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C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 000337 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SENV PBTS MARR KGHG ETRD NO
SUBJECT: DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH NORWEGIAN FM 
STOERE IN GREENLAND 
 
Classified By: Regional Environmental Officer Erik Hall. 
For reasons 1.4 (b&d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  In a May 28 meeting before the start of the 
Arctic Ocean Conference in Ilulissat, Greenland, Norwegian FM 
Jonas Gahr Stoere and Deputy Secretary Negroponte discussed 
Arctic issues, Afghanistan, Pakistan, cluster munitions, and, 
briefly, the Doha Round of trade negotiations.  Stoere raised 
a lawsuit of great concern to Norway, pending in a Tampa 
district court, which Legal Advisor Bellinger pledged to look 
into.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) Background:  D was accompanied to this meeting by OES 
A/S McMurray, Department Legal Advisor Bellinger, D Special 
Assistant Wittenstein, and REO Hall.  FM Stoere was 
accompanied by Joerg Willy Bronebakk, Norwegian Ambassador to 
Denmark; Rolf Einar Fife, MFA Legal Affairs DirGen; Torgeir 
Larsen, MFA Deputy Director General of the Minister's 
Secretariat; and Robert Kvile, MFA Deputy Director General 
for the High North, Resources and Russia. 
 
Russia/High North/Arctic Issues 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) FM Stoere expressed appreciation for U.S.-Norwegian 
intelligence cooperation and declared a "forward-leaning" 
Russia to be the focus of its "High North" policy.  Stoere 
characterized Norway's bilateral relationship with Russia as 
"quite correct and constructive," citing energy potential in 
the Barents Sea and jointly managed fisheries as examples. 
He would be meeting with FM Lavrov in two weeks for talks on 
both sides of the border near Murmansk.  Stoere noted that PM 
Putin had recently given a 10-year tax break to Russian oil 
and gas companies, reflecting the first dip in production. 
Analysis of international energy supplies might be another 
area in which the U.S. and Norway could cooperate, Stoere 
said.  He also noted that Norway now supplies natural gas to 
the U.S. via its LNG facility in Hammarfest, which ships to 
Baltimore port.  Asked by the Deputy Secretary about 
environmental cooperation with Russia, Stoere said there had 
been cooperation on environmental standards under the Law of 
the Sea (UNCLOS), but there is a need for new policies to 
match increased activity in the Arctic region.  Russia had a 
strongly skeptical scientific tradition when it came to 
climate change, Stoere said. 
 
¶4.  (C) Turning to the Arctic Council, Stoere said Norway 
believed the Council should be made "more political, in the 
right sense of the word."  He would try to convene a 
sub-ministerial meeting in the fall to do so, before Norway 
hands the AC chair to Denmark in March, 2009.  The Council's 
technical groups work fine, but perhaps it would be useful to 
debate the implications of various studies, and briefly 
discuss the results of this conference.  A/S McMurray said 
this was the first we had heard of such a meeting and asked 
for further details.  She added that we have at times 
considered the AC as unwieldy for political discussions.  A 
smaller group such as the five states at this conference 
might be more conducive to political discussions.  FM Stoere 
agreed, citing the U.S.-Norway North Atlantic dialogue as a 
model for discussion among friendly states.  Asked by the 
Deputy Secretary about Canada, FM Stoere said Norway had a 
similar relationship with Canada, which was traditionally 
focused on indigenous issues, but strategic issues were now 
"on the rise."  Norway and Canada have exchanged information 
on the Arctic continental shelf, he said. 
 
¶5.  (C) Asked whether the UNCLOS territorial claim commission 
would settle boundaries, FM Stoere said it is for states, not 
the commission, to settle overlapping claims by negotiation. 
Norway will have competing claims with Russia.  Legal Advisor 
Fife said the southern part of their respective Arctic claims 
had the greatest potential to conflict.  Asked about the 
Russians, FM Stoere said it appeared there were internal 
divisions within the Russian government over claims.  The 
Duma is conveniently blamed by the Russian executive for 
being difficult.  Asked by the Deputy Secretary if he was 
E suggesting creation of an alternate body to adjudicate 
claims, Stoere said no, Norway viewed the UNCLOS structure as 
adequate. 
 
