SWEDISH DEP FM BELFRAGE ON AFGHANISTAN AND IRAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000706 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL AF IR SW SUBJECT: SWEDISH DEP FM BELFRAGE ON AFGHANISTAN AND IRAN Classified By: DCM ROBERT SILVERMAN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B AND D) ¶1. (C) Summary: On October 16, Swedish MFA State Secretary (deputy minister equivalent) Frank Belfrage told DCM and Pol counselor: -- On Afghanistan, Belfrage noted "strong bipartisan support" for Sweden to stay for "the long haul," even though the opposition was creating difficulties for the Government,s planned legislation extending and potentially expanding Sweden,s ISAF participation through 2009. -- On Iran, Belfrage argued against going beyond sanctions explicitly authorized by the UN Security Council (UNSC),and said Sweden was one of many EU members opposed to enhanced sanctions though he agreed to take a close look at the language of UNSCR 1835. End summary. ¶2. (C) On Afghanistan, DCM began by requesting that Sweden expand its troop presence in the four provinces it jointly patrols with the Finns, and also to make troops available for missions nationwide, as needed. Belfrage noted that the Swedish Government has agreed to a 12-month deployment, with annual parliamentary renewals. The new legislation authorizing Sweden,s 2009 participation in ISAF is now in the process of being finalized in the MFA, with the government "working across party lines" to build consensus. Belfrage said expanding troops is one of the options the government is currently exploring with the opposition. "It will not be easy," Belfrage said, noting the big debate among opposition parties over a long-term vision for Afghanistan, the definition of victory in Afghanistan, and what the exit strategy is for Sweden. He added that it is important to sustain the path toward democratization and to do something about the "cancer" of the drug problem. Belfrage stated that "all of us lack a good strategy for dealing with the drugs" and that Secretary Rice and Foreign Minister Bildt had both recognized this when they last spoke. ¶3. (C) On aid for Afghan elections, Matthias Otterstedt, MFA Deputy Director for Afghanistan, added that the Swedish International Development Agency was likely to approve $3 million support for each of the next three years in a "joint effort" with Denmark and Norway, which together would lead to "some 10 percent of the total $400 million cost." Belfrage agreed, noting "strong bipartisan approach to be in Afghanistan for the long haul," even though the opposition demands that the legislation be rolled over every year. ¶4. (C) On Iran, DCM asked whether Sweden would support the EU effort to apply enhanced sanctions. Belfrage stated that the EU,s amendment to the EU Common Position on UNSC Resolution 1803 was received in Stockholm this week. He said it is important to apply pressure to Iran and that "there is no doubt Iran is not playing straight or coming clean on our suspicions, which are well-founded." But in order to be "credible," he continued, "we believe the impact must come from a united international community, through the UN. If instead we go with a cluster of national sanctions, then Iran will only be too happy to play us off of China and Russia." On the question of whether Sweden would support going beyond UN sanctions on Iran, as DCM noted the EU had done with Burma, Belfrage said Sweden supports "doing the utmost to implement" UNSCRs 1803 and 1835. "Most in the EU said it would not be right to pursue blanket sanctions on Iran," he added, but he agreed to take another look at what 1835 calls for. ¶5. (C) Belfrage said he understood from Sweden,s Embassy in Washington that there is a perception that Sweden has taken a lead position in opposing unilateral EU sanctions. He insisted that Sweden is one of many EU countries taking that position, not necessarily in the lead. He stated further that Foreign Minister Bildt told Parliamentarians on October 14 that isolation is not a preferred option, and that even if the U.S. and EU together imposed a total embargo, it would not be enough to deter Iran. "Don,t get us wrong," Belfrage said, "Iranian actions are totally unacceptable. But we differ on how we should pressure Iran." Sanctions are fine, he said, but should not be "autonomous." If Iran feels the international community is speaking with one voice, then that is "real pressure." Belfrage agreed to continue exchanging views on this topic; DCM thanked him for taking a second look at UNSCR 1835. ¶6. (C) Turning briefly to Iraq, Belfrage said that many of the topics discussed at the International Compact for Iraq (ICI),including the prospects for provincial elections and the hydrocarbons legislation, are progressing well. "Security seems to be improving every day," he said, which allows for development efforts to advance. The Iraqis left STOCKHOLM 00000706 002 OF 002 the ICI "with an added sense of self-confidence, which very much helped create the momentum to complete harder tasks," he added. DCM agreed. WOOD