Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08STATE62452
2008-06-10 19:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

Under SECRETARY BURNS DISCUSSES IRAQ, KOSOVO,

Tags:  PREL PGOV UNSC UNMIK PBTS SENV PINR KO RS 
pdf how-to read a cable
O P 101900Z JUN 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM IMMEDIATE 
INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY PRISTINA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY 
USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 
USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 062452 


E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC UNMIK PBTS SENV PINR KO RS
IZ, GG, XQ, SW
SUBJECT: Under SECRETARY BURNS DISCUSSES IRAQ, KOSOVO,
GEORGIA AND NORDIC SECURITY WITH SWEDISH FM BILDT


(U) CLASSIFIED BY EUR ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY KURT
VOLKER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

REF: STATE 60125

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 062452


E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC UNMIK PBTS SENV PINR KO RS
IZ, GG, XQ, SW
SUBJECT: Under SECRETARY BURNS DISCUSSES IRAQ, KOSOVO,
GEORGIA AND NORDIC SECURITY WITH SWEDISH FM BILDT


(U) CLASSIFIED BY EUR ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY KURT
VOLKER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

REF: STATE 60125


1. (U) PARTICIPANTS:

U.S.
--------------
U/S WILLIAM J. BURNS, P
PDAS KURT VOLKER, EUR
SUMONA GUHA, SPECIAL ASSISTANT, P

H. MARTIN MCDOWELL, EUR/NB DESK (NOTETAKER)

SWEDEN
--------------
CARL BILDT, FOREIGN MINISTER
AMBASSADOR JONAS HAFSTROM
HAKAN MALMQVIST, DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL, SWEDISH MFA
ERIKA FERRER, POLITICAL COUNSELOR, SWEDISH EMBASSY
INGRID ASK, FIRST SECRETARY, SWEDISH EMBASSY


2. (C) Summary: Under Secretary Burns thanked Swedish FM
Bildt for Sweden's hosting of the International Compact
with Iraq conference, during their June 4 meeting in the
Department. Bildt told Burns that Sweden and the EU were
prepared to help clean up the "mess" in Kosovo, but wanted
to see a prolonged UN presence, especially in the north,
where the EU was not able to deploy. On Georgia, U/S
Burns said the U.S. was urging Tbilisi to show restraint,
but he and Bildt agreed that Russia was playing a "very
dangerous game" in Abkhazia. Bildt said that the Swedes
were trying to quietly bring the Georgians and Abkhaz
together, and suggested that the 2014 Sochi Olympics and
economic measures might prove effective ways to pressure
Russia and the Abkhaz to resume progress toward a conflict
settlement. Bildt also said that Sweden was supporting
closer security cooperation and integration with like-
minded Nordic neighbors that would have a significant
long-term impact. End Summary.

--------------
Iraq
--------------


3. (C) Under Secretary Burns initiated the June 4 meeting
by thanking FM Bildt and Sweden for hosting the May 29
International Compact with Iraq (ICI) Annual Review
Conference. Bildt said that the conference had been a
"small, but successful step" toward increasing European

engagement in Iraq, but added that more needed to be done.
Bildt said that he had spoken at length with the Secretary
about Iraq in Stockholm (reftel) and hoped to follow-up
with her soon about next steps.

--------------
Kosovo
--------------


4. (C) Bildt said that Sweden wanted to see ongoing roles
for both the EU and UN in order to straighten out the
"mess" in Kosovo - progress was slow and difficult. U/S
Burns noted that Russia was not making the situation easy
for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Bildt added that
the EU favored an extended UN role in Kosovo. It was
necessary, he said, not only to handle tasks which the
Kosovo Government was not yet able to handle (for example,
issuance of travel documents or international
representation),but especially needed in the north where
the eventual EU-led mission (EULEX) can't yet go in, but a
prolonged UN presence would help prevent losing the
northern border. Bildt noted that the Kosovars needed to
cease focusing on "lofty political thoughts" and get down
to the more boring but necessary details of daily
governance, such as taxes, transportation, and other
bureaucratic but important matters. U/S Burns and EUR
PDAS Volker noted that we need the UN to transition, and
the EU to build up, recognizing that progress on the
ground in Kosovo would take time and required continued,
strong international support.

