SWEDEN'S DEFENSE MINISTER ON AFGHANISTAN, BUDGET

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 001277

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2017
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL OTRA PGOV SW
SUBJECT: SWEDEN'S DEFENSE MINISTER ON AFGHANISTAN, BUDGET
BATTLES, INTERNATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS

REF: A. HELSINKI 753

B. STOCKHOLM 1239

C. STOCKHOLM 1101

D. STATE 140269

Classified By: Ambassador Wood, reason 1.4 (b) and (d).

Summary
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1. (c) During a one-on-one October 15 meeting, Minister of
Defense Tolgfors told Ambassador:

-- Finland proposed the possibility of a rotation of the
leadership of the PRT in Mazar-e-Sharif Afghanistan. Sweden
did not see this as a way of removing itself from its
obligation there.

-- Sweden's defense budget cuts do not signal a new
direction. Sweden remains committed to doubling its
international operation deployments. Proposed budget cuts
are directed at expensive projects for production and
acquisition of hardware not appropriate for defense
priorities.

-- Ministry of Defense role in Defense issues has not been
diminished by recent resignations over budget disputes and
the Defense Ministry, not the Finance Ministry, continues to
be prime on defense issues.

End Summary

Defense Priorities
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2. (c) Ambassador met October 15 with Sweden's new Minister
of Defense Sten Tolgfors (ref B),at the invitation of the
Minister. Tolgfors told the Ambassador Sweden has two goals
for its defense. First, to double its capabilities for
international operations; second, to buy more efficiently,
ensuring that what is sought and procured corresponds to
requirements for military priorities.

Afghanistan PRT
--------------

3. (C) Tolgfors confirmed that Finland proposed the
possibility of a rotation of the leadership of the PRT in
Mazar-e-Sharif Afghanistan. Sweden received this proposal
positively since it showed continued Nordic cooperation and
increased Finnish contribution to Afganistan. Sweden did not
see this as a way of removing itself from or reducing its
obligation there. (Comment: Helsinki reports -- ref A --
that the Finns have heard from the Swedes that Sweden may
reduce its forces in the PRT for budgetary reasons. Both
Tolgfors and MFA PolDir Lyrvall -- ref B -- have assured us
that any adjustment in the ratio of Swedish/Finnish forces in
Afghanistan will be in the context of enhancing Nordic
cooperation and that Sweden has no intention of withdrawing
from Afghanistan.)


4. (c) Regarding overall international operations, Tolgfors
said that the goal was to double from the current level of
under 1,000 troops deployed abroad to more than 2,000. In
the event that Sweden was called upon to deploy the EU Nordic
Battle Group, which it leads, Sweden's contribution of troops
abroad would more than treble, counting the over 2000 Swedish
troops in the Battle Group. Tolgfors said his goal was to
expand the use of the Airforce and Navy in international
deployments, rather than concentrating on Army troops, which
is the current model. (Comment: we note that consistent
with this priority, the contingent Sweden plans to furnish to
the EU CFSP deployment in Chad will consist of 200 Marine
Riflemen. End Comment.)


5. (c) Regarding the budget reductions, Tolgfors said he was
able after his appointment as Minister of Defense (ref C) to
decrease the size of defense budget reductions by about 150
million USD, resulting in total projected defense budget cuts
through 2010 of 300-450 million USD, largely concentrated in
hardware not relevant to Defense's current international
missions.

MNF-I Coalition Conference on Iraq
--------------

6. (c) Ambassador also raised with Tolgfors Sweden's
invitation to the Bahrain October 29-31 MNF-I Coalition
Conference on Iraq (ref D). Tolgfors said he would look into
it. MFA PolDir Lyrvall's assistant told us October 15 a
decision on participation was still pending.

Comment

STOCKHOLM 00001277 002 OF 002


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7. (C) USEMB Stockholm perceives Tolgfors objectives at this
meeting as threefold: First, to reassure that Tolgfors and
his Ministry are in charge of defense matters and that they
are not unduly influenced by the Finance Minister as a result
of the recent resignations of the top two Ministry officials
over a budget dispute; Second, to clarify what Tolgfors
perceived to be misrepresentations in the media of the true
nature of the Defense cuts; Finally, that Sweden continues to
be committed to long-term participation in internationally
sanctioned peacekeeping activities.
WOOD