SWEDEN FM BILDT'S EXCHANGES WITH IRANIAN FM

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000067 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020 TAGS: PREL IR SW SUBJECT: SWEDEN FM BILDT'S EXCHANGES WITH IRANIAN FM MOTTAKI -- IN MUNICH AND ELSEWHERE REF: A. STOCKHOLM 59 ¶B. STOCKHOLM 13 Classified By: Political Counselor Marc Koehler for reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (SBU) This is an action request. Please see para 4. ¶2. (SBU) During a February 11 meeting on other topics (ref A),Poloffs asked MFA Iran Desk Officer Ulf Samuelsson about FM Carl Bildt's meetings with Iranian FM Manouchehr Mottaki on the margins of the Munich Security Conference. An MFA press release on February 5 noted the two would have "a meeting," and various media reported later that day that Bildt and Mottaki would appear on stage together for a "Night Owl Session" that evening. According to press reports, Bildt was strongly critical of the human rights situation in Iran at that session, and he told Mottaki that Iran should suspend uranium enrichment in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. On his blog the next day, Bildt wrote that he had been "open and direct" with Mottaki in the "well-attended" event. In an interview with Swedish Radio after the meeting, Bildt told reporters, "Now action and not promises from Iran is needed. Put a paper on the table. Go to IAEA in Vienna (and) state exactly what you want." ¶3. (C) According to Samuelsson, Bildt had not as of February 11 provided any further read-out to MFA staff on his "discussions" with Mottaki but would do so "next week." An exasperated Samuelsson suggested that the best way to find out more would be for Secretary Clinton to call Bildt directly. He acknowledged that Bildt had a good relationship with Mottaki compared to other EU foreign ministers, and that the two spoke often. He said that other EU foreign diplomats frequently call the Swedish MFA to ask what the Iranians were thinking on given subjects. However, Samuelsson also indicated that things might be changing, recalling how an Iranian official expressed disappointment with the Swedish EU Presidency last year because of the "unusually high number of critical statements" that were made against Iran. ¶4. (C) Action request: Although his staff apparently knows next to nothing about what to expect, Bildt is reportedly hosting his own "Iran strategy review" next week (ref A). Given Bildt's frequent calls to Mottaki and his unyielding opposition to EU autonomous sanctions on Iran (ref B and previous),we request any updated guidance on this topic to deliver beforehand. BARZUN