VZCZCXRO2573
OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSM #0426 0861110
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 271110Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0010
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0148

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000426 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV SW
SUBJECT: SWEDEN:  JAN ELIASSON NAMED FOREIGN MINISTER 
 
REF: STOCKHOLM 393 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Stephen V. Noble, reason 1.4 (b) 
and (d). 
 
¶1.  (u) Prime Minister Goran Persson named 3/27 former 
Ambassador to the U.S. and current President of the UNGA Jan 
Eliasson to be the new Foreign Minister.  Eliasson replaces 
Bosse Ringholm, who was named March 21 as the "temporary" 
Foreign Minister, following the resignation of Laila 
Freivalds (reftel).  Minister for Development and Cooperation 
Carin Jamtin, who had been seen as the odds-on favorite for 
the top MFA post, gained the additional title of Vice-Foreign 
Minister, and will be acting until Eliasson takes over April 
¶24.  Eliasson will continue to serve as UNGA President until 
his term ends in September.  Beginning in May, Eliasson will 
spend an increasing amount of time in Stockholm. 
 
¶2.  (u) Eliasson brings substantial international experience 
to the position, having served as Ambassador to the U.S. from 
2000-2005, and as the MFA's State Secretary for Foreign 
Affairs from 1994-2000.  From 1988-1992 he was Sweden's 
Ambassador to the U.N.  Eliasson, 65, is married to Kerstin 
Eliasson, who is Sweden's State Secretary for Education and 
Science.  They have three grown children.  A full bio has 
been emailed to EUR/NB. 
 
3,  (u) At the press conference following the announcement, 
Eliasson described relations between Sweden and the U.S. as 
good, noting that there had been some differences on matters 
such as Iraq.  He said that the U.S. was the world's most 
powerful country, the "new Rome," and that it was important 
to have good bilateral relations.  He noted that he had 
accompanied PM Persson for meetings with President Bush and 
with President Clinton. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶4.  (c) Eliasson is well-respected in Stockholm and among the 
MFA bureaucracy.  The expectation is that he will provide a 
sense of a new direction and get the MFA past post-tsunami 
criticisms.  At the press conference, Eliasson sounded eager 
to participate in the elections, and cited his long-standing 
(but loose) relationship with the Social Democrat party.  As 
Foreign Minister during a campaign period, it is expected 
that Jan Eliasson, who is no political wall-flower, and whom 
the press sometimes call "Jag" ("I") Eliasson, will work to 
dispel the impression that the MFA is adrift. 
 
¶5.  (c) Eliasson is well-known at top levels in Washington. 
The MFA had asked us to hold, if possible, the 21 April 
meeting originally scheduled between Secretary Rice former 
Foreign Minister Freivalds for the new incumbent.  It is not 
clear at this juncture how the Swedes will sort out that 
request, with Jamtin serving as acting Foreign Minister until 
April 24, and Eliasson in New York at the UNGA. 
 
(drafted POL:CChristensen) 
NOBLE