SWEDISH PLAN FOR EU ADVISORY MILITARY MISSION TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000751 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2019 TAGS: PREL MOPS EUN NATO BK SW SUBJECT: SWEDISH PLAN FOR EU ADVISORY MILITARY MISSION TO BOSNIA BY APRIL, LIKELY CLOSURE OF EUFOR/ALTHEA BY NOVEMBER ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see para 3. ¶2. (C) On November 30, Carl Magnus Eriksson, Deputy Director for the MFA International Security Policy Department, and Brigadier General Lennart Bengtsson, MFA Military Advisor, briefed Poloffs on Swedish plans for discussion of the EUFOR Althea operation at the December 7-8 EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting. The Swedes have two priorities for the FAC: 1) Get approval to launch a 200-person non-executive EU military advisory force which, if approved, would be up and running by April 2010; 2) Get approval for a decision to continue the EUFOR Althea executive military presence until November 2010. The Swedes also envision an April 2010 review of the "fluid situation on the ground," at which point the EU would also discuss how to position forces for the November 2010 elections. The April review would also examine how the EU can maintain situational awareness in Bosnia, what over-the-horizon forces should be considered, and what international authorities (such as a new UN Security Council resolution) might be possible. The purpose of this initiative is to prepare the ground politically for the EU follow-on mission to Althea in late 2010. ¶3. (C) Eriksson noted that the Swedes have worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between EU Member States that wish to close the EUFOR mission immediately and those that wish to continue until OHR closure and constitutional reform is completed. Eriksson felt this was the only possible package that had Member State political support. He was confident that after lengthy and intense negotiations with the British, the Swedish proposal would be approved at the December FAC. Eriksson asked what the U.S. reaction to this plan would be. Action request: Post seeks guidance on this point. ¶4. C) Comment The Swedish plan for a non-executive advisory force in place by April would allow them to portray a continuing Althea mission as redundant by later in the year. End Comment. BARZUN