Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07RIGA871
2007-11-23 13:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Riga
Cable title:  

VIKE-FREIBERGA'S CANDIDACY TO HEAD EU "WISEMEN"

Tags:  PREL EUN FR LG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3906
OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHRA #0871 3271336
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 231336Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY RIGA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4549
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000871 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2017
TAGS: PREL EUN FR LG
SUBJECT: VIKE-FREIBERGA'S CANDIDACY TO HEAD EU "WISEMEN"
PANEL

Classified By: Charge d'affaires a.i. Stuart M Seldowitz. Reason: 1.4
(b and d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000871

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2017
TAGS: PREL EUN FR LG
SUBJECT: VIKE-FREIBERGA'S CANDIDACY TO HEAD EU "WISEMEN"
PANEL

Classified By: Charge d'affaires a.i. Stuart M Seldowitz. Reason: 1.4
(b and d)


1. (C/NF) Peteris Ustubs, foreign policy advisor to Latvian
PM Kalvitis, called in pol/econ chief late November 21.
Ustubs had just returned from Paris and a meeting with
Sarkozy's diplomatic advisor AMB Levitte. Sarkozy wants to
propose former Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga (VVF)
to head the wisemen panel on the future of the EU that is
expected to be adopted at the December European Council. The
Latvians responded positively to the idea. According to
Ustubs, Paris had done work in advance and received favorable
responses to VVF's candidacy in Lisbon, Vienna and Berlin.
The response in London was mixed but the British didn,t say
no. VVF will travel December 7 to Paris for meeting with
Sarkozy. The Latvians have agreed that they will start
lobbying the other member states intensively over next days
and weeks. Ustubs followed up on November 23 to report that
he had his own discussions with Merkel's office and came away
with strong German support. The Hungarian PM also sounded
supportive during his November 22 visit to Riga, although he
did not offer a firm commitment to support VVF


2. (C/NF) Comment: We leave to EU experts to judge the
likelihood of Vike-Freiberga getting this position, but the
Latvians are clearly prepared to work hard to get her in this
position. Vike-Freiberga is a committed trans-Atlanticist
and her heading this group would be a good thing for US
interests, we believe. She has often articulated a
collaborative view of trans-Atlantic relations and expressed
frustration at overlap and competition between the EU and
NATO.
SELDOWITZ