BULGARIAN NURSES IN LIBYA: GOB UNSURE WHO IS IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000324

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/NCE, NEA/MAG AND L (J. SCHWARTZ)
LONDON FOR TSOU
USEU FOR TIBALL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM EUN LY BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIAN NURSES IN LIBYA: GOB UNSURE WHO IS IN
CHARGE

REF: A. TRIPOLI 214


B. TRIPOLI 209

CLASSIFIED BY: POL-ECON COUNSELOR BRAD FREDEN, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D).


1. (C) MFA MIDDLE EAST DIRECTOR PETKO DOYKOV TOLD US MARCH 7
THAT THE GOB BELIEVES LIBYAN MFA UNDER SECRETARY FOR EUROPEAN
AFFAIRS ABDELATI OBIDI HAS BEEN AT LEAST TEMPORARILY
SIDELINED IN DISCUSSIONS OVER THE FATE OF THE FIVE BULGARIAN
NURSES IMPRISONED SINCE 1999. THIS, COMBINED WITH THE
PERCEPTION THAT BRUSSELS MAY TRY TO "ABSORB" THE DIPLOMATIC
TRACK, HAS RAISED CONCERNS IN BULGARIA THAT A LEADERSHIP
VACUUM MAY DEVELOP ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) THE GOB DOES NOT KNOW WHO, IF ANYONE, HAS REPLACED
OBIDI AS THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE "FOUR-PARTY" (UK, U.S.,
EU, BULGARIA) TALKS WITH LIBYA. DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER
CHAUSHEV HAS TWICE REQUESTED A MEETING WITH OBIDI THROUGH THE
BULGARIAN EMBASSY IN TRIPOLI IN RECENT WEEKS, BUT HAS NOT
RECEIVED A RESPONSE. DOYKOV SPECULATED THAT LIBYAN LEADER
QADHAFI MAY BE HOLDING OBIDI RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PERCEIVED
"ANTI-LIBYAN CAMPAIGN" THAT ERUPTED IN BULGARIA AND SPREAD TO
BRUSSELS FOLLOWING THE LIBYAN COURT'S REAFFIRMATION OF THE
NURSES' DEATH SENTENCES ON DECEMBER 19.


3. (C) WE BRIEFED DOYKOV ON THE SUBSTANCE OF TRIPOLI'S
CONVERSATIONS WITH LIBYAN OFFICIALS, INCLUDING OBIDI
(REFTELS). DOYKOV WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE READOUT, NOTING THAT
BULGARIA RELIED HEAVILY ON THE U.S. AND THE UK FOR
INFORMATION REGARDING LIBYAN INTENTIONS. DOYKOV ALSO
EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT, IN THE WAKE OF THE MEETING HOSTED BY
COMMISSIONER FERRERO-WALDNER ON FEBRUARY 22, BRUSSELS MAY TRY
TO ABSORB THE FOUR-PARTY FORMAT. DOYKOV'S CONCERN WAS THAT
THIS, COMBINED WITH OBIDI'S APPARENT SIDELINING, WOULD MEAN
BOTH SIDES WERE ESSENTIALLY "STARTING OVER FROM SCRATCH." IT
WOULD BE BETTER, IN DOYKOV'S VIEW, FOR THE UK TO MAINTAIN THE
LEAD WITHIN THE FOUR-PARTY FORMAT AND FOR THIS TRACK TO
PROCEED IN PARALLEL WITH THE EU'S ACTION PLAN. BULGARIA
WELCOMES MORE ENGAGEMENT BY BRUSSELS AS LONG AS
FERRERO-WALDNER'S OFFICE DOES NOT ATTEMPT TO REPLACE OR
ABSORB THE FOUR-PARTY FORMAT, DOYKOV SAID.


4. (C) FM KALFIN MET WITH FERRERO-WALDNER MARCH 6 TO DISCUSS
THE EU'S PACKAGE OF MEDICAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO
LIBYA. THE PACKAGE SHOULD BE FINALIZED "SHORTLY" AND
ENDORSED BY MINISTERS AT THE APRIL GAERC, DOYKOV SAID.
BULGARIA IS ESSENTIALLY WAITING TO SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF THE
GAERC. DOYKOV SAID HIS PERSONAL VIEW WAS THAT "THE LIBYANS
WILL NOT BE VERY HAPPY WITH THE PACKAGE." HE ADDED IN THIS
CONTEXT THAT THE U.S., ALONG WITH OTHER PARTICIPANTS AT THE
FEBRUARY 22 MEETING, HAD AGREED TO REVIEW ITS ASSISTANCE TO
THE VICTIMS, AND ASKED IF THE REVIEW WAS COMPLETE. WE NOTED
THAT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY WAS STILL WAITING FOR APPROVAL FROM
THE LIBYAN SIDE FOR ITS PROJECT, BUT UNDERTOOK AT ASK
WASHINGTON IF ANY ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE WAS BEING CONSIDERED.
WE REAFFIRMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO CHANGE IN U.S. POLICY
TOWARD LIBYA WITH REGARD TO THE NURSES. DOYKOV THANKED US
AND REPEATED THE GOB'S VIEW THAT U.S. HAD MORE INFLUENCE IN
TRIPOLI THAN ANY OF THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE FOUR-PARTY
EFFORT.


5. (SBU) IN THE MEANTIME, THE BULGARIAN PRESS REPORTED MARCH
9 THAT THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS SECRETARY OF THE LIBYAN GENERAL
PEOPLE'S CONGRESS (SIC) TOLD A VISITING BULGARIAN DELEGATION
ON MARCH 2 THAT THERE WERE FOUR OBSTACLES STANDING IN THE WAY
OF RESOLVING THE FATE OF THE NURSES: THE "HUMILIATING" CASE
AGAINST THE LIBYAN OFFICERS WHO ALLEGEDLY TORTURED THE
NURSES; THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTS RESOLUTION CALLING FOR
RELEASE OF THE NURSES; THE "YOU ARE NOT ALONE" CAMPAIGN IN
BULGARIA; AND "THE LACK OF ANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BENGHAZI
FUND." INTERESTINGLY, THERE WAS APPARENTLY NO MENTION OF
EITHER CONVICTED LOCKERBIE BOMBER MEGRAHI OR THE LIBYAN
COURTS.


6. (C) COMMENT. OUR SENSE IS THAT THE GOB IS LOOKING TO US
AND THE BRITS FOR HELP WITH BOTH TRIPOLI AND BRUSSELS.
HAVING ONLY BEEN MEMBERS OF THE UNION FOR ELEVEN WEEKS, THE
BULGARIANS ARE UNSURE HOW TO CURB FERRERO-WALDNER'S
ENTHUSIASM WITHOUT APPEARING UNGRATEFUL. THEY ARE, IT SEEMS,
IN OVER THEIR HEADS WITH REGARD TO BOTH QADHAFI AND THE
COMMISSION. WE LOOK TO THE DEPARTMENT AND EMBASSIES LONDON
AND TRIPOLI FOR GUIDANCE ON HOW THE PARTIES MIGHT BEST
REINVIGORATE THE DIPLOMATIC TRACK.

BEYRLE