BOUCHER DOES BUSINESS IN OSLO ON MARGINS OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000706

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

ASSISTANT SECRETARY RICHARD BOUCHER, SCA/INS (MGOWER)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2017
TAGS: ENRG ETTC PARM PREL IN PGOV PHUM PTER NP CE
AF, DE, KNNP, KSCA, NO
SUBJECT: BOUCHER DOES BUSINESS IN OSLO ON MARGINS OF
CO-CHAIRS

REF: 2006 OSLO 553

Classified By: ADCM Kristen Bauer, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. On the margins of the June 26 Sri Lanka
Co-Chairs meetings, Assistant Secretary for South and Central
Asian Affairs Richard Boucher met with high-level Norwegian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense officials, covering a
broad range of matters including Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Additionally, he privately
conferred with German Director General for Asian and Pacific
Affairs Ambassador Andreas Michaelis and Head of Germany's
South Asia Unit Thomas Wriessnig, discussing Pakistan and
Afghanistan matters. Boucher also gave interviews to a major
Norwegian daily Dagsavisen and television station TV2. End
Summary.

Norway's South Asian Assistance
--------------


2. (C) On June 25, Assistant Secretary Boucher met with
Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General for Regional Affairs
and Development Katja Nordgaard and Deputy Director General
for South Asian Affairs Betzy Ellingsen Tunold, covering
Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan issues. Nordgaard
described the Nepalese move to a transitional constitution as
"positive." Concerning Bangladesh, she believed encouraging
signs were emerging, pointing out that the forthcoming local
elections are crucial. Tunold outlined Norwegian assistance
to Nepal and Bangladesh, which targeted education, good
governance and hydropower infrastructure programs. The
Government of Norway's Nepal assistance initiatives also
focused on local peace-related activities, such as arranging
seminars dedicated to peace and democracy-building (including
workshops focusing on building local confidence with
political systems). Both Nordgaard and Tunold recognized and
supported U.S. efforts in both countries. Boucher also
voiced optimism that both countries were moving in the right
direction.


3. (C) Tunold described Norway's increased dealings with
India, noting some frustration with Indian bureaucracies. A
Foreign-Minister level meeting between both countries,
originally scheduled for June, has been postponed. Separate
Norwegian and Indian governmental working groups were created
on several issues, ranging from science and technology to
hydrocarbons, but have yet to meet. A position paper on
climate matters, presented by Norwegian Foreign Minister
Stoere to the India last year, has not yet been addressed by
the Indian side. Nordgaard also questioned whether the
Indian Government could appropriately handle the resulting
waste stemming from its nuclear program, in relation to the
impending U.S.-Indian civilian nuclear cooperation
initiative. Boucher responded that the U.S. felt confident
that there were no undue problems concerning waste disposal.


4. (C) Boucher presented U.S. plans for development
assistance to Pakistan, and described the Regional
Opportunity Zone concept, which we hope to take up with
Congress shortly. Nordgaard replied that Pakistan was indeed
high on the Norwegian agenda, with focus on Pakistan's "long
way forward."

Solheim's Views on South Asia
--------------


5. (C) Joined by Ambassador Whitney, Assistant Secretary
Boucher met with International Development Minister Erik
Solheim, discussing Afghanistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Concerning Afghanistan, Boucher discussed U.S. development
assistance, the need for improved and visible high-level
international civilian coordination, and the forthcoming Rome
Rule of Law Conference. With respect to governance issues,
Solheim noted that Faryab province was "wholly corrupt," but
recognized that the Norwegian Government must deal with "the
people that are there." While Solheim welcomed U.S. civilian
development assistance, he expressed concern for reliable
Afghan governance structures which can be self-sustaining. He
also voiced concern about collateral damage from NATO forces,
stating that "too many Afghan citizens have been killed" from
NATO actions.


6. (C) Solheim stressed that NATO support in Afghanistan

was not popular in Norway, nor Europe in general. Stating
that "we did not have a September 11 here," Solheim remarked
that "the vast majority of Norwegians do not believe we
should be in far-away places," as Norway has "no tradition"
of military involvement abroad. Also, he warned that either
major losses to Norwegian NATO forces, or Norwegians
popularly believing that the Afghan mission was "immoral" as
a result of high "collateral damage" could cause a backlash
against the Norwegian Afghanistan presence. He stressed that
the NATO key to success should be arriving at an end point
where foreign troops were unnecessary.


7. (C) Regarding Nepal, the Minister found it essential
that an election date should be set, and adhered to. He also
called for bringing into the government people from various
castes and minorities, and ensuring that a responsible,
inclusive government not solely composed of "Kathmandu
Brahmins" be established.


8. (C) Solheim spoke candidly of Sri Lanka, noting that the
Government of Sri Lanka had "absolutely no strategy" as to
solving the Tamil problem. He advocated clear, unified
international measures to put an end to human rights abuses,
while immediately providing access to people in need in
northeast Sri Lanka. Additionally, he called for both the
Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to
prepare for a cessation of hostilities. He noted frustration
that there was yet a clear-cut answer as to whether the
Government would allow Norwegian peace facilitators into the
Tiger-controlled areas. Boucher raised the issue of engaging
international experts, such as Canadians, within the peace
dialogue. Solheim believed that the Tigers would be firmly
against setting definitive deadlines at all costs.