¶6.  (C) The Deputy Secretary told Stoere the Administration 
continued to urge the U.S. Senate to ratify UNCLOS, and had 
nearly completed an internal review of U.S. policy in the 
Arctic.  A/S McMurray added that existing policy, dating to 
1994, needed updating to take into account changes due to 
climate change and other emerging priorities. 
 
Afghanistan 
----------- 
 
¶7.  (C)  Turning to Afghanistan, FM Stoere said the June 12 
meeting in Paris will be very important.  Norway has 
increased its civilian, anti-corruption aid by 50 percent, 
and sees a need to coordinate international efforts in this 
area.  The Deputy Secretary voiced strong support for new UN 
envoy Kai Eide.  Stoere said the UN envoy needs a "political 
mandate to pick up the phones."  Without progress, there is 
danger of "donor fatigue," Stoere warned, as Afghanistan 
becomes increasingly occupied with domestic infighting.  He 
wondered how much that infighting reflected President 
Karzai's long term versus election-driven perspective.  The 
Deputy Secretary said the long term perspective must include 
not just punishing corruption, but also the need to build 
capacity to implement the rule of law and effective policing. 
 FM Stoere agreed, saying the U.S. emphasis on rule of law 
was "really important." 
 
Pakistan 
-------- 
 
¶8.  (C) Asked by the FM about his views on Pakistan, the 
Deputy Secretary said unresolved political tensions between 
Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif had distracted them from 
countering militant activity.  The Deputy Secretary said the 
U.S. would like to put our relations with Pakistan on a 
firmer footing, and to that end has invested $150 million 
each year in a five-year program to support civilian 
institutions in the tribal areas.  We are hopeful the 
Japanese and Saudi governments might offer additional 
support, he said. 
 
Cluster Munitions 
----------------- 
 
¶9.  (C) The Deputy Secretary raised the issue of cluster 
munitions talks, mentioning the recent visit to Oslo of 
Acting U/S for Arms Control and International Security, John 
Rood.  FM Stoere expressed hope that talks in Dublin would 
achieve consensus, saying discussions there had narrowed to 
the issue of definitions and the issue of interoperability 
"It was never our intention to seek a total ban," he said, 
"which would be impractical and unrealistic."  Instead, 
Norway sought consensus including exceptions and adequate 
transition time of 8-10 years, he said.  Interoperability is 
as important to Norway as to others, he said, and Norway had 
tried hard to find alternatives.  The Deputy Secretary 
emphasized U.S. concerns over interoperability. 
 
Court Case Against Statoil in Tampa 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (C) FM Stoere raised an anti-trust class action suit 
lodged April 23 in a Tampa district court against Norway's 
Statoil, Mexico's Pemex, and Saudi oil companies.  Statoil is 
facing a July response date.  FM Stoere said the suit 
violated key principles of exclusive sovereign rights, and 
warned that it could negatively impact perceptions of 
investment security in the United States.  Legal Advisor 
Bellinger told Stoere that the USG shared his concerns.  The 
Department does not usually involve itself in these cases 
until they reach the appellate level, but would look into the 
case.  Norwegian Legal Advisor Fife said Norway had shared 
its concerns in the IEA, and that a "nervous feeling is 
percolating through our systems and could begin to affect 
investments." 
 
Doha Round 
---------- 
 
¶12.  (C) FM Stoere said he would soon meet with USTR Schwab 
to discuss WTO negotiations.  The Deputy Secretary said it 
does not look promising, and that Brazil was a concern, but 
that the U.S. had not given up hope. 
 
¶13.  (U) The Deputy Secretary's party reviewed this cable. 
CAIN