VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSM #0578/01 2540511
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 110511Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4708
INFO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY

UNCLAS STOCKHOLM 000578 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EUN OVIP EAID ECON EIND KGHG SENV SW
SUBJECT:  INVITATION FOR SECRETARY CLINTON AND SPECIAL ENVOY STERN 
TO ATTEND EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT DAYS IN STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN OCTOBER 
22-24 
 
This is an Action request. Please see para 1. 
 
REF:  (A) Stockholm 477, (B) Stockholm 478, (C) Stockholm 440, (D) 
Stockholm 412, (E)Stockholm 342, (F) Stockholm 569, (G)Stockholm 
515 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary and Action Request:  If the Secretary and Special 
Envoy Stern are unavailable, Post recommends Deputy Secretary Lew or 
a similarly high-level USG official attend EU Development Days 
October 22-24 in order to present U.S. development priorities to EU 
Development Ministers and the wider development community.  End 
Summary and Action Request. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On June 30, 2009, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt 
and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso sent 
letters inviting Secretary Clinton and Special Envoy Stern to 
European Development Days to be held October 22-24 in Stockholm. 
Noting that the U.S. is the European Union's most important external 
partner and a major donor, the letter to the Secretary said they 
would be honored to have her lead the plenary session on the global 
economic crisis as a very strong symbol of the U.S. and EU 
commitment to working together in tackling poverty worldwide.  The 
letter to Secretary Stern asked him to intervene in the plenary 
session on climate change. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Post spoke to the lead conference organizer, Ambassador 
Krister Kumlin about this event.  Kumlin promised to send their 
internal list of acceptances, and said that the Swedish government 
expects virtually all EU Aid Ministers to attend the dinner 
Development Cooperation Minister Carlsson is hosting for her EU-27 
colleagues on October 21, as well as parts of the European 
Development Days, October 22-24. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The event will be kicked off by an October 21 dinner 
hosted by Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation Gunilla 
Carlsson for her EU-27 colleagues, to which a senior USG 
representative would be invited.  The conference plenary would be on 
October 22, where Kumlin said a senior USG representative would be 
given a speaking role.  On the evening of October 22, Prime Minister 
Reinfeldt would host a dinner for select participants (60-80), to 
which a senior USG representative would also be invited. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) This unique invitation for a senior USG official to 
address European Development Days is an innovation of the Swedish EU 
Presidency, which is seeking to bolster U.S.-EU cooperation by 
giving senior U.S. officials an opportunity to address EU Ministers. 
 Post recommends that a senior USG official take advantage of this 
opportunity to present U.S. development priorities to an EU 
audience. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Sweden is well placed as the host for a U.S.-EU discussion 
of assistance priorities.  Sweden is the world's largest donor as a 
share of GDP ($4.3 billion in assistance in 2009), and has told us 
that during the Swedish EU Presidency it seeks close cooperation 
with the U.S. on assistance, and a dialog on assistance to and 
improve donor coordination in Afghanistan.  During the July visit of 
Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Carson, Swedish head of 
African Affairs at the Foreign Ministry Anders Hagelberg said the EU 
and United States were more like-minded than ever on assistance 
issues, and looked forward to close cooperation during the EU 
Presidency.  Sweden hopes to use EU Development Days to bolster its 
efforts to improve donor coordination, including with multilateral 
institutions through which Sweden channels about half its 
development aid. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The top five recipients of Swedish aid are in Africa, 
where Sweden has an ambitious program (REF D).  The fifth largest 
recipient of Swedish aid is Afghanistan, where the Swedish 
government tells us it supports a greater civilian presence on 
reconstruction, and plans to increase its own assistance to $67.1 
million by 2011.   Sweden also contributes 450 troops to 
Afghanistan, and is looking to double its EUPOL contribution to 20 
police officers (REF C and E). 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The invitation to EU Development Days is the ninth 
extended by the Swedish EU Presidency for White House, cabinet-level 
and sub-cabinet level U.S. officials to present U.S. views to an 
EU-related meeting.  USG officials invited by the Swedish Presidency 
to present to informal ministerial-level meetings in Sweden 
include: 
 
Secretary of Education Duncan 
Secretary of Energy Chu 
Deputy Secretary of Energy Poneman 
Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Browner 
Secretary of Labor Solis 
Secretary of Health Sebelius 
 
 
Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano 
Secretary Clinton 
Special Envoy Stern 
 
¶9.  (SBU) So far, no USG official above the Assistant Secretary 
level has been able to take advantage of the opportunity offered by 
Sweden to present U.S. views to an audience of EU Ministers, 
although the invitations to the Secretary and Special Envoy Stern 
are still pending. 
 
Background on European Development Days 
---- -----  ----- ----------   ---  --- 
 
¶10.  (U) European Development Days is the fourth annual event 
jointly organized by the European Commission and the country holding 
the Presidency of the EU.  It will be the largest meeting in Sweden 
held under the Swedish Presidency with over 1000 invitees including 
Ministers, Heads of State, and non-government organizations, and the 
general public.  Speakers include the Presidents of Burkina Faso, 
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Federated States of Micronesia, the Swedish 
Prime Minister, Swedish Minister for International Development 
Cooperation, British Minister of State for International 
Development, and Czech Deputy Prime Minister.  Delegates also 
include Nobel laureates and other prominent figures from the world 
of academia, business and arts. 
 
¶11.  (U) The stated purpose of European Development Days is to 
create a dialogue on aid and development and to address urgent 
issues as well as more long-term challenges.  The meeting itself is 
billed as an open forum gathering all levels and groups of 
development actors in addition to the general public. 
 
¶12.  (U) Previous meetings of European Development Days were held in 
Brussels in 2006, Lisbon in 2007 and Strasbourg in 2008.  This 
year's theme is Citizenship and Development.  Two of Sweden's 
profile development issues will receive particular focus: democracy 
and climate change.  The financial situation will be another theme. 
 
¶13.  (U) The program days include a number of high-level plenary 
sessions, round-table discussions with politicians, researchers, 
civil society representatives and the media.  There will also be a 
'Development Village' an exhibition hosting countries, institutions, 
organizations and others who want to use this opportunity to present 
their ideas and projects to all visitors.  Seminars, performances 
and other activities within the fairgrounds will be organized by the 
European Commission, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sida and 
other exhibitors.  Offsite, development-related events and 
activities will be held all over Stockholm.  The link to the 
skeleton agenda is at: 
http://www.eudevdays.eu/agenda/overview_en.ht m 
 
¶14.  (U) Comment:  So far, the only U.S. participant listed on the 
EU Development Days website is an assistant professor who is also 
Technical Advisor on HIV/AIDS at UNFPA.  Post believes a senior 
level USG official should address this conference. 
 
BARZUN