NORWAY'S MFA ON POTUS VISIT, IRAN, HIGH NORTH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OSLO 000725 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2019 TAGS: OVIP PREL NATO PARM NO SUBJECT: NORWAY'S MFA ON POTUS VISIT, IRAN, HIGH NORTH DIALOGUE, AND NATO Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission James T. Heg for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In separate meetings November 12, MFA Political Director Vegard Ellefsen and MFA Security Policy Director Rune Resaland and senior members of his staff outlined their views on topics of current interest, including their thoughts on deliverables during the upcoming POTUS visit, to DCM, PolCouns, visiting EUR/NB Director and PolOff. Both said Norway is open to framing the Prime Minister's bilateral meeting with President Obama in a way that would be productive and positive for President Obama. They said Norway was looking to highlight during the meeting and subsequent press availability items that would specifically reflect U.S. - Norwegian bilateral cooperation if possible, in addition to our achievements or shared objectives on the global scene. Resaland noted to EUR/NB director he understood the need to re-schedule the High North Dialogue Norway as requested in Washington in light of EUR A/S Gordan's schedule and the POTUS visit. He noted that Norway now intended for the meeting, when re-scheduled by Washington, to encompass a wider range of policy issues than just the High North/Arctic and it would in fact be useful to call it a Policy Dialogue, and use the meeting to follow up on the discussions and exchange of letters between Secretary Clinton and Norway's Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere. On potential new Iran sanctions, Pol Dir Ellefsen told us that UN and EU sanctions are the easiest for Norway to implement, as they can be adopted quickly in a relatively pro-forma fashion under Norwegian law. Any new sanctions developed under a separate authority outside the UN or EU auspices would be more complicated and take longer for Norway to put into place. End Summary. President Obama's Upcoming Visit -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Ellefsen and Resaland both noted the Prime Minister's staff had hosted an internal GON meeting November 11 to develop a list of discussion points and possible deliverables during President Obama's visit for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Resaland listed three topics Norway hoped would be discussed in the bilateral meeting: Afghanistan cooperation (using the meeting/press availability to present a unified front and express our shared commitment in Afghanistan); climate change policy cooperation in the lead up to COP-15 and the shared U.S. - Norwegian view on the post COP-15 agenda; and bilateral partnerships on certain global health initiatives related to Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 as laid out in correspondence between Secretary Clinton and Norway's Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere. Another important shared goal to highlight from Norway's point of view, is non-proliferation, Resaland said, since Norway is so supportive of the President's initiatives on that front. High North Dialogue Shifting to Policy Dialogue -------------- -- ¶3. (SBU) Resaland noted that the GON's request for a High North Dialogue should now be viewed as a request to have a general discussion with senior U.S. policy-makers on several topics, as a follow-up to Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Stoere's discussions and exchange of letters on various topics. He said he hoped the policy dialogue between the U.S. and Norway could take place in Washington early in 2010 between the MFA's State Secretary (Deputy FM) Elisabeth Walaas and either Undersecretary Burns or EUR Assistant Secretary Gordon. He noted that Norway had until now framed their request for such a meeting as a High North Dialogue, since Norway's foreign policy concerns have evolved to include more of an Arctic dimension given the increased international engagement in the area due to the melting polar ice. He said that the GON now would like the High North to be part of a broader policy dialogue with the U.S. that would include other points, such as climate change, nuclear non-proliferation, Afghanistan, and the Russia relationship. Considering new EU or UN Sanctions on Iran -------------- ¶4. (C) Resaland noted that if and when additional Iran sanctions are required, Norway would prefer they be adopted or endorsed by the UN, but the GON was also preparing itself for the possibility that there would not be one. Inga Nyhamar, the MFA's Director for Non-proliferation and Disarmament Issues, said Norway is in a "wait and see" mode, but has the ability to enact either binding UN sanctions or EU-adopted sanctions relatively easily under Norwegian law in a matter of one or OSLO 00000725 002 OF 002 two weeks. If the sanctions come in another form, it would require the GON to go through a legal or legislative process in order to enact them; that could take time. Whither NATO? -------------- ¶5. (C) Unni Klovstad, Security and North American Office Director, pointed out that in regard to NATO's future, Norway had just hosted a short visit by NATO Secretary General Rasmussen and was very interested in staying engaged on the development of NATO's new Strategic Concept. She reported that NATO partnerships would be the topic of discussion for the NATO Strategic Concept seminar Norway is scheduled to host in January with the group of experts led by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. WHITE