VZCZCXRO9255
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSM #0148/01 0631409
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 041409Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4185
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 2518

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000148 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR AF SW
SUBJECT: AFGHAN AMBASSADOR TO THE NORDICS ON INCREASING 
SWEDEN'S ROLE 
 
REF: STOCKHOLM 126 
 
Classified By: CDA Robert Silverman for reasons 1.4 (B) & (D). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary and Action Request: Afghan Ambassador to the 
Nordic countries, Jawed Ludin, met with CDA on February 26 to 
discuss ways to boost Sweden's role in Afghanistan.  He 
focused on development aid as Sweden's comparative advantage. 
 He suggested that Sweden should learn from Norway in its 
approach to double tracking development assistance through 
both the provinces and central government authorities.  He 
said his FM requested at the EU Troika in Prague that the EU 
organize an international conference on Afghanistan 
assistance, and suggested that Sweden host it during its EU 
presidency in the second half of 2009.  This would be a 
chance to review aid effectiveness, not a new pledging 
conference, he stressed.  Action Request:  Post seeks 
guidance on the desirability of Sweden hosting such a 
conference.  End Summary and Action Request. 
 
Sweden's PRT 
------------ 
 
¶2. (C) Donor countries, like Sweden, should be more flexible 
with their aid to find ways to benefit both the central 
government and provincial levels, Ludin told the CDA, instead 
of directly funding provinces through PRTs or only focusing 
on the central government, Sweden should emulate the 
Norwegian process of allocating funds.  For example, the 
Norwegian government signed a contract with the Ministry of 
Education stating the Ministry would provide teachers and 
schools in Faryab Province, where its PRT is based.  The 
Norwegians then allocated funds to the central government, 
which in turn had the flexibility to use the funds in any 
province as long as it met its contractual agreements in 
Faryab.  Ludin said the Swedes are receptive to this model. 
(We note, however, that in 2009 the Swedish International 
Development Agency (SIDA) will directly allocate a quarter of 
its Afghan aid budget to the provinces in its PRT.) 
 
¶3. (C) Ludin said the Swedes do not like to use their troops 
to support aid projects, but that he has stressed to the 
Swedes the importance of using the military in constructive 
ways, such as building schools and wells.  Ludin said that 
State Secretary Frank Belfrage told him in a separate meeting 
that development and civilian engagement in Afghanistan would 
remain high priorities during the Swedish presidency. 
 
Please Call First! 
------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) Ludin was highly critical of FM Bildt's October 2008 
trip to Afghanistan, stating that the Swedes failed to go 
through the proper channels to arrange and execute the visit, 
perhaps out of security concerns.  PM Reinfeldt's January 
2009 visit was better coordinated with the Afghan government, 
he said.  In all, Sweden, compared to its Nordic neighbors, 
has sent far fewer minister-level visitors, according to 
Ludin. 
 
¶5. (C) Ludin told the CDA that, according to Belfrage, 
Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Anna Karin 
Enestrom was appointed to engage directly with Amb. Holbrooke 
and European counterparts in Afghanistan (reftel). 
 
EU-led Global Conference on Afghanistan? 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Ludin said Afghan FM Spanta proposed to the EU Troika 
in Prague that the EU organize, and Sweden host, an 
international review conference on Afghanistan in the second 
half of 2009, not as a new pledging conference, but as a 
follow-on to the Paris Pledging Conference of 2008.  Ludin 
reported that Belfrage told him he would consider the idea 
more carefully with FM Bildt, but questioned whether such a 
format would be the appropriate, or desirable, way to address 
Afghanistan-related issues during Sweden's presidency.  The 
Norwegian FM is very supportive of the idea and wants the 
Swedes to take the initiative, said Ludin, adding that it 
would be helpful to have the U.S. support as well. 
 
¶7. (C) Ludin lamented that security issues dominate 
discussions on Afghanistan, but development issues should be 
discussed just as much.  The Europeans are "turned off" by 
the focus on hard security.  Their competitive advantage, he 
said, was development aid, and money in is fungible, he 
stressed.  He said if four of the Nordic states were thought 
of as one state, they would give more in aid to Afghanistan 
than any other nation in Europe -- about USD 350 million 
(Norway gives about USD 170, Denmark about USD 90 and Finland 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000148  002 OF 002 
 
 
about USD 10 million, he said); Sweden gives USD 80 million. 
 
¶8. (U) Bio Note: Prior to assuming his current position, 
Ludin was President Karzai's Chief of Staff.  From 2003-2005 
he was the Presidential Spokesman and Director of 
Communications.  He worked for various NGOs in Afghanistan 
from 1994-8, focusing on humanitarian assistance.  He is a 
fluent English speaker, and holds a Master of Science Degree 
in Political Science Theory from the University of London. 
SILVERMAN