VZCZCXRO9560
PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHPW RUEHROV
DE RUEHSM #0066 0301654
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 301654Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4076
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO BRUSSELS BE PRIORITY

S E C R E T STOCKHOLM 000066 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2019 
TAGS: PMIL AF BK XZ ZB SW
SUBJECT: DEFENSE MINISTER DISCUSSES ISAF, KFOR WITH CDA 
 
Classified By: CDA Robert Silverman for reasons 1.4 (B) & (D). 
 
¶1. (S) On January 30, CDA, DAO and poloff met with Minister 
of Defense Sten Tolgfors.  CDA thanked Sweden for its 
continued contributions to ISAF and KFOR and said the U.S. 
supports expansion of Sweden's international military 
operations.  Tolgfors' points were: 
 
-- ISAF: Tolgfors said possible areas for increased Swedish 
support in Afghanistan include C-130s and OMLTs.  The three 
medevac helos already committed are delayed not for political 
reasons, but for technical reasons. 
 
-- Afghanistan Northern Transportation Routes:  Tolgfors 
expressed interest in any plans the U.S. has to expand 
transportation/convoy routes in northern Afghanistan, based 
on press reports of U.S. discussions with Russia and Central 
Asia countries.  Tolgfors is concerned about the potential 
security impact such would have on Sweden's PRT in 
Mazar-e-Sharif. 
 
-- Nordic Defense Cooperation: Tolgfors repeatedly stressed 
the importance of NDC and the potential it has to enhance 
interoperability and capacity.  He said NDC is "key for us in 
the future" but it still must be developed fully.  He looked 
forward to EUCOM support. 
 
-- AESA: When Tolgfors asked about the status of the radar, 
CDA said the Department of Defense has given a green light to 
develop an export version, though approval would depend on 
the proposal developed by industry.  Now industry must decide 
if and how to proceed. 
 
-- KFOR: There is a domestic political division over KFOR. 
Tolgfors said the opposition Social Democrats wanted Sweden 
to pull out its troops on January 1, 2009, but the governing 
Alliance successfully pushed to prolong the deployment. 
Tolgfors said more EU military and civil assistance is needed 
in Kosovo, especially economic development to integrate with 
the EU. 
 
-- C-17 and A-400: The C-17 sharing agreement is a 
"breakthrough in Sweden's cooperation with NATO" and the 
structure should be applied to other fields of cooperation, 
Tolgfors stated.  Joint European military capacity-building 
is important.  He said many other Europeans are looking at 
the A-400 for future use, as it would facilitate European 
cooperation and increase tactical air lift capacity, an 
increasingly important issue. 
 
-- Baltic Air Policing: Tolgfors said the Czechs are using 
the Gripen in their policing operations.  Asked whether 
Sweden might participate in the future, Tolgfors said Sweden 
has "political problems" policing in the Baltic. 
 
-- ESDP: Tolgfors said, "As the French EU presidency placed 
importance on expanding European military capacity, so will 
the Swedish presidency." 
 
¶2. (C) Comment: Tolgfors hinted that improving military 
capability is a principal goal in Sweden's international 
cooperation, but we note that unfortunately it is sometimes 
overshadowed by arguments over which national military 
industry should get a contract. 
SILVERMAN