CODEL FRIST VISITS ESTONIA

UNCLAS TALLINN 000901 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR H, BARBARA FLECK EUR/NB for Kaye Lee E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MOPS CVIS IZ AF EN SUBJECT: CODEL FRIST VISITS ESTONIA REF: TALLINN 883 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: In a brief meeting with Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Defense Minister Jurgen Ligi in Tallinn on October 1, a Congressional delegation composed of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) thanked the GOE for Estonia's strong support in Iraq and Afghanistan. FM Paet expressed concern about the potential for civil war in Iraq and noted the need for a clear counter-narcotics strategy and improved infrastructure in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where Estonian troops are embedded with British forces. Other topics covered in the meeting included Estonia's desire to participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and the Estonian perspective on heightened tension between Georgia and Russia. END SUMMARY -------------- Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia -------------- ¶2. (U) Senators Frist and Martinez expressed their admiration for Estonia's rapid economic and democratic transformation over the 15 years since re-independence. They also thanked the GOE for Estonia's strong support both in Iraq and Afghanistan, where its troop commitment is set to increase from 80 to 120 by the end of this year. FM Paet said that he thought Iraq was improving step by step, but too slowly. Paet mentioned that he had met with the Jordanian foreign minister last week who noted modest improvement in the situation on the ground in Iraq, but thought the possibility of civil war was still the primary concern. On Afghanistan, Paet highlighted the need for a new and clearer counter-narcotics strategy, and improved infrastructure in Helmand province, where Estonian troops are embedded with British forces. Paet also told the delegation that he had visited Bosnia in June, as Estonia has a peacekeeping mission there. Paet said he believes the situation there is more or less stable, but that clearly there is "still fire under the ashes". ¶3. (U) Defense Minister Ligi noted that the GOE's target is to raise defense spending to 2 percent of GDP, in accordance with Estonia's NATO commitments. He noted, however, that this is something for which "no one ever sends thank you letters". He said that most of the increase is going for basic personnel, equipment, and funding of the Estonia's four military missions overseas (Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Kosovo). ¶4. (U) Ambassador Wos stressed the importance of USG and GOE joint intelligence and law enforcement training, as well as defense cooperation. Defense Minister Ligi asked Ambassador Wos what impact U.S. midterm Congressional elections might have on the administration's course in Iraq. All sides agreed that the elections would not affect the basic course of U.S. strategy in Iraq. -------------- Estonia and Visa Waiver -------------- ¶5. (SBU) FM Paet told the delegation that Estonia's exclusion from visa-waiver status is the only real sore point in an otherwise excellent bilateral relationship, and made a case for eliminating the visa requirement for Estonians. First, the GOE is increasing its troop commitment in Afghanistan, and has fought alongside the U.S. in Iraq since 2003. The GOE recently approved a plan to extend its military mandate in Iraq as soon as a new UN mandate is approved. (Note: This plan must be approved by the Parliament. End note.) Second, Estonia's economic situation has improved significantly, making Estonians better candidates for U.S. visas. Opportunities for employment elsewhere in the EU have increased, unemployment is low and Estonia's visa refusal rates to the U.S. have fallen consistently the last several years. Third, Canada recently announced visa-free travel for Estonians to that country. Paet said that an announcement on Estonia's admission to the VWP by President Bush during his visit to Tallinn in November would have great emotional impact in Estonia. Additionally, Paet raised the issue of visas and security, questioning whether there is a greater terror threat from Estonia or from a current VWP country like the United Kingdom. -------------- Georgia -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Senator Martinez mentioned his recent travel to Ossetia and asked FM Paet's opinion on the standoff between Georgia and Russia. Paet said that while he felt Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was overly aggressive, the Georgian defense minister was even more so. At the same time, Paet also noted that Russia was not fulfilling the terms of its Istanbul Commitments with regard to troop withdrawal and respect for the territorial integrity of Georgia. He added that he believes Russia often uses Georgia as a tool to exert pressure elsewhere in the region, including on Moldova and Ukraine. Defense Minister Ligi noted that Russian news agencies are portraying the situation as if Russia itself is under attack. He thought that Secretary Rumsfeld's recent statement on Georgia was appropriately limited, but hoped that NATO will address the issue at the Riga Summit in November. ¶7. (SBU) Codel Frist did not have the opportunity to clear this cable before their departure from Tallinn. WOS