US embassy cable - 04VILNIUS1520

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 001520 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NB AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, LH, HT11 
SUBJECT: LITHUANIA TO WORK THROUGH EU ON ANY IRAQ 
OBSERVATION MISSION 
 
 
Classified By: POL/ECON OFFICER TREVOR BOYD 
FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) Acting AS for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor 
Michael Kozak on December 3 discussed with Foreign Minister 
Antanas Valionis the possibility of Lithuania's participation 
in an Iraqi election observer mission.  Ambassador Kozak, in 
Vilnius for a GOL-sponsored conference on supporting 
democracy in EU's New Neighborhood, suggested consolidating 
international contributions to the upcoming election observer 
efforts in Iraq under the broad banner of the Community of 
Democracies.  Valionis pledged to consult with other 
countries in the region with a view towards organizing and 
providing election observers. 
 
2. (C) We resumed the discussion with Saulius Jaskelevicius, 
head of MFA's Africa and Middle East Division, when we 
delivered the text of a DRL non-paper on the international 
observer mission for Iraqi elections to on December 7.  We 
also discussed Lithuania's invitation to a December experts' 
meeting on an Iraqi observation mission in Ottawa. 
Jaskelevicius told us December 14 that Lithuania's Embassy in 
Ottawa will represent the GOL at the IFES and Elections 
Canada-sponsored event.  Budgetary constraints, not lack of 
interest or commitment, said Jaskelevicius, preclude a 
bilateral observer mission to Iraq under the auspices of a 
Community of Democracy mission.  The GOL supports in 
principle a common EU observer mission to Iraq, he said, but 
it will wait and see how this operation develops before 
deciding whether to send observers under that collective 
umbrella. 
 
3. (C) Comment.  Lithuania has always punched above its 
weight in supporting Coalition objectives where Iraq is 
concerned.  In addition to putting boots on the ground in 
Iraq, the GOL hosted an observation mission by a delegation 
of Iraqi political party leaders during Lithuania's 
parliamentary elections.  The GOL simply doesn't have the 
funds to send observers to Iraq now. 
Mull