PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE: SWEDEN ON RUSSIAN ARMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000596 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2014 TAGS: PARM PREL XT XM RS CO VE SW SP SUBJECT: PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE: SWEDEN ON RUSSIAN ARMS SALES TO VENEZUELA REF: A. BOGOTA 2409 ¶B. STOCKHOLM 0543 Classified By: DCM Robert Silverman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Sweden, in a bilateral manner and not as EU President, briefed EU Member States at the September 4 COARM meeting on the discovery that 1980s-era Swedish-origin missile launchers sold to Venezuela ended up in FARC arms caches in Colombia (reftel A). They also plan to issue a "statement" at the next Wassenaar meeting about the incident, again in a "bilateral manner" and not as EU President. While Russia as member of the Wassenaar group will receive the "statement," Sweden has no plans to talk with them separately about Russian arms sale to Venezuela. Comment: As per reftel B, Department may wish to consider expert-level briefings to the Swedes and EU on the scope of Venezuela-FARC cooperation and other threats posed by, for example, Russian MANPADs sales to Caracas. End Summary and Comment. ¶2. (SBU) Embassy PolOff was contacted by Sara Ramirez, Latin America Desk Officer from the Swedish MFA and Ulf Lindell, Deputy Director for Export Control Group from Non-proliferation and Disarmament Division of the Swedish MFA, in response to a previous demarche about EU arms sales to Venezuela (reftel B). Lindell said he briefed COARM on September 4 in Brussels about recent events that resulted in Swedish military equipment ending up in Colombia (reftel A). The briefing was given to all EU Member States and was not given in Sweden's capacity as the EU President but in a bilateral fashion. ¶3. (C) Lindell also said that Sweden planned to issue a "statement" at the next working-level Wassenaar meeting in mid-October, again in a bilateral manner and not in its capacity as EU President. The "statement" would inform the Wassenaar group of Swedish experiences with arms sales to Venezuela. There would be no briefing of any sort on this topic, only the distribution of the statement, Lindell made clear. As a member of the Wassenaar group, Russia would also receive the statement. Lindell stated that Sweden would not/not raise the issue of Russian MANPADs sales nor the recent $2.2 billion arms sale. ¶4. (SBU) Ramirez told PolOff that Sweden has not received any further communication from the Venezuelan government in response to its request for more information about Swedish-made rocket launchers ending up in possession of the FARC in Colombia. Despite a formal request to the Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs, the GoS does not expect any more information and does not plan to pursue the matter further. ¶5. (C) Comment: There is more that Sweden could do in showing leadership with regards to arms sales to Venezuela. At present, they are choosing to react only to the immediate issue of 1980's vintage Swedish-origin materiel showing up in FARC hands. They are not responding to the forward-looking issues related to ongoing sales by EU Member States and Russia to Venezuela. As per reftel B, Department may wish to consider expert-level briefings to the Swedes and EU on the scope of Venezuela-FARC cooperation and other threats posed by, for example, Russian MANPADs sales to Caracas. End Comment. BARZUN