VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTL #0901/01 2761116
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031116Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9083
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0021
RUEHXP/ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0044
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 0016
RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT 0017
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI 0155
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2437
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0004

UNCLAS TALLINN 000901 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR H, BARBARA FLECK 
EUR/NB for Kaye Lee 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MOPS CVIS IZ AF EN
SUBJECT: CODEL FRIST VISITS ESTONIA 
 
REF: TALLINN 883 
 
¶1.  (U)  SUMMARY: In a brief meeting with Estonian Foreign 
Minister Urmas Paet and Defense Minister Jurgen Ligi in 
Tallinn on October 1, a Congressional delegation composed 
of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and Senator Mel 
Martinez (R-FL) thanked the GOE for Estonia's strong 
support in Iraq and Afghanistan.  FM Paet expressed concern 
about the potential for civil war in Iraq and noted the 
need for a clear counter-narcotics strategy and improved 
infrastructure in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where 
Estonian troops are embedded with British forces.  Other 
topics covered in the meeting included Estonia's desire to 
participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and the 
Estonian perspective on heightened tension between Georgia 
and Russia.  END SUMMARY 
 
------------------------------- 
Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  Senators Frist and Martinez expressed their 
admiration for Estonia's rapid economic and democratic 
transformation over the 15 years since re-independence. 
They also thanked the GOE for Estonia's strong support both 
in Iraq and Afghanistan, where its troop commitment is set 
to increase from 80 to 120 by the end of this year. FM Paet 
said that he thought Iraq was improving step by step, but 
too slowly.  Paet mentioned that he had met with the 
Jordanian foreign minister last week who noted modest 
improvement in the situation on the ground in Iraq, but 
thought the possibility of civil war was still the primary 
concern.  On Afghanistan, Paet highlighted the need for a 
new and clearer counter-narcotics strategy, and improved 
infrastructure in Helmand province, where Estonian troops 
are embedded with British forces.  Paet also told the 
delegation that he had visited Bosnia in June, as Estonia 
has a peacekeeping mission there.   Paet said he believes 
the situation there is more or less stable, but that 
clearly there is "still fire under the ashes". 
 
¶3.  (U)  Defense Minister Ligi noted that the GOE's target 
is to raise defense spending to 2 percent of GDP, in 
accordance with Estonia's NATO commitments.  He noted, 
however, that this is something for which "no one ever 
sends thank you letters".  He said that most of the 
increase is going for basic personnel, equipment, and 
funding of the Estonia's four military missions overseas 
(Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Kosovo). 
 
¶4.  (U) Ambassador Wos stressed the importance of USG and 
GOE joint intelligence and law enforcement training, as 
well as defense cooperation.  Defense Minister Ligi asked 
Ambassador Wos what impact U.S. midterm Congressional 
elections might have on the administration's course in 
Iraq.  All sides agreed that the elections would not affect 
the basic course of U.S. strategy in Iraq. 
 
----------------------- 
Estonia and Visa Waiver 
----------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU)  FM Paet told the delegation that Estonia's 
exclusion from visa-waiver status is the only real sore 
point in an otherwise excellent bilateral relationship, and 
made a case for eliminating the visa requirement for 
Estonians.  First, the GOE is increasing its troop 
commitment in Afghanistan, and has fought alongside the 
U.S. in Iraq since 2003.  The GOE recently approved a plan 
to extend its military mandate in Iraq as soon as a new UN 
mandate is approved.  (Note:  This plan must be approved by 
the Parliament.  End note.)  Second, Estonia's economic 
situation has improved significantly, making Estonians 
better candidates for U.S. visas.  Opportunities for 
employment elsewhere in the EU have increased, unemployment 
is low and Estonia's visa refusal rates to the U.S. have 
fallen consistently the last several years.  Third, Canada 
recently announced visa-free travel for Estonians to that 
country.  Paet said that an announcement on Estonia's 
admission to the VWP by President Bush during his visit to 
Tallinn in November would have great emotional impact in 
Estonia.  Additionally, Paet raised the issue of visas and 
security, questioning whether there is a greater terror 
threat from Estonia or from a current VWP country like the 
United Kingdom. 
 
------- 
Georgia 
------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Senator Martinez mentioned his recent travel to 
Ossetia and asked FM Paet's opinion on the standoff between 
Georgia and Russia.  Paet said that while he felt Georgian 
President Mikheil Saakashvili was overly aggressive, the 
Georgian defense minister was even more so. At the same 
time, Paet also noted that Russia was not fulfilling the 
terms of its Istanbul Commitments with regard to troop 
withdrawal and respect for the territorial integrity of 
Georgia.  He added that he believes Russia often uses 
Georgia as a tool to exert pressure elsewhere in the 
region, including on Moldova and Ukraine.  Defense Minister 
Ligi noted that Russian news agencies are portraying the 
situation as if Russia itself is under attack.  He thought 
that Secretary Rumsfeld's recent statement on Georgia was 
appropriately limited, but hoped that NATO will address the 
issue at the Riga Summit in November. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Codel Frist did not have the opportunity to clear 
this cable before their departure from Tallinn. 
 
WOS