ICELAND WILL NOT ATTEND PSI HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL

UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000208 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM PGOV IC SUBJECT: ICELAND WILL NOT ATTEND PSI HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL MEETING REF: SECSTATE 84640 ¶1. Having forwarded a copy of the Polish invitation May 31, post spoke with MFA Acting Political Director Thordur Bjarni Gudjonsson June 9 to reiterate the significance of the Proliferation Security Initiative High Level Political Meeting as well as the planned high level of U.S. representation. Gudjonsson reported that Reykjavik had regretfully concluded June 8 that it had inadequate staff resources to send someone to the June 23 meeting in Warsaw. ¶2. Comment: The Icelandic MFA is indeed stretched especially thin at present: Political Director Bergdis Ellertsdottir is on maternity leave until September; Reykjavik hosted a Council of Baltic Sea States summit June 8 (even though it is not on the Baltic Sea); and the GOI announced this week that Prime Minister Halldor Asgrimsson would step down this month and that Foreign Minister Geir Haarde would replace him. No new FM has yet been named, and career Icelandic diplomats say they do not yet have a clear read on whom the Government is likely to name as Haarde's successor. End comment. van Voorst