BILDT VISITS OFFICIALS AND TROOPS AFGHANISTAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000750

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR AF SW
SUBJECT: BILDT VISITS OFFICIALS AND TROOPS AFGHANISTAN

Classified By: A/DCM Marc Koehler for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

Summary
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1. (C) Swedish FM Bildt paid his first visit to Afghanistan
October 29-31, 2008. On this "fact-finding" mission, he met
with all levels of government in Kabul, including Foreign
Minister Spanta and Minister of Interior Atmar, and with
Balkh Province Governor Atta when he visited Sweden's PRT in
northern Afghanistan. Spanta spoke positively about the
Afghan-Pakistan relationship; Atmar discussed his
anti-corruption mandate with Bildt; and Atta asked the Swedes
to send more aid directly to the provinces, instead of
routing it through Kabul.

Bildt in Listening Mode
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2. (C) Swedish FM Carl Bildt visited Afghanistan on October
29-31, 2008. On November 5, MFA Afghan Desk Officer Mattias
Otterstedt briefed Poloffs on Bild't visit. Bildt was
accompanied by State Secretary Bjorn Lyrvall, Sweden's
Ambassador to Iraq Niclas Trouve, Otterstedt and two cabinet
staffers. Otterstedt said this was Bildt's first trip to
Afghanistan and he was in a fact-finding and listening mode.
Now that Bildt has seen the country and spoken with the key
players, "he is more likely to generate ideas," according to
Otterstedt, who said he based this statement on experience
from previous Bildt trips.

Foreign Minister Spanta on Good Governance
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3. (C) FM Spanta told Bildt over lunch that the international
community must "increase pressure" on Afghanistan to continue
reforms on good governance and human rights. Otterstedt
commented that Spanta was "playing" the Swedes by appealing
to their respect for human rights in order to increase
Sweden's support. Spanta told Bildt that Afghanistan's
relationship with Pakistan has improved and urged Bildt to
increase support to Pakistan also. Otterstedt commented that
a "new window" of Pakistan-Afghan cooperation should be
explored and the United Kingdom is trying to increase
Pakistan's presence on the EU agenda.

Interior Minister Atmar to Tackle Corruption
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4. (C) Bildt also met with Minister of the Interior Atmar, a
"dynamic Pashtun," who was only six days into his job.
(Note: Atmar was previously Minister for Rural Development
and Minister of Education. End note.) Atmar told Bildt that
he has a clear mandate to root out corruption within the
police and repair the Ministry of Interior so it can better
provide logistical services to the police. The Interior
Minister said he wants help from EU and U.S. on conducting
operations, such as anti-corruption investigations, according
to Otterstedt.


5. (C) Other meetings included: a one-on-one with Karzai
(Otterstedt had no read-out); Defense Minister Wardak
regarding the Afghan National Army; Speaker of Lower House;
parliamentarians; the Afghan Independent Human Rights
Commission; the Swedish Committee on Afghanistan and other
think tanks. Throughout, Bildt stressed the need to talk
with the Taliban, but the international community's "red
lines" must be clear, he said, especially to the Afghan
government.

Elections
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6. (C) Otterstedt reported that Bildt, in a number of
meetings, expressed concern that during the 2009 elections
many voters will be prevented by security conditions from
voting, and the majority of those voters will likely be
Pashtun due to their geographical remoteness. Bildt
reportedly said if ten percent of voters cannot vote, that is
acceptable, but if so many as 30 percent of all registered
voters cannot vote, then the new government's legitimacy
would be put into question. Otterstedt admitted the Sweden
does not have a clear idea how to improve the election
process.

Mazar-e Sharif
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7. (C) Visiting Sweden's PRT in northern Afghanistan, Bildt
met with Governor Atta in Mazar-e Sharif. Otterstedt said
the meeting between Atta and Bildt was collegial, though Atta
asked for more resources and continued his criticisms of the

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Swedish-led PRT for its failure to provide substantial
improvements (reftel). Otterstedt said that although Atta
wants to control the development funds allocated to the
North, it is better to let the Afghan authorities in Kabul
work to dole out the funds with the Afghan flag attached than
to have the Swedes dole out the funds with a Swedish flag.
Sweden wants the Afghan government to take credit for the
projects it implements with Swedish funds, and therefore will
continue to earmark no more than 25 percent of all its aid
for the four Northern provinces in its PRT. "What matters is
capacity building, not Sweden getting credit," Otterstedt
stated. He added that Sweden's ability to earmark funds is
limited because the Afghan Minister of Finance wants
flexibility to use the funds.
WOOD