State Secretary Johansen Discusses Afghanistan, Pakistan
-------------- --------------


9. (C) Following up on his meeting last year with Foreign
Ministry State Secretary Raymond Johansen (ref A),Boucher
raised several Afghanistan issues, including the concept of a
senior UN civilian assistance coordinator, and European
support for Afghan development assistance. Johansen raised
concerns about Iran, questioning why the Government of Iran
would get involved in supporting the Taliban, when such
actions invariably created an influx of Afghan refugees into
Iran. Boucher explained that while the motives may not be
clear, the evidence that Iran is exporting weapons to the
Taliban is. Johansen appreciated U.S. civilian development
efforts, but commented that Provincial Reconstruction Teams
were not "easy concepts." He revealed that Norway had
difficulty persuading Norwegian NGOs to get involved in
supporting the Norwegian-controlled Provincial Reconstruction
Team in Meymaneh, located in Faryab province. Johansen
called for a better international approach in Afghanistan to
reduce the number of civilian casualties.


10. (C) Johansen noted that the Norwegian Government was
closely following events in Pakistan, given that Pakistanis
are the largest immigrant population in Norway (and are
actively involved in the Norwegian political scene). He
warned that a destabilized Pakistan would create problems in
Afghanistan.

Defense Ministry Meeting
--------------


11. (C) Assistant Secretary Boucher met with Ministry of
Defense State Secretary Espen Barth Eide, discussing Norway's
military role in the Memaneh Provincial Reconstruction Team,
its Quick Reaction Force in Mazar-e-Sharif and the Norwegian
Kabul deployment. Contradicting Minister Solheim's
observations, Barth Eide stated that there existed "solid
support for Norway's Afghanistan policies," with "100 percent
of the Parliamentarians" supporting Norway's position. Barth
Eide expressed concern as to whether development assistance
is resulting in political progress. Reflecting on Boucher's
views of international cooperation in Afghanistan, without
undermining the Afghani government, the State Secretary
called U.S. policy "very close to our thinking," with Norway
seeing no need to "overhaul the entire system." Barth Eide
agreed that a single contact with the Afghan government, who
could deal with the international community, would be most
helpful.




12. (C) Barth Eide found that Norway faced a paradox with
the warlords in Northern Afghanistan: the Norwegians needed
their assistance to remove the Taliban, but the warlords did
not embrace the democratic and anti-corruption measures which
Norway championed.


13. (C) Concerning military strategy, Barth Eide cited the
need to strengthen training, while noting Norway's commitment
the Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) approach.
(Note: Ministry Staff later explained that getting approval
of the Liaison Teams was an important step forward by Norway.
End Note.) Turning to the Telemark Battalion, Barth Eide
revealed that there are no plans to commit the full
battalion, although part of the battalion will come in as the
Quick Reaction Force. Although he noted that most of the
Norwegian Special Forces operate in the Regional Command
Center, these forces can leave that area "when necessary."
He reiterated that Norwegian deployment to Kandahar was not
possible.

Meeting with German Diplomats: Pakistan and Afghanistan
-------------- --------------


14. (C) Ambassador Boucher met privately with German
diplomats Ambassador Andreas Michaelis (Asia Director) and
Thomas Wriessnig. They reviewed the Afghan and Pakistani
meetings during the G-8 summit, with Michaelis discussing a
follow-up Berlin meeting planned for October. He reiterated
that 50-60 projects were endorsed by Pakistan and Afghanistan
within the G-8 context, with Germany supporting 4-5 projects.
Boucher explained that U.S. seeks European support for
Tribal Area development. They also discussed the need for
the transformation of Pakistan's Frontier Corps. Concerning
the U.S. plan to create Reconstruction Opportunity Zones in
Pakistan and Afghanistan, Wriessnig noted that the European
Commission was unlikely to follow the U.S. lead Wriessnig
also discussed Germany's plans to construct schools for
Afghans living in Pakistan. Boucher floated the concept of a
high-level UN figure for the coordination of civilian
assistance in Afghanistan, which interested Michaelis and
Wriessnig.


15. (C) Michealis briefly referred to his recent Tehran
meetings concerning refugees, where he met with officials
including the Iranian Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Deputy
Interior Minister. He believes that the Iranians were
serious and genuine about their concerns involving narcotics
and weapon smuggling in Afghanistan. Michaelis noted that
the Iranians denied any Taliban collaboration.

Norwegian Media
--------------


16. (SBU) A/S Boucher was interviewed by Dagsavisen and the
Norwegian media station TV2. The interviews largely focused
on Sri Lanka, with the Dagsavisen article entitled "Sees No
Military Solution for Sri Lanka." Foreign Ministry Sri Lanka
Adviser Sondre Bjotveit extended the Norwegian Government's
appreciation for Boucher's "positive remarks" concerning
Norway's role as facilitator.
Whitney