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