CONFIDENTIAL PRAGUE from the USA goverment archives about the Ballistic Missile Defense in Europe

Reference ID Date Classification Origin
09PRAGUE589 2009-10-02 14:02 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Prague
VZCZCXRO0224
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHPG #0589 2751444
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 021444Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1802
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEAMDA/MDA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000589

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2011
TAGS: PARM PREL EZ EUN
SUBJECT: CZECH COMMENTS ON U.S.-CZECH STRATEGIC COOPERATION

REF: CARNIE-QUANRUD E-MAIL DATED 10.01.2009

Classified By: Charge Mary Thompson-Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

(SBU) In response to delivery of USG non-paper on U.S.
Ballistic Missile Defense in Europe, Czech MFA Political
Director Ivo Sramek noted that he is pleased that we are
having an ongoing dialogue and that we are all examining ways
to advance U.S.-Czech strategic collaboration. He did not
have substantive comments on the paper on October 1, although
he noted that the MFA is collaborating with the MoD to flesh
out the September 17 paper "Beyond the Missile Defense Review
- The Way Forward in Strategic Cooperation." Sramek noted
that this coming paper will add greater detail and
specificity to the original paper the Czechs handed over. He
also noted that he would be discussing it on October 2 with
FM Kohout and that they hope to be able to provide it to us
early next week. He noted that the approach in this coming
paper is in keeping with the Kohout-S dialogue in New York on
the UNGA margins, where the Secretary encouraged the Czechs
to "think broadly" about cooperation and not simply to focus
on military cooperation.

¶2. (C) Following this meeting, MFA Political Director Ivan
Pocuch told emboff that within the MFA and MoD this paper was
ready last week to hand over and that it was quite detailed
and focused on the strategic relationship. This paper,
however, was held up by FM Kohout who felt that it was much
too narrowly focused. Pocuch and his Deputy, Petr
Chalupecky, plan to press hard for this paper to be clearly
prioritized and focused before it is handed over to us. He
also stated that from his point of view it is most important
that we know that the Czechs wish to be involved in a
substantive way in this new security architecture, however it
evolves.

¶3. (SBU) Separately Defense Attache Wally Scales met with MoD
Director of Security Policy Ivan Dvorak and delivered this
paper. According to Colonel Scales, Dvorak commented on the
High Level Defense Group meeting to note that the first week
of November was fine for the Czechs and that they hoped to
see USG participation at the level of Under Secretary of
Defense Flournoy.
Thompson-Jones