VZCZCXRO2061 
OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR 
DE RUEHSM #0412/01 1571318 
ZNY CCCCC ZZH 
O 051318Z JUN 08 
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3493 
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0279

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000412 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2018 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON IQ EU SW
SUBJECT: A/S FRIED TALKS EU ENLARGEMENT, CYPRUS, AND KOSOVO 
WITH SWEDEN'S BELFRAGE 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michael M. Wood for reasons 1.4(b)and(d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: On May 29 MFA State Secretary Frank 
Belfrage told A/S Fried: 
 
-- Sweden, France, and the Czech Republic recently agreed on 
an EU tripartite presidency program that does not block 
further accession negotiations with Turkey and Croatia; 
 
-- Sweden is encouraging the UN to take a more active role in 
Cyprus and asked for U.S. assistance to push the UN on this 
issue; and 
 
-- Sweden is willing to support a reconfiguration of 
UNMIK/EULEX, but agrees the UN needs to stop asymmetric 
negotiations with Belgrade that encourage the Serbs to take a 
harder line on Kosovo. End Summary. 
 
EU Enlargement 
-------------- 
 
¶2. (C) On May 29, A/S Dan Fried, accompanied by 
Ambassador Michael Wood, met with Swedish MFA State Secretary 
Frank Belfrage during the International Compact with Iraq 
(ICI) conference. Also attending the meeting were Bjorn 
Lyrvall, Swedish MFA Political Director; Jonas Hafstrom, 
Swedish Ambassador to the U.S.; and Camilla Mellander, 
assistant to Belfrage. Belfrage raised the issue of the 
ongoing difficulties of the EU enlargement process. He 
noted, however, that there had been a recent breakthrough on 
a tripartite presidency program agreed to by Sweden, France, 
and the Czech Republic. He said the program had an updated 
passage on enlargement and that the French agreed not to 
block negotiations with Turkey and Croatia. Belfrage said 
the French had modified their perspective because they 
realized the accession process for Turkey would take many 
years and that a protest at this juncture was premature. 
Fried said progress on the enlargement process was an 
improvement and that the Turkish impulse to join the EU 
should be encouraged. Belfrage and Fried discussed the 
current court case against the ruling AK party in Turkey. 
Belfrage said that a negative case outcome could strengthen 
narrow factions within the EU that want to prevent Turkey's 
ascension. Fried noted that the EU's reluctance is 
encouraging Turkey to build closer strategic ties to the 
Middle East, rather than Europe. 
 
Cyprus 
------- 
 
¶3. (C) Belfrage said there could be a window of 
opportunity to move forward on Cyprus. He also said the 
Swedes are encouraging UNSYG Ban Ki-Moon to develop a more 
robust UN role in promoting party talks and finding a 
solution in Cyprus. Belfrage said that because of previous 
UNSYG Annan's difficulties with Cyprus the UN is now averse 
to an enhanced role without encouragement from all parties. 
Belfrage said the new technical working groups or a new 
special envoy to Cyprus could help resolve issues. Belfrage 
also said he was interested in bringing together a group of 
like-minded EU countries to work on a solution in Cyprus. 
Belfrage said Swedish MFA Political Director Bjorn Lyrvall 
would travel to Cyprus on June 1 and that Belfrage plans to 
travel there in early Fall. Fried said he was also 
considering a trip to Cyprus in the near future. 
 
¶4. (C) Fried said that the recent joint statement issued 
by Cyprian President Demetrius Christofias and Turkish 
Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat was a good step forward, but 
that the technical groups did not seem to be making progress. 
Belfrage said that the Greek Cypriots are worried and don't 
believe that Talat has the strength to maneuver the Turkish 
General Staff. Belfrage said that the AK court case may make 
it more difficult for the Turks to be flexible on Cyprus. 
Fried said that Christofias was doing well and that he hoped 
Talat has the courage to push ahead. Belfrage asked Fried if 
the U.S. could encourage UNSYG Ban Ki-Moon to move forward on 
this issue, including reaching out to UN U/SYG for Political 
Affairs, Lynn Pascoe. 
 
Kosovo 
------ 
 
¶5. (C) Belfrage raised Kosovo and Fried said while the EU 
had done well, the UN had wasted weeks resolving the issues 
with UNMIK and EULEX. Fried said EULEX -- with UNMIK as an 
umbrella -- needed to replace UNMIK control by June 15. 
Fried also said the UN'S recent attempt to negotiate with 
Belgrade was only encouraging Belgrade to continue to view 
Kosovo as part of Serbia. Fried stressed that EU 
prerogatives in Kosovo must be respected and that there 
should be no asymmetry, the UN should treat Pristina and 
Belgrade as equals. Belfrage said the UN was trying to 
overplay its hand, believing that the EU and U.S. needed its 
assistance. Fried said that while UN help was needed, the EU 
had shown the extent of this need when two-thirds of EU 
countries recognized Kosovo without the UN Security Council's 
agreement. 
 
¶6. (C) Lyrvall suggested by restructuring UNMIK, an EU/UN 
command and control arrangement could be worked within the 
UNSCR 1244 framework. Lyrvall further suggested that if 
UNMIK was reconfigured it would allow Serbian Foreign 
Minister Vuk Jeremic to become less aggressive. Fried noted 
that achieving this reconfiguration by June 15 would be 
difficult and that the Serbians were likely to respond 
negatively to any negotiations letter UNSYG Ban Ki-Moon sent. 
Fried noted that the EU's Javier Solana had relayed to 
Secretary Rice that he already had a tense conversation with 
Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic on this issue. Belfrage 
asked if the Russians had changed their position and Fried 
responded that the Russians were willing to accept light 
UNMIK oversight. Fried cautioned, however, that this 
acceptance was being undermined by DPKO U/S Guehenno's press 
for negotiations with Serbia. Fried said the Balkan Quint 
political directors would be discussing these issues with 
Guehenno on May 30. 
 
Georgia and CFE Issues 
---------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Belfrage raised the issue of Georgia and Fried 
said that if the meeting Swedish FM Bildt was organizing 
between the Abkhaz and Georgians went well the Germans were 
interested in sponsoring a follow-up meeting in Berlin. 
Fried said the follow-up meeting would include the Russians 
-- ensuring they were not shut out of the process. Belfrage 
also asked Fried about CFE and the two-plus-two 
configuration. Fried said Georgia/Moldova/Baltics had agreed 
to a U.S. proposal and that it had been offered to the 
Russians, but the Russians said no. Fried said the offer was 
still on the table and that the ongoing tensions in Georgia 
remained the biggest problem to moving forward. 
 
¶8. (U) Assistant Secretary Fried has cleared on this cable. 
WOOD