[07SOFIA232] BULGARIAN NURSES: GETTING BACK TO EFFECTIVE DIPLOMACY

Published by Wikileaks & Bivol.bg

 date: 2/21/2007 12:14 refid: 07SOFIA232 origin: Embassy Sofia classification: CONFIDENTIAL destination: 07TRIPOLI166 header: VZCZCXRO3131 OO RUEHTRO DE RUEHSF #0232 0521214 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 211214Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE  C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000232    SIPDIS    SIPDIS    DEPT. FOR NEA/MAG, EUR/NCE    E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2017  TAGS: PREL, PHUM, LY, BU  SUBJECT: BULGARIAN NURSES: GETTING BACK TO EFFECTIVE  DIPLOMACY    REF: TRIPOLI 166    CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JOHN BEYRLE, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).    1. (C) WE APPRECIATE REFTEL UPDATE ON THE QADHAFI FOUNDATION  LETTER AND THE STATE OF PLAY IN TRIPOLI.  IT COMES AS THE GOB  CONCLUDES TWO DAYS OF HIGH-LEVEL IN-HOUSE DISCUSSIONS ON THE  NURSES ISSUE, IN ADVANCE OF THE EU WORKING GROUP ON FEBRUARY  22 AND AMBASSADOR BEYRLE'S MEETING WITH PRESIDENT PARVANOV ON  FEBRUARY 27.  THESE MEETINGS MAY PRESENT OUR BEST CHANCE TO  GUIDE BG/EU THINKING AWAY FROM FURTHER ESCALATION AND TOWARD  A UNITED DIPLOMATIC APPROACH.    2. (C) FEELING -- AND FEEDING -- DOMESTIC PRESSURE ON THE  NURSES' FATE, THE BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT HAS UPPED THE DECIBEL  LEVEL, MAKING DIPLOMACY HARDER.  AFTER SUCCESSFULLY ENLISTING  EU SUPPORT AGAINST LIBYA, BULGARIA IS IN FURTHER DANGER OF  BECOMING A VICTIM OF ITS OWN SUCCESS -- THE MORE EUROPEAN  POLITICIANS AND PUNDITS SPEAK OUT, THE MORE THE GOB RISKS  LOSING CONTROL OF THE PROCESS.  LIBYAN ACTION AND REACTION  HAS FUELED EVEN MORE ANGER AND FRUSTRATION.  IT'S TIME TO  DE-EMOTIONALIZE THE ISSUE.  THE BULGARIANS -- AND PERHAPS  OTHERS -- WILL NEED OUR HELP TO PULL THAT OFF.  THE EU'S  FEBRUARY 22 MEETING IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCELERATE THAT  PROCESS.  THE U.S. CAN PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN PERSUADING  BULGARIANS AND EUROPEAN PARTNERS ALIKE TO WALK BACK FROM  UNHELPFUL RHETORIC AND ADOPT A UNITED APPROACH TO LIBYA --  INCLUDING TO THE QADHAFI FOUNDATION'S RECENT "ROAD MAP"  PROPOSAL.    3. (C) SPECIFICALLY, WE SHOULD:    - EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR BULGARIANS AND EUROPEANS TO LOWER  THE RHETORICAL VOLUME IN PUBLIC;  - ENCOURAGE AN EU UNITED FRONT, BUILDING ON (AND FOLLOWING)  THE UK'S LEADERSHIP;  - SUPPORT A NEAR-TERM MEETING OF THE U.S./UK/EU/BULGARIA  WORKING GROUP -- WITH LIBYAN PARTICIPATION -- TO RECONFIRM  THE OVERALL "DEAL" ON RELEASE, TIMING OF THE JUDICIAL  PROCESS, AND NEXT STEPS WITH THE FOUNDATION AND EU ACTION  PLAN;  - COORDINATE CLOSELY TO MANAGE PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS AND AVOID  A REPEAT OF THE POST-DECEMBER 19 OUTCRY AND BACKLASH IN THE  EVENT THAT THE SUPREME COURT RECONFIRMS THE MEDICS' DEATH  SENTENCE; AND,  - ENLIST THE EU'S SUPPORT IN CONVINCING BULGARIA AND LIBYA TO  RETURN TO PRIVATE DIPLOMACY.      4. (C) GETTING THE EU AND INDIVIDUAL MEMBER STATES ON BOARD  NOW IS PARAMOUNT IF THE NURSES ARE TO HAVE A CHANCE OF  RETURNING HOME IN THE NEAR TERM.  THE "GROUP OF FOUR" WORKING  GROUP HAD MADE CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS BEFORE DECEMBER 19, AND  IT SHOULD RETAIN THE LEAD IN WORKING WITH THE LIBYANS.  NEW  EU GROUPINGS WILL NOT HELP MOVE US FORWARD (AS THE BRITS  AGREE).  BULGARIA NEEDS TO ABSORB FROM ITS PARTNERS THAT  QUIET DIPLOMACY -- HOWEVER FRUSTRATING -- WORKS WITH TRIPOLI,  WHILE LIBYA NEEDS TO HEAR CLEARLY THAT THE ONLY WAY TO BUILD  ON ITS SUCCESS IN RECENT YEARS (AND LIMIT PR DAMAGE FROM THIS  FESTERING ISSUE) IS TO ACT SERIOUSLY, RESPONSIBLY, AND  QUICKLY.  A UNITED EU, ORCHESTRATED BY THE UK AND WITH THE  GERMAN PRESIDENCY AND THE COMMISSION IN SUPPORT, CAN DRIVE  HOME THESE TWIN MESSAGES AND RE-ENERGIZE PRIVATE, EFFECTIVE  DIPLOMACY.    BEYRLE 

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