TEHRAN SPRING? CZECHS SEE POSSIBLE THAW IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 000788

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM IR PHUM EUN EZ
SUBJECT: TEHRAN SPRING? CZECHS SEE POSSIBLE THAW IN
RELATIONS WITH IRAN

REF: PRAGUE 701

Classified By: Acting DCM Michael Dodman
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. In a June 18-19 visit to Tehran, Czech Deputy
Foreign Minister Helena Bambasova had surprisingly friendly
meetings with key Iranian government officials to explore the
possibility of improving relations between the estranged
countries. While the focus of the trip was squarely on
normalizing diplomatic relations, Bambasova also reiterated
Czech support for human rights and Iranian compliance with
UNSCR and IAEA decisions regarding their nuclear program.
Bambasova said that the Iranian government has not yet
decided on upgrading relations, but she expects forward
movement. She emphasized, however, that such a change would
not come at the expense of the Czech Republic's commitment to
human rights and democracy in Iran, or its support of RFE/RL
and Radio Farda. End summary.

Background of the Meeting
--------------


2. (C) The Czech Republic and Iran have not had full
diplomatic relations since 1988. At that time, largely in
retaliation for the launch of the FARSI-language Radio Farda
broadcast from the Prague headquarters of Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty, the Iranian regime pulled its
Ambassador from Prague and imposed a selective trade boycott
that has severely disrupted economic ties between the two
countries. The Czechs have also been represented only at the
Charge level in Tehran. As Bambasova told A/DCM and Poloff on
June 27, most discussions between the two countries over the
past decade have been marked by Iranian complaints about
Radio Farda, and Czech restatements of their commitment to
RFE/RL's mission. Bambasova saw the first sign of change
with the arrival last year of a new Iranian CDA in Prague. He
arranged for the visit to Prague in February of a Iranian
MFA's Director General, which set the stage for Bambasova's
June 18-19 visit to Tehran.


3. (C) Bambasova described the purpose of her visit as an
exploration of whether improved relations with the Iranian
government are even possible. She met with her counterpart
Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Jalili (whom she described as a
hardliner in his meetings),the Chairman of the Foreign
Policy and National Security Committee of the Iranian
Parliament Alaeddin Boroujerdi, and briefly with Foreign
Minister Manoucher Mottaki (both of whom she described as
moderate in their approach). Bambasova also participated in a
meeting of EU Heads of Missions. This was Bambasova's first
visit to Iran.


4. (C) Regarding the visit, Bambasova explained that the
Czech Republic fully supports the EU common position on Iran
(a point she made clear to the Iranians),and is not willing
to sacrifice its commitment to human rights and democracy in
Iran (including its commitment to Radio Farda broadcasts),or
its position on Iran's nuclear program, at any cost.
Moreover, despite the selective embargo on Czech exports, the
government is not under pressure from Czech business
interests to improve relations with Iran (Bambasova said that
Czech exports are able to work through Slovakia or the UAE to
get products to Iran). Nevertheless, she said the Czech
Republic is willing to explore the possibility of improved
relations with Iran because it believes in dialogue whenever
possible, even with Iran. When asked, Bambasova said the GOCR
had no specific plans in mind for initiatives that they would
take if and when relations are upgraded, but rather that they
would continue their focus on supporting human rights and
EU/UN/IAEA positions.

Bilateral issues
--------------


5. (C) Bambasova presented Minister Mottaki with a letter
from FM Schwarzenberg formally proposing to reestablish full
diplomatic relations between the two countries (the Iranians
have not yet given a formal reply). Her meeting with the
Minister was brief but positive. She had a longer meeting
with Deputy Minister Jalili, whom she described as the only
one of her interlocutors who adhered to the "Ahmadinajad
line." Still, the meeting with Jalili was productive and he
showed a clear willingness to upgrade relations. Bambasova's
readout of the visit focused primarily on her meeting with
Boroujerdi. They discussed an upgrade in diplomatic
representation, and discussed in general terms the
possibility of renewed economic trade. In addition,
Boroujerdi lectured Bambasova on the virtues of Iranian
"democracy" and provided a laundry list of Czech "sins."

PRAGUE 00000788 002 OF 002


These included Radio Farda and the fact that the son of the
former Shah had recently attended a conference on democracy
that took place on the premises of the Czech MFA. However,
Bambasova found the list of "sins" to be "very mild" and took
this as a sign of moderation; there was not, for instance,
any demand that the Czechs restrict Radio Farda broadcasts in
return for upgrading relations. In response to Boroujerdi's
comments, Bambasova explained the Czech vision of democracy,
including the importance of permitting NGOs (like those who
convened the democracy conference) to act independently.

Iranian Nuclear Program
--------------


6. (C) In reporting on her meeting with Boroujerdi, the
Iranian news agency quoted Bambasova as saying that Iran has
a right to a civil nuclear program. Bambasova told us that
she did tell Boroujerdi that all countries have a right to
peaceful nuclear energy, pointing out that the Czech Republic
has its own nuclear power program. However, her statement was
taken out of context. She also firmly told the Iranians that
the international community has sent a strong message via the
UNSC that Iran cannot ignore. She called on Iran to take
immediate steps to build the confidence of the international
community that the program is only a civil energy program.
She pointed to the German and Russian proposals as ways the
Iran government could reassure the international community.

Missile Defense
--------------


7. (C) Bambasova said that Missile Defense was raised in only
one meeting, and that the exchange was not confrontational.
(Bambasova made clear during her meetings that the Czech
Republic is a strong ally of the United States.) She
suspected that while the Iranians are not happy about the
proposal to base a radar in the Czech Republic, they are far
more concerned with the Russian offer to use the radar in
Azerbaijan as an early warning for possible Iranian launches.

Human Rights
--------------


8. (C) Bambasova spoke of human rights in general terms, and
reiterated the priority the Czechs place on this issue, but
did not raise the issue of American citizens detained in Iran
(this was the subject of an EU-wide demarche delivered during
her visit).

U.S. Relations
--------------


9. (C) Bambasova said the question of U.S.-Iranian relations
was not raised directly in her meetings. Bambasova found
this noteworthy, because she had expected that, given close
Czech-U.S. relations, she would have heard complaints from
the Iranians about "U.S. sins." Based on the few references
made to the United States during her meetings, Bambasova
offered the assessment that the Iranians feel "like a small
child who is ignored by an older brother."
GRABER