SWEDEN MAKING PREPARATIONS TO OPEN AN EMBASSY IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 001452 SIPDIS SIPDIS DOD FOR ISO DAS DEBRA CAGAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ SW SUBJECT: SWEDEN MAKING PREPARATIONS TO OPEN AN EMBASSY IN IRAQ Classified By: Ambassador Michael Wood for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Foreign Minister Bildt told the Ambassador December 11 that Sweden is making preparations to open an Embassy in Iraq, and is considering a bilateral aid mission as well. In a separate meeting with the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff H.G. Wessberg, the Ambassador was told the Finance Ministry had already allocated the funds for a new embassy. Wessberg said he is personally following up on the aid mission to Iraq idea. MFA Middle East Deputy Director Dag Juhlin Dannfelt will be in Baghdad the week of December 16 looking at possible embassy sites. These will include, per Bildt, leasing from the Iraqi government premises the U.S. will vacate when it moves to the new compound. Bildt said Sweden has had discussions with the French and Germans about possibly co-locating with them. (Note: MFA Middle East Director Peter Tejler told us earlier that Sweden decided not to consider co-locating with the Danes because Denmark is a member of the Coalition.) ¶2. (C) Bildt said that Ambassador Lars Magnuson, who handles repatriation agreements for the Justice Ministry, was currently in Jordan negotiating a repatriation agreement with the Iraqis. Sweden has made such an agreement a condition precedent to opening an Embassy in Iraq. ¶3. (C) When an Embassy opens, Bildt said, it will have limited functions. Tejler told us Sweden's embassy would not issue visas, because otherwise that is all it would do. ¶4. (C) Opening a bilateral aid mission requires both Foreign Ministry and aid agency support, SIDA, the Swedish aid agency, is formally autonomous. Embassy is following up with SIDA to see where opening an Iraq mission fits in its 2008 priorities. WOOD