VZCZCXRO6033
OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSM #0750/01 3121736
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 071736Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3876
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000750 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR AF SW
SUBJECT: BILDT VISITS OFFICIALS AND TROOPS AFGHANISTAN 
 
Classified By: A/DCM Marc Koehler for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
Summary 
-------- 
 
¶1. (C) Swedish FM Bildt paid his first visit to Afghanistan 
October 29-31, 2008.  On this "fact-finding" mission, he met 
with all levels of government in Kabul, including Foreign 
Minister Spanta and Minister of Interior Atmar, and with 
Balkh Province Governor Atta when he visited Sweden's PRT in 
northern Afghanistan.  Spanta spoke positively about the 
Afghan-Pakistan relationship; Atmar discussed his 
anti-corruption mandate with Bildt; and Atta asked the Swedes 
to send more aid directly to the provinces, instead of 
routing it through Kabul. 
 
Bildt in Listening Mode 
----------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Swedish FM Carl Bildt visited Afghanistan on October 
29-31, 2008.  On November 5, MFA Afghan Desk Officer Mattias 
Otterstedt briefed Poloffs on Bild't visit.  Bildt was 
accompanied by State Secretary Bjorn Lyrvall, Sweden's 
Ambassador to Iraq Niclas Trouve, Otterstedt and two cabinet 
staffers.  Otterstedt said this was Bildt's first trip to 
Afghanistan and he was in a fact-finding and listening mode. 
Now that Bildt has seen the country and spoken with the key 
players, "he is more likely to generate ideas," according to 
Otterstedt, who said he based this statement on experience 
from previous Bildt trips. 
 
Foreign Minister Spanta on Good Governance 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶3. (C) FM Spanta told Bildt over lunch that the international 
community must "increase pressure" on Afghanistan to continue 
reforms on good governance and human rights.  Otterstedt 
commented that Spanta was "playing" the Swedes by appealing 
to their respect for human rights in order to increase 
Sweden's support.  Spanta told Bildt that Afghanistan's 
relationship with Pakistan has improved and urged Bildt to 
increase support to Pakistan also.  Otterstedt commented that 
a "new window" of Pakistan-Afghan cooperation should be 
explored and the United Kingdom is trying to increase 
Pakistan's presence on the EU agenda. 
 
Interior Minister Atmar to Tackle Corruption 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Bildt also met with Minister of the Interior Atmar, a 
"dynamic Pashtun," who was only six days into his job. 
(Note: Atmar was previously Minister for Rural Development 
and Minister of Education.  End note.)  Atmar told Bildt that 
he has a clear mandate to root out corruption within the 
police and repair the Ministry of Interior so it can better 
provide logistical services to the police.  The Interior 
Minister said he wants help from EU and U.S. on conducting 
operations, such as anti-corruption investigations, according 
to Otterstedt. 
 
¶5. (C) Other meetings included: a one-on-one with Karzai 
(Otterstedt had no read-out); Defense Minister Wardak 
regarding the Afghan National Army; Speaker of Lower House; 
parliamentarians; the Afghan Independent Human Rights 
Commission; the Swedish Committee on Afghanistan and other 
think tanks.  Throughout, Bildt stressed the need to talk 
with the Taliban, but the international community's "red 
lines" must be clear, he said, especially to the Afghan 
government. 
 
Elections 
--------- 
 
¶6. (C) Otterstedt reported that Bildt, in a number of 
meetings, expressed concern that during the 2009 elections 
many voters will be prevented by security conditions from 
voting, and the majority of those voters will likely be 
Pashtun due to their geographical remoteness.  Bildt 
reportedly said if ten percent of voters cannot vote, that is 
acceptable, but if so many as 30 percent of all registered 
voters cannot vote, then the new government's legitimacy 
would be put into question.  Otterstedt admitted the Sweden 
does not have a clear idea how to improve the election 
process. 
 
Mazar-e Sharif 
-------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Visiting Sweden's PRT in northern Afghanistan, Bildt 
met with Governor Atta in Mazar-e Sharif.  Otterstedt said 
the meeting between Atta and Bildt was collegial, though Atta 
asked for more resources and continued his criticisms of the 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000750  002 OF 002 
 
 
Swedish-led PRT for its failure to provide substantial 
improvements (reftel).  Otterstedt said that although Atta 
wants to control the development funds allocated to the 
North, it is better to let the Afghan authorities in Kabul 
work to dole out the funds with the Afghan flag attached than 
to have the Swedes dole out the funds with a Swedish flag. 
Sweden wants the Afghan government to take credit for the 
projects it implements with Swedish funds, and therefore will 
continue to earmark no more than 25 percent of all its aid 
for the four Northern provinces in its PRT.  "What matters is 
capacity building, not Sweden getting credit," Otterstedt 
stated.  He added that Sweden's ability to earmark funds is 
limited because the Afghan Minister of Finance wants 
flexibility to use the funds. 
WOOD