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| Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09PRAGUE24 | 2009-01-13 11:13:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Prague |
Cable title:
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRIED DISCUSSES GAS CRISIS AND
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1. (C) SUMMARY: The ongoing Russian-Ukrainian gas crisis dominated Assistant Secretary Fried's meetings with EU and Czech officials during his visit to Prague January 8-10. The Czechs agreed with A/S Fried on the need to diversify both routes and sources of Europe's energy imports, as well as on the need to improve the interconnectedness of Europe's energy infrastructure. Energy security was already a key theme of the Czech EU presidency, and the Czechs plan to use the gas crisis to add momentum to their efforts within the EU. A/S Fried also discussed with the Czechs other foreign policy challenges, including the Balkans, broader Middle East, and missile defense. The Czechs are looking to engage with the next administration early and proposed several possible bilateral and multilateral visits. The January 9 EU political directors meeting will be reported separately. END SUMMARY. -------------------------- SHARED VIEWS ON ENERGY SECURITY -------------------------- 2. (C) In a series of bilateral meetings, A/S Fried reaffirmed the strong U.S.-Czech bilateral ties and shared views on key foreign policy issues, including energy security, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and missile defense (MD). The ongoing Russian-Ukrainian gas crisis dominated A/S Fried's January 8 meeting with DFM Tomas Pojar, who briefed A/S Fried on the Czech efforts to mediate an agreement on monitoring and on Czech domestic preparedness to weather the gas shut-off. Pojar agreed fully with A/S Fried that diversification of energy routes and sources, as well as improved interconnection of the continent's various energy networks, should be Europe's top priorities. Pojar noted that Europe appeared more united with regard to these priorities, but it remained to be seen whether this unity would last long enough to move forward projects such as Nabucco. Using as an example the Czechs' own experience with the Ingolstadt oil pipeline, which the Czech government financed and built in the 1990s, Pojar stressed that Nabucco needed greater involvement -- including funding -- from countries like Hungary. Note: We have heard similar comments previously from the Czech Energy Envoy Vaclav Bartuska. End Note. Pojar also noted that the Czechs would not be pushing either North Stream nor South Stream during their EU presidency, even though he expected that the Germans and Bulgarians would now want to accelerate these projects. Funding, however, would again be an issue. In addition, Pojar discussed the Czechs' challenges in organizing the May 7 or 8 Southern Corridor Summit. He thought getting all Central Asian leaders to participate would be difficult. Czech efforts to that end were particularly hampered by the fact that they do not have embassies in all countries that would be involved, and Pojar asked whether the United States could assist in reaching out to the relevant governments. 3. (C) In a January 9 meeting, DPM Vondra and A/S Fried continued the discussion on the gas crisis. Vondra briefed A/S Fried on PM Topolanek's planned mission to Ukraine. Vondra speculated that Russia's actions were being driven by the recent drop in energy prices, but he agreed with A/S Fried that Russia's current economic difficulties were not the sole reason. Like Pojar, Vondra spoke of the need to capitalize on the current EU consensus regarding diversification and interconnection. However, he noted that even with Nabucco and other alternative sources (like LNG from North Africa), Europe would remain dependent on Russian gas. This is because the recently adopted EU climate package will force many EU countries to rely increasingly on cleaner gas, as opposed to coal, driving up European gas consumption. This will be particularly true in countries like Germany and Austria, where nuclear energy is not an option. Energy security was also the focus of the brief call on Czech PM Topolanek, who was preparing to leave for Ukraine. -------------------------- AGREEMENT ON OTHER REGIONAL PRIORITIES -------------------------- 4. (C) A/S Fried and Pojar also discussed Ukraine and Belarus, with A/S Fried noting the importance of the EU Eastern Partnership initiative. Pojar noted that at this time the Czechs are planning to invite President of Belarus Lukashenko to the May 7 EU-Eastern Partnership Summit. However, the Czechs have stressed to Belarus that this is conditioned on further "good-will gestures." Pojar also provided a summary of EU-Turkey relations, noting that during their presidency, the Czechs "would like to move as much as possible but may make less progress than France," given that PRAGUE 00000024 002 OF 003 there has been no break-through with Cyprus. The Czechs had hoped to open two chapters with Turkey, but France and Cyprus are blocking the two chapters that Turkey proposed to open. As a result, the Czechs are now considering opening only one chapter, energy, but this too is being