SAAKASHVILI-PM REINFELDT MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000749 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV GG SW SUBJECT: SAAKASHVILI-PM REINFELDT MEETING REF: STOCKHOLM 739 Classified By: A/DCM Marc Koehler for reasons 1.4 (B) & (D). (C) Georgian President Saakashvili met in Stockholm with Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt on October 31 (reftel). On November 6, Head of the MFA,s Eastern Europe Desk, Johan Frisell, gave Poloffs an overview of the meeting, describing Saakashvili's mental state as "calm and objective," which it is "usually not." Otterstedt said Saakashvili's calmness allowed for a substantive dialogue. Saakashvili also met with the Parliament's standing Foreign Affairs Committee, the top seven Swedish CEOs, and paid a courtesy call to the King. The main points of the dialogue with Reinfeldt were: Reforms -------------- --Reinfeldt urged Saakashvili to continue political and judicial reforms, a dialogue with the opposition, and support for an independent media. --Saakashvili said he is committed to reforms, but the opposition is difficult to work with because it is weak and does not want to cooperate. However, the opposition is united with the government against Russia. EU Cooperation -------------- --Saakashvili said Georgia has a new vision for EU relations and, inspired by Ukraine, wants an association agreement to increase cooperation with the EU. He thanked Reinfeldt for Sweden's part in the Eastern Partnership initiative. --Reinfeldt urged Georgia to enter into a "deep trade" agreement with the EU, replacing the basic tariff-free movement of goods agreement. Saakashvili, who had earlier not wanted such, expressed support for deep trade ties now. (Frisell stated that the new trade regime would eliminate tariffs on services, goods, and the movement of capital.) Russia -------------- --Reinfeldt said he was concerned Russia was not implementing its commitments, but urged Georgia to keep calm if provoked and use only peaceful means to resolve conflicts. --Saakashvili said Russia has a "strategic policy" to overthrow his government and undermine Georgia, and Moscow is uninterested in the Geneva talks. --He said Russia wants to keep its military in Abkhazia and South Ossetia for the long term and will continue to provoke Georgia. He expressed his gratitude for Foreign Minister Bildt's leading role in support of Georgia. Diplomatic Relations -------------- --Frisell stated that Sweden has agreed to represent Georgian interests in Moscow, but the details are still under negotiation. --The Georgians want to keep their "entire mission" in place and just switch to the Swedish flag, he said, which would be "too risky" given the large Georgian population of Russia and "xenophobic tensions." --As Sweden prepares for the EU Presidency, it needs to preserve its "ability to work with Russia." WOOD