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OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHFL RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHPW RUEHROV
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DE RUEHSM #0706/01 2951435
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O 211435Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3823
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000706 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF IR SW
SUBJECT: SWEDISH DEP FM BELFRAGE ON AFGHANISTAN AND IRAN 
 
Classified By: DCM ROBERT SILVERMAN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B AND D) 
 
¶1. (C)  Summary:  On October 16, Swedish MFA State Secretary 
(deputy minister equivalent) Frank Belfrage told DCM and Pol 
counselor: 
 
-- On Afghanistan, Belfrage noted "strong bipartisan support" 
for Sweden to stay for "the long haul," even though the 
opposition was creating difficulties for the Government,s 
planned legislation extending and potentially expanding 
Sweden,s ISAF participation through 2009. 
 
-- On Iran, Belfrage argued against going beyond sanctions 
explicitly authorized by the UN Security Council (UNSC), and 
said Sweden was one of many EU members opposed to enhanced 
sanctions though he agreed to take a close look at the 
language of UNSCR 1835. End summary. 
 
¶2. (C) On Afghanistan, DCM began by requesting that Sweden 
expand its troop presence in the four provinces it jointly 
patrols with the Finns, and also to make troops available for 
missions nationwide, as needed.  Belfrage noted that the 
Swedish Government has agreed to a 12-month deployment, with 
annual parliamentary renewals.  The new legislation 
authorizing Sweden,s 2009 participation in ISAF is now in 
the process of being finalized in the MFA, with the 
government "working across party lines" to build consensus. 
Belfrage said expanding troops is one of the options the 
government is currently exploring with the opposition.  "It 
will not be easy," Belfrage said, noting the big debate among 
opposition parties over a long-term vision for Afghanistan, 
the definition of victory in Afghanistan, and what the exit 
strategy is for Sweden.  He added that it is important to 
sustain the path toward democratization and to do something 
about the "cancer" of the drug problem.  Belfrage stated that 
"all of us lack a good strategy for dealing with the drugs" 
and that Secretary Rice and Foreign Minister Bildt had both 
recognized this when they last spoke. 
 
¶3. (C) On aid for Afghan elections, Matthias Otterstedt, MFA 
Deputy Director for Afghanistan, added that the Swedish 
International Development Agency was likely to approve $3 
million support for each of the next three years in a "joint 
effort" with Denmark and Norway, which together would lead to 
"some 10 percent of the total $400 million cost."  Belfrage 
agreed, noting "strong bipartisan approach to be in 
Afghanistan for the long haul," even though the opposition 
demands that the legislation be rolled over every year. 
 
¶4. (C) On Iran, DCM asked whether Sweden would support the EU 
effort to apply enhanced sanctions.  Belfrage stated that the 
EU,s amendment to the EU Common Position on UNSC Resolution 
1803 was received in Stockholm this week.  He said it is 
important to apply pressure to Iran and that "there is no 
doubt Iran is not playing straight or coming clean on our 
suspicions, which are well-founded."  But in order to be 
"credible," he continued, "we believe the impact must come 
from a united international community, through the UN.  If 
instead we go with a cluster of national sanctions, then Iran 
will only be too happy to play us off of China and Russia." 
On the question of whether Sweden would support going beyond 
UN sanctions on Iran, as DCM noted the EU had done with 
Burma, Belfrage said Sweden supports "doing the utmost to 
implement" UNSCRs 1803 and 1835.  "Most in the EU said it 
would not be right to pursue blanket sanctions on Iran," he 
added, but he agreed to take another look at what 1835 calls 
for. 
 
¶5. (C) Belfrage said he understood from Sweden,s Embassy in 
Washington that there is a perception that Sweden has taken a 
lead position in opposing unilateral EU sanctions.  He 
insisted that Sweden is one of many EU countries taking that 
position, not necessarily in the lead.  He stated further 
that Foreign Minister Bildt told Parliamentarians on October 
14 that isolation is not a preferred option, and that even if 
the U.S. and EU together imposed a total embargo, it would 
not be enough to deter Iran.  "Don,t get us wrong," Belfrage 
said, "Iranian actions are totally unacceptable.  But we 
differ on how we should pressure Iran."  Sanctions are fine, 
he said, but should not be "autonomous."  If Iran feels the 
international community is speaking with one voice, then that 
is "real pressure."  Belfrage agreed to continue exchanging 
views on this topic; DCM thanked him for taking a second look 
at UNSCR 1835. 
 
¶6. (C) Turning briefly to Iraq, Belfrage said that many of 
the topics discussed at the International Compact for Iraq 
(ICI), including the prospects for provincial elections and 
the hydrocarbons legislation, are progressing well. 
"Security seems to be improving every day," he said, which 
allows for development efforts to advance.  The Iraqis left 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000706  002 OF 002 
 
 
the ICI "with an added sense of self-confidence, which very 
much helped create the momentum to complete harder tasks," he 
added. DCM agreed. 
 
WOOD