs opened a
new cardiac center in Basra in March 2006, and spend nearly
$500,000 on a training center in Jordan devoted to rebuilding
Iraqi civil society by training Iraqi journalists,
representatives of Iraqi NGOs, and Iraqi government officials

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Punching Above Its Weight on Military Deployments
-------------- --------------


6. (U) The Czech Republic currently contributes close to 1000
soldiers, observers, monitors, specialists, and civilian
police to missions throughout the world. Militarily, the
Czechs are involved in U.S., NATO, EU, and UN operations in
Iraq, Afghanistan, and in the Balkans. In Iraq, the Czechs
have 100 military police training Iraqi security forces in
Basra. A Czech Special Forces detachment will deploy to
Afghanistan May 15th, for the second time, to fight under
U.S. command. The Czechs maintain 17 ISAF specialists in

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Kabul, fulfilling EOD engineering, demining, and
air-traffic-control missions. The Czechs, as part of their
ISAF commitments will take over command of operations at
Kabul Airport on 1 December 2006. The Czechs contribute 83
troops and medical staff to the German PRT near Konduz. FM
Svoboda is a strong proponent within his own government for a
possible Czech-led PRT for Afghanistan beginning sometime in

2007. In the Balkans, a 500-troop Czech contingent commands
the Kosovo Multinational Task Force-Center, holding
responsibility for the security of over half of Kosovo,s
population. In Bosnia, the Czechs have provided 65 troops to
EUFOR,s ALTHEA mission. The Czech Republic has 14 observers
deployed on 5 separate UN missions in Europe and Africa.

-------------- ---
Foreign Policy Implications of General Elections
-------------- ---


7. (SBU) With the June 2-3 general elections less than three
weeks away, the likely composition of the next coalition
government is still uncertain. However, it is clear that no
single party will receive enough votes to form a majority
government on its own. Whoever wins, we expect most of the
key foreign policy jobs to change hands. Svoboda's own
future is uncertain: his Christian Democrats are likely to
make it into the new Parliament, but may not be a part of the
next coalition. Nonetheless, major changes in foreign policy
are not anticipated. The Czech Republic will continue to
regard NATO as the prominent pillar of the nation's security,
continue to deploy troops to NATO and coalition missions
overseas, and continue to promote democracy in totalitarian
states. The only scenario in which changes are conceivable,
though far from certain, would be a minority Social Democrat
government supported by the Communists -- an arrangement that
is possible, but is not currently high among most observers'
predictions.

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Visas -- The Sole Bilateral Irritant
--------------


8. (SBU) The only notable bilateral irritant is the visa
issue. Like other Central Europeans, the Czechs have been
pushing strongly for entry into the Visa Waiver Program
(VWP). Czechs believe they deserve VWP status as an EU member
and coalition ally. The visa refusal rate is currently
around 10% -- the lowest in the region, but well above the 3%
required for entry into VWP. Unfortunately, the approaching
election has turned this into a political issue. In recent
months, both the Foreign Minister and Prime Minister have
made vague promises to "toughen" their approach to the United
States in order to address what they see as asymmetrical visa
relations. In fact, nothing has come of this. During a
visit to the Embassy last month, the Prime Minister praised
the professional quality of our visa operations. For his
part, Svoboda has turned his attention to Canada, threatening
to reimpose visas on Canadians if they do not drop theirs on
Czechs. In doing this, Svoboda has actually made some
positive comments about the United States, acknowledging that
the USG does not have authority to bring the Czechs into the
VWP without Congressional agreement, and praising the
U.S.-Czech Visa Roadmap as proof that the USG is committed to
seeing progress. The Czech MFA has assured us that Svoboda
intends to touch on the visa issue with you only briefly. On
the other hand, this will be a central focus of his meetings
on the Hill.

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RFE/RL -- Czech Donation of $1.27 m
--------------


9. (U) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) came to
Prague in 1995 at the invitation of then-President Vaclav
Havel. Many credit this move as &saving8 the radios after
significant Congressional budget cuts in the mid-1990,s made
continued operations in their previous headquarters in Munich
untenable. During the past 10 years RFE/RL has been housed
in the former Communist Parliament building at a symbolic
annual rent of approximately $10.00. After the September 11
attacks, the vulnerability of the present headquarters
threatened the security of the building and its 600 employees
(of whom approximately 150 are American citizens). After a
lengthy search process, Congress approved a site in Prague
for construction of a new, more secure building for the
headquarters, and the RFE/RL President signed a
build-to-lease contract in July 2005 for a building to be
completed in 2008. The current Czech government -- and FM
Svoboda in particular -- has been very supportive of RFE/RL

PRAGUE 00000505 003 OF 003


and its mission throughout this process, assigning additional
police officers to secure the current building, working with
our intelligence services on credible threats, and braving
difficulties in bilateral relations with countries such as
Iran, which has exerted diplomatic and trade pressure on the
Czech government to end RFE/RL,s Iranian broadcast service.
To cement their commitment to the radios, the Czech
government has appropriated a donation of 27 million crowns
(approximately $1.27 million) to assist in the relocation
cost. During his visit to Washington, Foreign Minister
Svoboda will transfer the donation to the Broadcasting Board
of Governors in a special ceremony. I hope you will be able
to personally thank him for his strong support, as well as
for the government contribution.
CABANISS