(S)LITHUANIA SAYS YES: NEXT STEPS ON GTMO

S E C R E T VILNIUS 000088 DEPT FOR EUR/NB AND S/WCI USEU ALSO FOR AMBASSADOR WILLIAMSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2019 TAGS: PTER PREL KDRG EUN LH SUBJECT: (S)LITHUANIA SAYS YES: NEXT STEPS ON GTMO DETAINEES REF: VILNIUS 68 Classified By: Ambassador John A. Cloud for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Summary: Lithuania's State Defense Council met February 11 and made the decision to accept two Uzbek detainees from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. Urgent action request at para 4. End summary. ¶2. (S) The Council, which includes the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the Seimas (parliament),head of State Security, and Chairman of the Defense Staff, also met February 11 with the Interior Minister, and Foreign Minister. Foreign Minister Usackas told Ambassador that the decision to accept the detainees has been made, subject to conditions. First, the Uzbeks must "request" to be settled in Lithuania. Second, the Foreign Minister must begin consultations regarding the legal, technical, financial, and security issues relating to the transfer of the detainees, and their presence in Lithuania. Third, Lithuania will do this in conjunction with the European Commission and the EU reaching a common position. ¶3. (S) Usackas clarified that the GOL did not want to get too far out in front of the EU, which would mean waiting at least until after a meeting of interior ministers February 26 - 27. In addition, the GOL does not want this issue to become a part of its upcoming presidential campaign (beginning in mid-March and ending in early June). ¶4. (S) Usackas said he had already spoken to the media (article e-mailed to EUR/NB and S/WCI),which he had told that the MFA had been tasked by the Defense Council to begin consultations with the USG on the possibility of accepting detainees. He also told the media that what was being considered was that Lithuania might take "several" detainees and that the process would take weeks or months, not longer. The Foreign Minister asked whether he could confirm to the media that the USG had officially asked the GOL to accept detainees. Post requests an immediate response to this question. ¶5. (S) Usackas also told us that he had confirmed to French Foreign Minister Kouchner on Monday that the U.S. had made a formal request. He expected this issue would also come up in his meeting with German Foreign Minister Steinmeier on February 12. Comment -------------- ¶6. (S) This is as green a light as we will get. We believe the consultations the MFA will be looking for will involve logistics and details. We expect that Ambassador Williamson's visit February 18 - 19 will be a good first step. But we will have to decide whether we are prepared to move this very quickly (before mid-March). If not, the timeline will stretch to June, at least. CLOUD