US embassy cable - 05PRAGUE64

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 000064 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, IZ, EZ, IS 
SUBJECT: THE MOUSE THAT ROARED: CZECH EFFORTS IN THE MIDDLE 
EAST 
 
 
Classified By: Political Officer, Kimberly C. Krhounek, 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
 1.  (C) