HUNGARY AGREES TO ACCEPT A GUANTANAMO DETAINEE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUDAPEST 000696 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CE JAMIE MOORE. PASS TO NSC JEFF HOVENIER. E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2012 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER HU SUBJECT: HUNGARY AGREES TO ACCEPT A GUANTANAMO DETAINEE REF: BUDAPEST 461 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Political Counselor Paul C. O'Friel for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai told Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure (S/GC) September 16 that Hungary will accept one Guantanamo detainee, who will likely be of Palestinian origin. The main opposition party Fidesz has said it will support the government's decision and backed it up with public statements. END SUMMARY. ACCEPTING A DETAINEE PART OF THE DUTIES OF AN ALLY ¶2. (C) Prime Minister Bajnai in his September 16 meeting with Special Envoy Fried agreed to accept one Guantanamo detainee. Bajnai said he viewed the decision as part of Hungary's duties as an ally to help as much as it could. "We have a shared obligation practically, as well as symbolically, to help close Guantanamo," Bajnai stated. ¶3. (C) Attending the meeting on the Hungarian side were Foreign Minister Balazs, National Security Advisor Koranyi, the respective incoming and outgoing Ministers for Secret Services Juhasz and Ficsor, Special Envoy Simonyi, and Chief of Staff Szigetvari. Charge d, Affairs Levine, Political Counselor O'Friel, and S/GC Williams joined on the American side. ¶4. (C) Bajnai indicated that Hungary would make a decision by September 18 on which candidate it would accept, saying that he hoped to complete the process of resettlement within a month. (Note: The government spokesman stated publicly later on September 16 that Hungary would likely accept a Palestinian origin detainee, but no formal confirmation has yet been received. End Note.) The Hungarian Prime Minister welcomed Special Envoy Fried's offer to broker a letter of support from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which Bajnai said would help positively shape domestic public opinion. (Note: This letter has since been provided by the UN High Commissioner. End Note.) NEXT STEPS ¶5. (C) The Hungarian plan for integrating the detainee should be in place within two to three weeks, Bajnai stated, and would involve an 18-month process of Hungarian language study and practical job training. Special Envoy Simonyi would continue to play a lead role in policy questions, e.g., overseeing the exchange of diplomatic notes regarding the detainee, while Minister for Secret Services Juhasz and National Security Office Director Balajti would handle the technical details. NO PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL REQUIRED ¶6. (C) Bajnai emphasized that his decision would not require Parliamentary approval, only notification of the Security Affairs and Foreign Policy Committees, which would occur on September 17. A briefing of opposition Fidesz party Parliamentary leaders on September 15 had gone relatively well, he said. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Zsolt Nemeth, Defense and Law Enforcement Chairman Janos Lazar, and Caucus Leader Tibor Navracsics had all appeared reasonable and "to have gotten the message." However, Bajnai noted that "It all depends on (Fidesz party leader) Viktor Orban." He expressed appreciation for Special Envoy Fried's offer to meet with Fidesz senior foreign policy advisor Janos Martonyi, which Bajnai believed could help move the Fidesz leadership in the right direction. FIDESZ PROVIDES ASSURANCES IT WILL SUPPORT THE DECISION... ¶7. (C) In their subsequent meeting, Martonyi (who is rumored to be the lead candidate for foreign minister in a Fidesz government) told Special Envoy Fried that Fidesz would have no difficulty supporting the decision to accept a Guantanamo prisoner. Fried thanked Martonyi for Fidesz's help on the issue, which was very important to the Obama Administration. ...AND BACKS UP PRIVATE COMMENTS WITH PUBLIC STATEMENTS ¶8. (SBU) In later public comments, the Fidesz spokesman noted that the decision on the detainee was a government one BUDAPEST 00000696 002 OF 002 for which the government alone was responsible. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Nemeth separately told the press that Fidesz had "no reservations" about the decision to take a detainee, emphasizing that the government also had the obligation to ensure public safety and security. We understand from his staff, that Nemeth's comments had been cleared at the "highest level of the party," by which we infer to mean Fidesz leader Viktor Orban. Press comments from other parties or pundits have largely been favorable or neutral in tone. HUNGARY WANTS TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM ¶9. (C) Bajnai also used his meeting with Fried to note that Hungary "wants to be part of the solution and not part of the problem" in Central Europe. Its relations with the United States were rooted in common values and interests. Despite its budget crisis Hungary would continue its deployments to Afghanistan. It wanted more balanced, transparent relations with Russia, and had made the Nabucco gas project a top priority. ¶10. (C) COMMENT: Prime Minister Bajnai clearly led the process that resulted in this decision -- overcoming substantial bureaucratic resistance. One observer noted to us, "This would never have happened under (former Prime Minister) Gyurcsany." We are heartened, too, by Fidesz, responsible stance on the issue, which appears to indicate a desire for smooth relations with the Obama Administration should Fidesz -- as widely predicted -- come to power in next April's parliamentary elections. ¶11. (U) S/GC has cleared this cable. LEVINE