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UNCLAS STOCKHOLM 000718 
 
STATE PASS USTR FOR DAVID WEINER AND KIRA ALVAREZ 
 
STATE PASS FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
 
STATE PASS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 
 
COMMERCE FOR NTIA 
 
NSC FOR KRISTINA KVEIN 
 
USEU FOR CHASE AND LIPPEAT 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECPS ETTC KIPR SENV EINT ETRD OVIP PGOV SW
SUBJECT: Update on Swedish EU Presidency Minister for Communications 
and Transport Visit to Washington to Get Input for EU Transport and 
ICT Strategies 
 
REF:  Stockholm 715 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  In Reftel, Post recommended appropriate 
policy-level Washington officials meet with Swedish Minister of 
Communications Asa Torstensson during her November 30-December 3 
visit because she is seeking U.S. input into her efforts to "set the 
starting position" for discussions of the EU ICT and Transport 
Agenda. Post has received additional information about the visit, 
and how it plugs into the EU efforts to develop its ICT strategy for 
the next five years and its Transport strategy for the next 10 
years. End Summary. 
 
Appointments Obtained So Far 
------- ---- ------------ 
 
¶2.  (U) Contrary to Reftel, the Swedish Embassy has not yet obtained 
an appointment for Minister Torstensson with OMB's Vivek Kundra. 
The confirmed meetings currently are: 
 
Annesh Chopra, OSTP 
Rob Atkinson, CEO of ITIF 
Rep Oberstar 
 
The Swedish side say they are also most likely meet with the 
research arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 
conjunction with a meeting the Swedish Embassy is hosting for the 
science counselors of EU member state embassies. 
 
The Swedish Embassy has requested meetings with: 
 
Vivek Kundra, OMB 
Secretary Locke at the Department of Commerce; 
Julius Genachowski, the Chairman of the FCC 
Sen Jay Rockefeller 
Joseph Szabo, Federal Railroad Administration 
 
Because Secretary of Transportation LaHood will not be in Washington 
during the Minister's visit, the Swedish side is looking in to the 
possibility of setting up a meeting in Moscow (where both 
Torstensson and LaHood will be attending a road safety conference 
this week), or possibly setting up a meeting with DOT's Deputy 
Secretary. 
 
¶3.  (U) The Swedish Ministry of Communications and Transport 
organizer for the trip, Petter Bryman, provided additional 
information on the purpose for the visit, including how it will help 
set the starting point for EU discussions of both Transport and ICT 
strategy. 
 
¶4.  (U) The is currently conducting a strategic review of its 
transport and ICT policies, which will result in the publication in 
2010 of a new transport policy strategy for the coming ten years and 
a new ICT policy strategy for the coming five years. As the current 
holder of the EU Presidency, Sweden's main priority in the field of 
transport and ICT policy has been to discuss and define the common 
strategic priorities of the EU member states' governments for the 
coming five to ten years.  As a part of this process several 
conferences and stakeholder meetings as well as numerous bilateral 
and multilateral discussions between EU ministers have already taken 
place. 
 
¶5.  (U) In the November 13 meeting with Ambassador Barzun (reftel), 
Minister Torstensson explained how her visit to Washington comes at 
a defining juncture in this process. The final negotiations among EU 
transport and ICT ministers and the adoption of their recommendation 
for the strategies to be presented next year will take place at a 
meeting in Brussels on 17 and 18 December that Torstensson will 
chair. In light of this, the Minister said she wants to hear what 
American policy makers see as the main challenges for transport and 
ICT in the coming five to ten years and how they intend to tackle 
them. 
 
¶6.  (U) Regarding the requested meetings on transport, Bryman said 
one of the main challenges for the EU over the next decade is to 
create an integrated transport system for all modes of transport. 
Bryman also noted that Europe is a leader in efforts to limit 
greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. 
 
¶7. (U) Additional contact information for trip organizer Petter 
Bryman: 
 
Petter Bryman 
International Secretariat 
Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications 
10333 Stockholm, SWEDEN 
Tel 46 8 405 36 17 
Cell 46 761 42 08 03 
 
¶8. (U) Comment:  As noted in reftel, this visit presents an 
opportunity to shape the Swedish EU Presidency perspective as 
Torstensson develops the Member States conclusions on what Europe's 
ICT and Transport strategy should be. 
 
BARZUN