blocked by Cyprus and France. A/S Fried also made a strong pitch for continued European attention to the Balkans. He stressed that Kosovo could not be put on autopilot. Similarly, Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina would require continued attention. Pojar in turn shared his frustration with other EU countries, where enlargement fatigue has set in and which in turn are making progress on new applicants from the Balkans difficult. A/S Fried emphasized that Europe would also have to stay engaged in, and increase its commitment to, Afghanistan and Pakistan, two countries which will likely be at the top of the next administration's agenda. Both Pojar and Vondra agreed that the broader Middle East would remain a priority for the EU. -------------------------- CZECHS PUSH BACK ON GUANTANAMO DETAINEES -------------------------- 5. (C) One area where U.S. and Czech positions diverged was the issue of Guantanamo detainees. In response to A/S Fried's inquiry regarding the Czech willingness to accept detainees from Guantanamo, Pojar stated very forcefully that the Czech Republic would not accept any detainees, but the Czechs would work with the United States to press other Europeans, especially those who were loudest in their objections to Guantanamo, to do so. Although he caveated his statement by saying that the Czech government has not yet discussed the matter, he had no doubt that this would be his government's official response. His position was later reaffirmed by the Czech Political Director Martin Povejsil. Comment: One of Pojar's statements betrayed what may be behind this strongly held position on detainees. He let it slip that if the Czech government accepted some detainees "this would be another issue where the government would be criticized by the opposition that they are giving in to the United States." Pojar is correct that the opposition would not pass up the opportunity to use this issue, as it has MD and foreign deployments, to score political points against the Topolanek government, which is already struggling to stay in power. End Comment. -------------------------- MISSILE DEFENSE REMAINS A PRIORITY -------------------------- 6. (C) In separate meetings, PM Topolanek, Vondra, and Pojar stressed the Czech government's need to hear early the incoming administration's position on MD. A/S Fried noted that he could not speak for the new administration, but stated that a number of upcoming events, including the Wehrkunde, March NATO ministerial and April NATO Summit may put pressure on the new administration to address MD early. PM Topolanek stated that a clear, positive statement from the Obama administration could help with the Czech opposition, which continues to reject MD. Vondra also inquired about MD funding prospects on Capitol Hill and discussed briefly his recent meetings with Congresswoman Tauscher and Congressman Wexler. He stated that should the Obama administration accept Tauscher's suggestion to delink the radar from the Polish interceptors, the Czech government could probably accept and manage this change. Vondra also expressed a concern that this perceived pressure to decide his administration's MD policy should not dissuade president-elect Obama from visiting Prague in April. A/S Fried also discussed MD with a group of parliamentarians on January 8. The parliamentarians, both coalition and opposition, also expressed interest in the future of the U.S. policy on MD. They acknowledged that the Czech government has so far done a poor job explaining MD to the Czech public and stressed the need for the Czech government and opposition to find a "win-win" solution that would allow the Czech parliament to ratify the MD agreements. -------------------------- -------------------------- LOOKING FORWARD TO ENGAGING OBAMA ADMINISTRATION EARLY -------------------------- -------------------------- 7. (C) PM Topolanek, Vondra, and Pojar reiterated the Czech government's invitation to president-elect Obama to visit Prague in April for a meeting with the EU-27. Pojar explained that in the January 7 phone call between president-elect Obama and PM Topolanek, the Czechs pitched the April Prague event as one that would dovetail nicely with agendas of the other April events, i.e. the G-20 Summit (economy) and the NATO Summit (security), which president-elect Obama is expected to attend. The Czechs PRAGUE 00000024 003 OF 003 preliminarily plan to focus the EU-27 meeting on energy security and climate, two key issues which would not be addressed in London or Strasbourg. Pojar also noted that FM Schwarzenberg (in February) and DPM Vondra (in March) planned to visit Washington. Furthermore, the Czechs would like to schedule a U.S.-EU Troika on the margins of the March NATO ministerial in Brussels. A/S Fried stressed that no decisions have been made by the new administration on invitations, including these, but that he had recommended to the transition team that president-elect Obama accept PM Topolanek's invitation. In addition to these bilateral meetings, A/S Fried was interviewed by several Czech news outlets. He also met with Lithuanian FM Usackas. The Usackas meeting is being reported separately by Embassy Vilnius. 8. (U) A/S Fried cleared this cable. Graber |