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

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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