--------------
Russia/Georgia
--------------


5. (C) U/S Burns and Bildt agreed that Russia continued to
employ strong pressure tactics in Georgia. Burns said he
did not believe Russia wanted Abkhazia to obtain
independence; this would open a "can of worms" because of
the implications for other ethnic enclaves and conflicts
in the Caucasus, including inside Russia. However, Russia
was playing a dangerous game by walking as close to
possible up to the line, without crossing it. Burns said
the U.S. was encouraging direct talks between the
Georgians and the Abkhaz. Bildt noted that, given current
tensions, it was a wonder that there had not been more
border skirmishes and deaths, adding that the situation
could worsen at any moment. He said that the EU and
Washington had to find more effective ways to deal with
Russia in response, instead of "feeble" declarations that
were of little comfort to Georgian President Saakashvili,
whose frustration at Russia trying to "take parts of my
country," (as Bildt said he had been told) was
understandable. Burns noted that Saakashvili had spoken
with Russian President Medvedev by phone recently and that
the two would meet face-to-face on June 6 at the Economic
Forum in St. Petersburg.


6. (C) Bildt related that Sweden had been trying to
quietly arrange talks between Tbilisi and Abkhazia in
Stockholm, but was wary of leaks or media attention, as
discreet, cautious steps were needed for dealing with the
complex issues of the conflict - not a "media show" such
as the German-hosted talks that the Russians, among
others, favored. Burns replied that the U.S. appreciated
Swedish efforts to support the peace process. Volker
later followed up with Bildt noting that we believe that
German-hosted talks also have promise, provided they serve
as a vehicle to allow the Abkhaz and Georgians to speak
with each other directly.


7. (C) Bildt suggested that the West play the "Sochi
Olympics card" with Moscow by pointing out that enormous
investment was needed to get the existing facilities up to
snuff and implying that successful hosting of the games
might be "endangered" by the fact they would be held only
a few kilometers from an unresolved - and potentially hot
- conflict. Burns agreed that the Russians would be
sensitive to such arguments, and that Bildt's suggested
wording would likely prove more effective than boycott
threats. Bildt added that another way to get Russian and
Abkhaz attention would be to apply pressure to entities
financially benefiting from business dealings with
unrecognized, unregistered entities based in Abkhazia.
Burns agreed that it was a suggestion worth exploring.


8. (C) Bildt and Burns agreed that it was still too early
to read the internal political impact of the new Medvedev
presidency on Russia. Bildt said that the EU would
finally begin Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA)
discussions with Russia in June, but added that the
discussions would take time.

--------------
Closer Nordic Security Cooperation
--------------


9. (C) Bildt described Swedish interest in building on
growing international interest in the High North to
strengthen Nordic cooperation on a number of issues,
including security, energy, climate change and the impact
of increased commercial traffic. He said that initial
efforts to coordinate the trilateral security interests of
Norway, Sweden and Finland were expanding to include
Denmark and Iceland. He told Burns that the Swedes were
exploring security integration with their neighbors -
starting with surveillance efforts - that he hoped would
gradually have "great significance" down the road. Bildt
said the Swedish Government would soon present draft
legislation to Parliament that would establish the
cornerstone for his "new doctrine." As an aside, he
noted the importance of expediting U.S. ratification of
the Law of the Sea Convention. The Under Secretary
agreed, but lamented that the process appears to be
"stuck." Bildt suggested that, in the absence of
ratification, the U.S. was missing a "seat at the table"
while other countries - including Russia - were shoring up
their basic legal positions in the High North.

RICE