NORWAY AND MD: PHASED, ADAPTIVE APPROACH WELCOMED

S E C R E T OSLO 000571 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2019 TAGS: EZ MARR PREL NO SUBJECT: NORWAY AND MD: PHASED, ADAPTIVE APPROACH WELCOMED REF: SECSTATE 96550 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires James T. Heg for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d). ¶1. (C) CDA Heg, A/DATT, and PolOff briefed reftel points September 17 to Norwegian MFA Deputy Director General for Security Policy Rune Resaland, MFA Assistant Director General for Disarmament and Non-proliferation Bjorn Midthun, MOD Director for Security Policy Svein Efjestad, and MOD Senior Advisor for Security Policy Hans Henrik Eriksen. Resaland said that the MFA would study the paper carefully, and looked forward to hearing the results of the September 17 NAC discussion on the issue. He asked whether we anticipated Russian reciprocation for the action, to include perhaps Russian cooperation on nuclear weapons programs and a more constructive engagement on Iran, to which CDA responded that the new approach was designed to address the threat posed by Iranian ballistic missile developments, not to seek Russian cooperation on various issues. Midthun added that the Phased, Adaptive Approach is a "step we largely would welcome." However both indicated that they required additional time to review the document, and would provide more detailed views on the matter early next week. ¶2. (S) MOD's Efjestad said that the new approach was very much in line with the Norwegian government's point of view, referring to Norway's Core Area Initiative non-paper for NATO reform. He added that the Non-paper approach if adopted would serve to manage Polish disappointment and likely Baltic concern, in particular as this new approach comes during the ongoing Zapad 09 Russian-Belarussian exercise. Efjestad concluded by noting that this could be an opportunity to develop a more "cohesive alliance" with a clear, regional focus (Septel to follow). HEG