INVITATION FOR SECRETARY CLINTON AND SPECIAL ENVOY STERN

UNCLAS STOCKHOLM 000578

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS

STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EUN OVIP EAID ECON EIND KGHG SENV SW
SUBJECT: INVITATION FOR SECRETARY CLINTON AND SPECIAL ENVOY STERN
TO ATTEND EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT DAYS IN STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN OCTOBER
22-24

This is an Action request. Please see para 1.

REF: (A) Stockholm 477, (B) Stockholm 478, (C) Stockholm 440, (D)
Stockholm 412, (E)Stockholm 342, (F) Stockholm 569, (G)Stockholm
515


1. (SBU) Summary and Action Request: If the Secretary and Special
Envoy Stern are unavailable, Post recommends Deputy Secretary Lew or
a similarly high-level USG official attend EU Development Days
October 22-24 in order to present U.S. development priorities to EU
Development Ministers and the wider development community. End
Summary and Action Request.


2. (SBU) On June 30, 2009, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt
and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso sent
letters inviting Secretary Clinton and Special Envoy Stern to
European Development Days to be held October 22-24 in Stockholm.
Noting that the U.S. is the European Union's most important external
partner and a major donor, the letter to the Secretary said they
would be honored to have her lead the plenary session on the global
economic crisis as a very strong symbol of the U.S. and EU
commitment to working together in tackling poverty worldwide. The
letter to Secretary Stern asked him to intervene in the plenary
session on climate change.


3. (SBU) Post spoke to the lead conference organizer, Ambassador
Krister Kumlin about this event. Kumlin promised to send their
internal list of acceptances, and said that the Swedish government
expects virtually all EU Aid Ministers to attend the dinner
Development Cooperation Minister Carlsson is hosting for her EU-27
colleagues on October 21, as well as parts of the European
Development Days, October 22-24.


4. (SBU) The event will be kicked off by an October 21 dinner
hosted by Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation Gunilla
Carlsson for her EU-27 colleagues, to which a senior USG
representative would be invited. The conference plenary would be on
October 22, where Kumlin said a senior USG representative would be
given a speaking role. On the evening of October 22, Prime Minister
Reinfeldt would host a dinner for select participants (60-80),to
which a senior USG representative would also be invited.


5. (SBU) This unique invitation for a senior USG official to
address European Development Days is an innovation of the Swedish EU
Presidency, which is seeking to bolster U.S.-EU cooperation by
giving senior U.S. officials an opportunity to address EU Ministers.
Post recommends that a senior USG official take advantage of this
opportunity to present U.S. development priorities to an EU
audience.


6. (SBU) Sweden is well placed as the host for a U.S.-EU discussion
of assistance priorities. Sweden is the world's largest donor as a
share of GDP ($4.3 billion in assistance in 2009),and has told us
that during the Swedish EU Presidency it seeks close cooperation
with the U.S. on assistance, and a dialog on assistance to and
improve donor coordination in Afghanistan. During the July visit of
Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Carson, Swedish head of
African Affairs at the Foreign Ministry Anders Hagelberg said the EU
and United States were more like-minded than ever on assistance
issues, and looked forward to close cooperation during the EU
Presidency. Sweden hopes to use EU Development Days to bolster its
efforts to improve donor coordination, including with multilateral
institutions through which Sweden channels about half its
development aid.


7. (SBU) The top five recipients of Swedish aid are in Africa,
where Sweden has an ambitious program (REF D). The fifth largest
recipient of Swedish aid is Afghanistan, where the Swedish
government tells us it supports a greater civilian presence on
reconstruction, and plans to increase its own assistance to $67.1
million by 2011. Sweden also contributes 450 troops to
Afghanistan, and is looking to double its EUPOL contribution to 20
police officers (REF C and E).


8. (SBU) The invitation to EU Development Days is the ninth
extended by the Swedish EU Presidency for White House, cabinet-level
and sub-cabinet level U.S. officials to present U.S. views to an
EU-related meeting. USG officials invited by the Swedish Presidency
to present to informal ministerial-level meetings in Sweden
include:

Secretary of Education Duncan
Secretary of Energy Chu
Deputy Secretary of Energy Poneman
Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Browner
Secretary of Labor Solis
Secretary of Health Sebelius


Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano
Secretary Clinton
Special Envoy Stern


9. (SBU) So far, no USG official above the Assistant Secretary
level has been able to take advantage of the opportunity offered by
Sweden to present U.S. views to an audience of EU Ministers,
although the invitations to the Secretary and Special Envoy Stern
are still pending.

Background on European Development Days
-------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --- ---


10. (U) European Development Days is the fourth annual event
jointly organized by the European Commission and the country holding
the Presidency of the EU. It will be the largest meeting in Sweden
held under the Swedish Presidency with over 1000 invitees including
Ministers, Heads of State, and non-government organizations, and the
general public. Speakers include the Presidents of Burkina Faso,
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Federated States of Micronesia, the Swedish
Prime Minister, Swedish Minister for International Development
Cooperation, British Minister of State for International
Development, and Czech Deputy Prime Minister. Delegates also
include Nobel laureates and other prominent figures from the world
of academia, business and arts.


11. (U) The stated purpose of European Development Days is to
create a dialogue on aid and development and to address urgent
issues as well as more long-term challenges. The meeting itself is
billed as an open forum gathering all levels and groups of
development actors in addition to the general public.


12. (U) Previous meetings of European Development Days were held in
Brussels in 2006, Lisbon in 2007 and Strasbourg in 2008. This
year's theme is Citizenship and Development. Two of Sweden's
profile development issues will receive particular focus: democracy
and climate change. The financial situation will be another theme.


13. (U) The program days include a number of high-level plenary
sessions, round-table discussions with politicians, researchers,
civil society representatives and the media. There will also be a
'Development Village' an exhibition hosting countries, institutions,
organizations and others who want to use this opportunity to present
their ideas and projects to all visitors. Seminars, performances
and other activities within the fairgrounds will be organized by the
European Commission, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sida and
other exhibitors. Offsite, development-related events and
activities will be held all over Stockholm. The link to the
skeleton agenda is at:
http://www.eudevdays.eu/agenda/overview_en.ht m


14. (U) Comment: So far, the only U.S. participant listed on the
EU Development Days website is an assistant professor who is also
Technical Advisor on HIV/AIDS at UNFPA. Post believes a senior
level USG official should address this conference.

BARZUN