VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSM #0729 3241033
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201033Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4922
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0610
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0003

UNCLAS STOCKHOLM 000729 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE AND EEB/CIP 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: IO PREL ECON ECPS KVPR ITU SW
SUBJECT: SWEDEN ON OUR CONCERNS WITH SERBIA'S PROPOSED ANNEX AT 
ITU'S SG2 MEETING 
 
REF: STATE 118806 
 
¶1.  (U)  Post relayed reftel points to Foreign Ministry desk officer 
for Serbia and Kosovo, Ms. Asa Pehrson.  She was aware of the issue, 
as her Kosovo contacts have expressed concern about Serbia's 
proposed Annex at the ITU Study Group 2 meeting underway in Geneva. 
She was happy to get additional background materials from us, and 
she promised to look into the issue. 
 
¶2.  (U)  We also raised our concerns with officials at the Ministry 
of Enterprise, Energy, and Communication's Division for IT-policy. 
Ms. My Bergdahl of that Division coordinates issues related to ITU, 
although Sweden is represented by officials from its Post and 
Telecom Agency at Study Group 2 meetings in Geneva.  Bergdahl told 
us that "Sweden follows the discussion in the SG2," but that it has 
not thus far expressed an opinion about Serbia's proposed Annex.  We 
argued that this is a highly politicized issue, encouraging the 
Division for IT-policy to ensure that it conveyed a coordinated 
Government position to its experts in Geneva. 
 
¶3.  (U)  In response to our discussion, we heard back from My 
Bergdahl, who had consulted with the Foreign Ministry.  She told us 
that "Sweden will not oppose the adoption of Annex G in the form 
which is presently discussed in Study Group 2." She noted that the 
text which is discussed in Geneva right now no longer contains the 
problematic wording "recognized by the United Nations", which has 
improved the text, in her opinion.  Finally, she noted that "what we 
are dealing with is an Annex to a recommendation, thus it is not a 
binding regulation."  Bergdahl further noted that, according to WTSA 
resolution 20, the Director of the T-Section (presently Malcolm 
Johnsson) is the person who decides about allocation of country 
codes. 
 
BARZUN