LATVIAN POLITICAL DIRECTOR ON NATO, IRAN, UN AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIGA 000523 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2016 TAGS: PREL PHUM NATO UN OSCE IR LG SUBJECT: LATVIAN POLITICAL DIRECTOR ON NATO, IRAN, UN AND OSCE Classified By: Ambassador Catherine Todd Bailey. Reason: 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a tour d'horizon with pol/econ chief, Latvian PolDir Klava talked about Latvia's goals for the Riga summit, Iran, UN and OSCE issues. Latvia strongly supports NATO opening an intensified dialogue with Georgia, and closer NATO relations with Georgia and Ukraine will be an important barometer for the Latvian public of the success of the Riga summit. Ukraine would be a particular challenge given both the internal situation and views among some NATO members, Klava thought. Latvia is trying to engage Iran to express its support for the P-5 plus one offer. Klava was very downbeat on the new UN Human Rights Council, saying "we've imported the old problems" into a new group, but said Latvia was refraining from criticism of the UN at present. End summary. ¶2. (U) Pol/econ chief met for an hour June 30 with Ilgvars Klava, MFA U/S and Latvia's political director. Klava has particular responsibility for security policy and international organization affairs. NATO Summit -------------- ¶3. (C) Klava said that how NATO deals with Georgia and Ukraine at the Riga summit will be the policy issue of greatest interest to the Latvian public. However, he feared that internal EU issues, most notably the areas and pace of future EU enlargement, would be a major obstacle to progress on the NATO track. Latvia strongly supports intensified dialogue for Georgia, and Klava found in a recent visit by Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration minister Bramidze that the Georgians have done a good job of "getting their act together" although he thought their overall timeline for NATO membership was "typically overambitious." ¶4. (C/NOFORN) Ukraine is more difficult. Latvia would like to see Ukraine join the MAP process, but the internal situation made it increasingly unlikely that would be possible by the summit. In contrast to Georgia, Ukraine did not have its act together and it was increasingly looking ungovernable. Ukraine is also a tough sell with other European allies. Klava related that when the Commander for the French Navy was recently in Riga, he asked how Ukraine could be separated from Russia and said the only way Ukraine would ever be able to join NATO would be if Russia joined as well. This kind of thinking does not bode well, Klava said, for action on Ukraine at the summit. According to Klava, the Russians are "sniffing around" a lot on what is planned for Georgia and Ukraine at the summit. ¶5. (C) On other summit agenda items, Klava called global partnerships "a nice idea" but expressed little enthusiasm. He said that the transformation agenda was important, but the GOL needed to study what it would cost the Latvian treasury. He wants to see a transformation agenda that can be implemented, not just "empty phrases." ¶6. (C) In preparation for the summit, Latvia has sent notes to Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland and Sweden announcing that there will be restrictions on military and non-scheduled commercial flights over Latvia in the second half of November. The notes also say that additional security measures may be put in place, with the possible assistance of outside security forces. Iran -------------- ¶7. (C) The Latvian Ambassador at the UN has been trying to find her Iranian counterpart to express Latvia's full support for the "P-5 plus one" proposal to Tehran, but the Iranians are unwilling to meet, according to Klava. He has instructed their UN AMB to find any possible venue to make the point. Klava joked that it was unlikely Iran would respond to the G-8 statement before August, just to make us wait. UN Human Rights Council -------------- ¶8. (C/NF) Klava was very negative about the new Human Rights Council, calling it "a mess." He complained about a lack of transparency in the council, even among the EU member states. Latvia wanted to be helpful in defeating the OIC resolutions on Israel, but could get no traction, including within the EU. The introduction of these resolutions showed that we had "created a new institution, but imported the old problems." However, Klava said that Latvia would not speak out on this issue as the government was avoiding criticism of the UN while President Vike-Freiberga is campaigning for UN SYG. OSCE/CoE -------------- RIGA 00000523 002 OF 002 ¶9. (C) Klava was unsure whether Latvia had yet invited OSCE observers to its October parliamentary elections, but agreed they should do so. The fact the U.S. was inviting observers for its congressional elections would be helpful in making the case. He expected Russia to criticize the elections and OSCE observation both for domestic political reasons, but also to undercut the OSCE and protect Moscow's friends in Central Asia. Klava also expected Russia to use its chairmanship of the Council of Europe in the current session to criticize Latvia's treatment of ethnic Russians. Latvia was, however, very pleased by the Council's parliamentary assembly's decision to close the post-monitoring dialogue in Latvia. ¶10. (C/NF) Comment: Klava spoke candidly on all areas, including airing internal GOL differences on managing the UN. He was very concerned that the NATO summit in Riga provide tangible items, both in terms of outcome and structure, that would show the Latvian public the value of NATO membership. Bailey