HOLBROOKE & FM BILDT ON AFGHAN ELECTIONS, CIVILIAN

S E C R E T SECTION 02 F 02 BRUSSELS 001639 NOFORN SIPDIS FOR THE SECRETARY NSC FOR GENERAL JONES E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2024 TAGS: MARR MOPS EAID PINS PGOV PREL EUN SW PK IN AF SUBJECT: HOLBROOKE & FM BILDT ON AFGHAN ELECTIONS, CIVILIAN COORDINATION *********************** * Missing Section 001 * *********************** BRUSSELS 00001639 002 OF 002 credible pretext for backtracking on his inauguration commitment to hold elections in May 2010, said Holbrooke. He noted that Davutoglu had recommended blaming the delay on security issues. Bildt responded positively that the international community could truthfully cite its need to "get our house in order" before committing to another round of expensive elections. International Coordination -------------- ¶6. (C) FM Bildt indicated that he was hoping to use the final weeks of Sweden's EU Presidency to improve international coordination of the EU's efforts in Afghanistan. He bemoaned the existence of three separate chains of command for the EU Police Mission, European Commission delegation and Presidency representative. Bildt said he hoped the coming-into-force of the Lisbon Treaty on December 1 would make it possible finally to bring together the stove-piped strands of the EU's own presence in Afghanistan under a single umbrella. ¶7. (C/NF) In addition to consolidating EU efforts, Bildt felt that international coordination could be enhanced by strengthening UNAMA. He suggested that UNMIK's pillar structure in Kosovo had provided a good model for UN coordination of international efforts. Bildt disclosed that Kai Eide planned to leave his job before his contract expired in March 2010. In fact, he said, Eide had considered announcing his departure in December and leaving in March, but Bildt had persuaded him not to act until a successor was selected and available. He expressed confidence in the abilities of both leading candidates to succeed Kai Eide as UNAMA's head, Sweden's Stefan de Mistura and Jean-Marie Guehenno. ¶8. (C) Bildt volunteered that he felt the NATO Senior Civilian Representative also needed to raise its profile. The NATO SCR should take on new functions, he said, such as PRT coordination. Kai Eide was also an advocate for an increased NATO SCR role, he said. ¶9. (C) Bildt said the proposal for the U.S. ambassador in Kabul to be appointed as overall coordinator of the international civilian effort "would not work." Doing so would marginalize UNAMA, he asserted. Bildt advocated finding an Afghan partner for international coordination efforts, preferably Minister of Finance Ahady. So-so Reaction to POTUS Speech -------------- ¶10. (C/NF) On the President's speech, Bildt complained it was overly focused on military strategy and was thin on the civilian strategy. He also described the speech as neglecting the regional dimension of the problem, which went beyond Pakistan. EU HiRep Catherine Ashton -------------- ¶11. (C/NF) Bildt, who was joined in the meeting by Sweden's Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Anna-Karen Enestrom, noted that he knew and liked newly appointed EU High Representative Catherine Ashton. He described her as a "street fighter" with a disciplined mind for bureaucratic battles. While competent and intelligent, Bildt described her as having "no foreign affairs knowledge." Enestrom commented that Ashton had already made it known within the EU that she planned to focus on Afghanistan, Iran and the Middle East. ¶12. (U) SRAP delegation did not review this cable. MURRAY .