VZCZCXRO7381
PP RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHFL RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP
RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHTRO
DE RUEHSM #0496/01 2191107
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 071107Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4608
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000496 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EU SW IR SO AF PK
SUBJECT: JULY GAERC DETAILS AND GYMNICH LOOKAHEAD FROM 
SWEDISH EU PRESIDENCY 
 
REF: BRUSSELS 1048 
 
Classified By: A/DCM Laura Kirkconnell for reasons 1.4 (B) & (D). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) Acting DCM received additional details on the July 27 
General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) of the 
EU,s Foreign Ministers (FMs) from Hakan Emsgard, chief of 
the MFA's European Section, together with ambassadors from 
Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, and Japan. 
Emsgard's readout largely dovetailed with reftel but provided 
extra information on next steps on Iceland, Somalia, Iran, 
Afghanistan-Pakistan (Af-Pak), as well as an overview of the 
EU's fall summits with third countries and quiet 
institutional preparations for Lisbon Treaty implementation 
following a hoped-for Irish yes.  Highlights include: 
 
--On Somalia, an expert report will inform decisions on inter 
alia appointing an EU special rep. 
 
--The EU is planning to demarche Tehran on human rights 
issues, and will review Iran's response to the P5 1 offer by 
the time of the UNGA. FMs prefer to administer any sanctions 
via the UN, and by mid September Brussels will begin thinking 
about limited unilateral sanctions. 
 
--Swedish Foreign Minister Bildt is pushing for a new Af-Pak 
strategy to be adopted by the EU by October, but 
complications with elections there could delay strategy 
development. 
 
--Stockholm plans to put an EU-Syria association agreement on 
the agenda for the September GAERC. 
 
--Climate change will feature prominently in the seven EU 
summits with third countries this fall; no decisions are 
expected at the EU-Russia summit. 
 
End Summary. 
 
Iceland and Albania 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Iceland's EU membership application generated 
considerable debate, most of it positive. Emsgard noted that 
the IMF is relatively pleased with Reykjavik's progress 
although some members are still concerned with resolving 
questions about the reimbursement of Icesave account holders 
in the UK and the Netherlands. There was also concern that 
Albania's EU application not take a back seat to Iceland's. 
Emsgard expects that Albania's application will appear on the 
September GAERC agenda, provided that the June election 
process had been completed. 
 
Somalia 
------- 
 
¶3. (C) Discussion of Somalia at the GAERC centered on 
creating a comprehensive political approach to problems there 
and promoting self-government, and reflected Member State 
concern that it could become an Al Qaida haven.  Emsgard 
reported that Swedish Somalia special representative Marika 
Fahlen, in the region in early August, will prepare a report 
together with other experts that will form the basis of the 
EU's next steps.  These include the possible nomination of an 
EU special representative for Somalia. 
 
Iran: Consular, Human Rights, Nuclear Concerns 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4. (C) The FMs' lunch discussion of Iran focused on the 
consular crisis surrounding the arrest of a French citizen; 
the appropriate response to invitations to Ahmedinejad's 
inauguration; and human rights and the nuclear program. 
Emsgard noted that Swedish FM Bildt's good relations with 
Iranian FM Mottaki had helped secure the release of the 
British Embassy's local staff, and he was optimistic about 
progress on the release of the Frenchwoman.  The Canadian 
ambassador noted that Canadian citizens had also been 
detained and requested that they too be mentioned in any 
approach to Tehran.  The FMs had decided to downplay the 
Iranian inauguration and let each country decide whom to 
send. 
 
¶5. (C) Brussels continues to be concerned about human rights 
in Iran in the aftermath of the disputed election.  Sweden is 
making a list of human rights concerns to be included in a 
demarche, but Emsgard noted that internal disputes within the 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000496  002 OF 002 
 
 
Iranian government make it difficult for Tehran to respond to 
such demarches in a meaningful way. 
 
¶6. (C) EU outreach on the nuclear issue has been stymied, and 
EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Solana 
has not had phone calls to his counterpart answered since 
April.  Emsgard reiterated that by the first week of the UN 
General Assembly (UNGA), the EU would evaluate Tehran's 
response to P5 1 offers.  While FMs prefer to administer any 
additional sanctions via the UN, by mid September Brussels 
would begin thinking about limited unilateral sanctions 
targeted at the nuclear sector. 
 
Afghanistan 
----------- 
 
¶7. (C) The EU's Af-Pak strategy will be on the agenda of the 
informal Gymnich EU FM meeting in Stockholm September 4-5, 
Emsgard noted.  FM Bildt wants the strategy finalized by the 
first week of UNGA  so that it can be adopted by mid-October. 
 Bildt wants the strategy in place in order to facilitate 
cooperation with partners, particularly with Washington. 
Brussels is pushing back against the timeline, however, 
because the drafters of the strategy are the same people 
monitoring Afghanistan's elections.  If the election goes to 
a second round ) to be held September 20 ) the strategy 
will be delayed. 
 
EU-Syria 
-------- 
 
¶8. (C) Sweden plans to put an EU-Syria association agreement 
on the September GAERC agenda, MFA Political Director Bjorn 
Lyrvall told CDA in a separate conversation last week. 
Sweden sees the agreement as providing the EU more leverage 
over Damascus.  More engagement is needed with the 
Netherlands on The Hague's human rights concerns before the 
agreement will be accepted. 
 
EU Summits 
---------- 
 
¶9. (C) Stockholm plans EU summits with Brazil, Russia, India, 
China, South Africa, Ukraine, and the U.S. this fall.  All 
will focus on climate change, responses to the economic 
crisis, trade, Doha negotiations, and regional conflicts, 
Emsgard said.  Stockholm is eager to exchange information 
with the U.S. on China's approach to the framework agreement 
for the Copenhagen climate summit.  Sweden has not yet 
received a formal reply from Russia regarding the date and 
location of the EU summit, but has no concerns that it will 
eventually receive one.  The summit will be one for &stock 
taking,8 not decision making, with "quality discussions" on 
all subjects.  Moscow would like to hold a business summit in 
advance of the political summit but no decision has been 
taken yet. 
 
Lisbon Institutions 
------------------- 
 
¶10. (C) Although Sweden does not wish to be seen as 
influencing the outcome of the October 2 Irish referendum on 
the Lisbon Treaty, the Swedes are quietly preparing to usher 
in new EU institutions quickly if the Irish vote "yes" as is 
hoped.  Ideally, for example, a new high representative for 
foreign policy would be in place for the October 29-30 
European Council.  The new EU external action service would 
emerge more gradually, Emsgard reported.  A skeleton staff 
may be in place by 2010, but overseas deployments probably 
would begin only after two or three years.  The diplomatic 
corps will be small initially; Sweden for its part would 
second up to five diplomats. 
SILVERMAN