POST SUPPORT OF POTUS BILATERAL WITH SWEDISH PM

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000368


NSC FOR KVIEN
EEB FOR DAVID NELSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EUN IT SW
SUBJECT: POST SUPPORT OF POTUS BILATERAL WITH SWEDISH PM
REINFELDT AT G8

REF: KOEHLER-GILCHRIST EMAIL OF 06/17/09


Classified By: CDA Robert Silverman for reasons 1.4 (B) & (D).


1. (U) On June 16, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
formally requested a bilateral meeting for Swedish Prime
Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt with the President on the margins
of the G8 in Italy on 8-10 July. (We understand the Swedish
embassy in Washington passed this request to NSC also.)


2. (C) Embassy strongly supports this request. It would
provide an excellent opportunity to focus Swedish attention
at the beginning of its EU Presidency on key U.S. priorities
relating to Afghanistan and Guantanamo detainees, as well as
to coordinate with the Swedes on their top priority of
climate change.


3. (U) Sweden's articulated priorities for its six-month EU
Presidency are focused on two global issues, climate change
and the financial crisis, and four issues critical to the EU:
enlargement (including Turkey),visa and asylum harmonization
("the Stockholm Program"),regional trade and environmental
concerns in the Baltic region ("the Baltic Sea Strategy"),
and fostering economic liberalization and democratic
development in six key Eastern European nations ("the Eastern
Partnership"). The French and Czech presidencies
demonstrated that the best of plans can be uprooted, so the
Swedes are down-playing expectations, preparing as best they
can for unexpected events.


4. (U) UN Climate Change Conference: PM Reinfeldt's top
priority involves using the EU Presidency to lead the EU to
sign a binding international agreement at the 15th Conference
of the Parties (COP 15) to be held in Copenhagen in December.
Sweden wants higher U.S. midterm targets as part of an EU
strategy of getting China to commit to binding targets. But
Sweden also sees itself as more attuned to U.S. domestic
realities than other EU members. Reinfeldt's staff believe
the Prime Minister would like to play a bridging role between
the United States and the EU on climate, and would make this
issue his focus for the bilateral.


5. (C) Guantanamo: We have asked Sweden multiple times in
recent years to accept Guantanamo detainees for resettlement.
The Minister of Migration recently told us that Sweden now
strongly approves of the "general approach" the U.S.
Administration has taken on detainees, and that if Sweden can
assist, it would like to do so. For Sweden to consider
accepting former detainees, there must be a "quality
branding" for individual asylum seekers achieved by using
UNHCR. Following recent developments within the EU and the
May 29 UNHCR letter to Special Envoy Fried, we think
discussion of this issue at the highest level could prompt
the Swedes to help build momentum within the EU by announcing
that they will accept two or more detainees for resettlement.
Moreover, Sweden should be urged to take a lead in
coordinating EU efforts to help obtain assurances from other
third countries that any detainees sent there will be
well-treated.


6. (C) Afghanistan/Pakistan: Sweden has 410 troops based in
four northern provinces, and another 90 will be deployed by
the end of the year. A C-130 at ISAF HQ's disposal will be
available during the elections in the fall. Recent security
incidents in and around the Swedish PRT in Mazar-e Sharif
have increased Swedish determination to enhance security in
the region during the election season, but under current
budgetary and legislative conditions we do not expect Sweden
to deploy forces beyond the 500 already assigned in this
calendar year. On the civilian side, however, Sweden can --
and should -- do more by deploying additional police trainers
to EUPOL as part of its effort to spur a stronger response
from other EU Member States. Building upon the June 17
EU-Pakistan Summit, the Swedes should also energize the EU to
maximize the potential levers of soft power and emergency
humanitarian assistance for Pakistan.


SILVERMAN