SWEDISH PARLIAMENT'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS LEADERS ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000051

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2017
TAGS: PREL MOPS PGOV YI AF SW
SUBJECT: SWEDISH PARLIAMENT'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS LEADERS ON
AFGHANISTAN, KOSOVO

REF: LJUBLJANA 20

Classified By: DCM Robert Silverman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

Summary
--------------

1. (C) Charge discussed Sweden's role in Afghanistan and
Kosovo in separate meetings January 16 and 17 with Goran
Lennmarker and Urban Ahlin, the government and the opposition
leaders in the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee.
Lennmarker and Ahlin both saw room for increases in the
number of Swedish troops in Afghanistan. The Swedish
deployment to Afghanistan comes up for extension in late
2008, and Ahlin asked us to help in telling the story of the
humanitarian role Sweden's troops play. Ahlin lamented the
government's go-slow policy on Kosovo recognition and asked
for legal points on the Kosovo independence issue and UNSCR

1244. See action requests at para 8. End Summary.

Afghanistan
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2. (C) Charge d'Affaires met January 16 with Goran
Lennmarker, Chairman of Parliament's Foreign Affairs
Committee, and January 17 with Urban Ahlin, vice-Chairman of
the Committee and Foreign Policy Spokesman for the opposition
Social Democrats. On Afghanistan, both noted that Sweden had
authority to increase deployments to the Sweden-led PRT in
Mazar-e Sharif from current levels of 365 to as many as 600.
Ahlin emphasized that Parliament granted the government this
flexibility in order to enable it to respond to unforeseen
difficulties. As the price extracted by the Social Democrats
for their consensus support of this Government-proposed
increase in May 2007, the term of authorization had been
shortened, and will expire in December 2008. This will mean
that the deployment and authorized levels will come up for
review and re-authorization in the Fall of 2008. As before,
the proposed authorization would be limited to the Mazar-e
Sharif PRT area and to peace-keeping rather than peacemaking
activities.


3. (C) In anticipation of the debate on this extension,
Ahlin emphasized it would be necessary for the Social
Democrats to be able to explain why they are supporting the
UN's and NATO's efforts in Afghanistan. This story could
best be told by Afghanis. Ahlin asked for our help in
getting a senior Afghanistan government official to come to
Sweden to relate humanitarian stories such as how the Swedish
and NATO efforts are allowing girls to go to school, keeping
the country from being taken over by drug lords, and keeping
the Taliban from oppressing the people. Ahlin suggested it
would be useful for NATO to distribute at its Bucharest
summit a sheet telling the story of NATO's humanitarian role
in Afghanistan.


4. (C) Regarding the possibility of Sweden sending JAS
Gripen fighters to Afghanistan, Ahlin said the Social
Democrats had told the Moderate-led Alliance government they
would not agree to this mission. Afghanis would not be able
to distinguish Swedish planes from those of countries engaged
in combat operations in Iraq, per Ahlin. (Note: The Swedish
military continues to argue for a Gripen mission to
Afghanistan,)

Kosovo and the Balkans
--------------

5. (C) Ahlin said he disagreed with the go-slow approach
that Foreign Minister Bildt and the MFA are taking on the
recognition of Kosovo (reftel). At the same time, it was
important for the government to be able to justify legally
the position it takes on Kosovo's independence. Sweden is a
legalistic society, and gives great deference to the UN, he
continued. Swedish concerns about provisions in UNSCR 1244
regarding the independence of Kosovo and the sovereignty of
Serbia need to be addressed. Ahlin asked us to provide
information on the U.S. legal interpretation of these
provisions of UNSCR 1244.

Concerns about Russia
--------------

6. (C) Both Lennmarker and Ahlin said Sweden has serious
concerns about the direction Russia is taking. Lennmarker,
referring to his role as the head of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly, underscored the importance of keeping the West's
doors opened for Russia's neighbors. NATO needed to provide
an opening and hope for Georgia and Ukraine, and he
recommended that NATO unveil "creative thinking" in its April
Summit in Bucharest. He recalled the important signal the
Baltic Charter played in the 1990's as a model. Lennmarker
added that he was meeting with Solana and would push for the
EU to intensify it engagement in Georgia and Ukraine.


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Comment
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7. (C) Ahlin noted that he is perceived as being on the
right wing of his party on security issues and relations with
the U.S. He is well-wired across the spectrum in Stockholm,
and is willing to play a useful role regarding Afghanistan
and Kosovo. Lennmarker defers to FM Bildt, as does the rest
of the government's foreign policy apparatus.

Action Request
--------------

8. (C) We request assistance to respond to Ahlin's two
requests for our help on Afghanistan and Kosovo:

-- On Afghanistan, to help arrange for the testimony of a
senior Afghan government official before the Swedish
Parliament in order to explain the humanitarian contribution
of the Swedish-led PRT. Per Ahlin, this would help the
Swedish Parliament in extending the mandate of the
Swedish-led PRT;

-- On Kosovo, to provide information on the U.S. legal
interpretation of the provisions of UNSCR 1244 dealing with
the sovereignty of Serbia and independence of Kosovo.
WOOD