A/S FRIED TALKS EU ENLARGEMENT, CYPRUS, AND KOSOVO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000412 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON IQ EU SW SUBJECT: A/S FRIED TALKS EU ENLARGEMENT, CYPRUS, AND KOSOVO WITH SWEDEN'S BELFRAGE Classified By: Ambassador Michael M. Wood for reasons 1.4(b)and(d). ¶1. (C) Summary: On May 29 MFA State Secretary Frank Belfrage told A/S Fried: -- Sweden, France, and the Czech Republic recently agreed on an EU tripartite presidency program that does not block further accession negotiations with Turkey and Croatia; -- Sweden is encouraging the UN to take a more active role in Cyprus and asked for U.S. assistance to push the UN on this issue; and -- Sweden is willing to support a reconfiguration of UNMIK/EULEX, but agrees the UN needs to stop asymmetric negotiations with Belgrade that encourage the Serbs to take a harder line on Kosovo. End Summary. EU Enlargement -------------- ¶2. (C) On May 29, A/S Dan Fried, accompanied by Ambassador Michael Wood, met with Swedish MFA State Secretary Frank Belfrage during the International Compact with Iraq (ICI) conference. Also attending the meeting were Bjorn Lyrvall, Swedish MFA Political Director; Jonas Hafstrom, Swedish Ambassador to the U.S.; and Camilla Mellander, assistant to Belfrage. Belfrage raised the issue of the ongoing difficulties of the EU enlargement process. He noted, however, that there had been a recent breakthrough on a tripartite presidency program agreed to by Sweden, France, and the Czech Republic. He said the program had an updated passage on enlargement and that the French agreed not to block negotiations with Turkey and Croatia. Belfrage said the French had modified their perspective because they realized the accession process for Turkey would take many years and that a protest at this juncture was premature. Fried said progress on the enlargement process was an improvement and that the Turkish impulse to join the EU should be encouraged. Belfrage and Fried discussed the current court case against the ruling AK party in Turkey. Belfrage said that a negative case outcome could strengthen narrow factions within the EU that want to prevent Turkey's ascension. Fried noted that the EU's reluctance is encouraging Turkey to build closer strategic ties to the Middle East, rather than Europe. Cyprus -------------- ¶3. (C) Belfrage said there could be a window of opportunity to move forward on Cyprus. He also said the Swedes are encouraging UNSYG Ban Ki-Moon to develop a more robust UN role in promoting party talks and finding a solution in Cyprus. Belfrage said that because of previous UNSYG Annan's difficulties with Cyprus the UN is now averse to an enhanced role without encouragement from all parties. Belfrage said the new technical working groups or a new special envoy to Cyprus could help resolve issues. Belfrage also said he was interested in bringing together a group of like-minded EU countries to work on a solution in Cyprus. Belfrage said Swedish MFA Political Director Bjorn Lyrvall would travel to Cyprus on June 1 and that Belfrage plans to travel there in early Fall. Fried said he was also considering a trip to Cyprus in the near future. ¶4. (C) Fried said that the recent joint statement issued by Cyprian President Demetrius Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat was a good step forward, but that the technical groups did not seem to be making progress. Belfrage said that the Greek Cypriots are worried and don't believe that Talat has the strength to maneuver the Turkish General Staff. Belfrage said that the AK court case may make it more difficult for the Turks to be flexible on Cyprus. Fried said that Christofias was doing well and that he hoped Talat has the courage to push ahead. Belfrage asked Fried if the U.S. could encourage UNSYG Ban Ki-Moon to move forward on this issue, including reaching out to UN U/SYG for Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe. Kosovo -------------- ¶5. (C) Belfrage raised Kosovo and Fried said while the EU had done well, the UN had wasted weeks resolving the issues with UNMIK and EULEX. Fried said EULEX -- with UNMIK as an umbrella -- needed to replace UNMIK control by June 15. Fried also said the UN'S recent attempt to negotiate with Belgrade was only encouraging Belgrade to continue to view Kosovo as part of Serbia. Fried stressed that EU prerogatives in Kosovo must be respected and that there should be no asymmetry, the UN should treat Pristina and Belgrade as equals. Belfrage said the UN was trying to overplay its hand, believing that the EU and U.S. needed its assistance. Fried said that while UN help was needed, the EU had shown the extent of this need when two-thirds of EU countries recognized Kosovo without the UN Security Council's agreement. ¶6. (C) Lyrvall suggested by restructuring UNMIK, an EU/UN command and control arrangement could be worked within the UNSCR 1244 framework. Lyrvall further suggested that if UNMIK was reconfigured it would allow Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic to become less aggressive. Fried noted that achieving this reconfiguration by June 15 would be difficult and that the Serbians were likely to respond negatively to any negotiations letter UNSYG Ban Ki-Moon sent. Fried noted that the EU's Javier Solana had relayed to Secretary Rice that he already had a tense conversation with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic on this issue. Belfrage asked if the Russians had changed their position and Fried responded that the Russians were willing to accept light UNMIK oversight. Fried cautioned, however, that this acceptance was being undermined by DPKO U/S Guehenno's press for negotiations with Serbia. Fried said the Balkan Quint political directors would be discussing these issues with Guehenno on May 30. Georgia and CFE Issues -------------- ¶7. (C) Belfrage raised the issue of Georgia and Fried said that if the meeting Swedish FM Bildt was organizing between the Abkhaz and Georgians went well the Germans were interested in sponsoring a follow-up meeting in Berlin. Fried said the follow-up meeting would include the Russians -- ensuring they were not shut out of the process. Belfrage also asked Fried about CFE and the two-plus-two configuration. Fried said Georgia/Moldova/Baltics had agreed to a U.S. proposal and that it had been offered to the Russians, but the Russians said no. Fried said the offer was still on the table and that the ongoing tensions in Georgia remained the biggest problem to moving forward. ¶8. (U) Assistant Secretary Fried has cleared on this cable. WOOD