Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08COPENHAGEN499
2008-09-19 14:05:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Copenhagen
Cable title:  

Nordic Council Open to Renewable Energy R&D Partnership

Tags:  KGHG PREL DA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6929
OO RUEHAG RUEHLN
DE RUEHCP #0499/01 2631405
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191405Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4456
INFO RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK 0452
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 5529
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 8963
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 3859
RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN 1519
RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA 0837
RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS 1625
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1421
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2562
RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 2080
RUEHLN/AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 0320
RUEHAG/AMCONSUL HAMBURG 0036
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0647
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COPENHAGEN 000499 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KGHG PREL DA
SUBJECT: Nordic Council Open to Renewable Energy R&D Partnership
Idea

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COPENHAGEN 000499

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KGHG PREL DA
SUBJECT: Nordic Council Open to Renewable Energy R&D Partnership
Idea


1. (SBU) Summary: In a September 18 courtesy call on the Secretary
General of the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM),the DCM expressed
U.S. interest in dialogue and collaboration in the Arctic and the
field of renewable energy. SecGen Halldor Asgrimsson reciprocated
that interest, expressing general interest in enhanced cooperation
with the U.S., and encouraging dialogue with the NCM in the
promising area of renewable energy research. Other Council
priorities include Arctic cooperation, and support to civil society
in the Baltic states, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. End Summary.


2. (SBU) On September 18, the DCM, accompanied by ESTHOff, called
on Halldor Asgrimsson, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of
Ministers since 2006. Asgrimsson formerly served as Prime Minister
of Iceland, 2004-2006; Leader of the Progressive Party, 1994-2006;
Chairman of the Arctic Council, 2002-2004; and as Iceland's Minister
for Foreign Affairs, External Trade, Defense and Foreign Aid,
1995-2004.

Nordic Council Open to Dialog
--------------


3. (SBU) Asgrimsson welcomed the opportunity to meet, saying the
Nordic prime ministers, led by Norway and Iceland, had at their most
recent meeting encouraged the NCM to increase cooperation with the
U.S. and other nations, including Canada. He expressed appreciation
for U.S. participation in the recent NCM Arctic conference held in
Ilulissat, Greenland, September 9-10.


4. (SBU) Asgrimsson said the NCM, formed in 1973, had originally
focused on coordination within the Nordic region, but since the fall
of the Berlin wall had become engaged in efforts to engage the
development of the independent Baltic states and Russia. The
Council now has correspondent offices in all three Baltic capitals,
and in Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg. Its programs also provide
support through NGOs to civil society in the Baltics, Ukraine and
Belarus, where it supported creation of an independent university
(the European Humanities University),which has since moved to
Vilnius, Lithuania, becoming the world's first "university in
exile."


5. (SBU) An NCM globalization initiative is now seeking to engage
China and India, and NCM support for a Nordic Climate Solutions
conference in Copenhagen in November is focused on the climate
change issue.


6. (SBU) Asgrimsson said the NCM does not involve itself directly
in foreign policy or political issues, but its programs nevertheless
have political ramifications. He mentioned a recent meeting in
Moscow with Vice Minster Titov to discuss NCM programs in NW Russia,
where the situation in Georgia was not mentioned, but inevitably
"cast a pall" over the meeting.

Renewable Energy Research Efforts Promising
--------------


7. (SBU) The DCM described general U.S. interest in international
collaboration to foster renewable energy technology research and
development, and growing interest in partnering with the Nordic
region in this effort. He inquired whether, should interest on the
part of all Nordic nations be confirmed, the NCM would be interested
in exploring avenues for collaboration with the U.S. in this
particular area.


8. (SBU) Asgrimsson said he had been made aware of initial U.S.
exploratory efforts in the region, and signaled strong NCM interest
in future collaboration in this promising area. The Council
supports a Nordic Energy Research effort based in Oslo to fund
projects in targeted areas including renewable energy and energy
efficiency, and has made important efforts to coordinate bio-energy
research through its Forestry Council. The NCM is also considering
supporting outreach in the U.S. on the success of the Nordic energy
model, at the request of one of its members.


9. (SBU) Asgrimsson introduced two of NCM's staff, Kristian Birk,
Head of NCM's Energy Department (including renewable energy),and
Tryggvi Felixson, Head of NCM's Environment Department (which covers
climate change negotiations and bio-energy issues),and suggested we
coordinate with them on any next steps.

COPENHAGEN 00000499 002 OF 002



Comment
--------------


10. (SBU) We were careful to present U.S. efforts as preliminary,
since not all Nordic states have yet been included, but the NCM is
clearly aware of our initial soundings and well disposed to explore
the possibility of cooperation further. We defer to the Department
on next steps, but believe the Council could offer a useful platform
for cooperation with the Nordics as a group.

CAIN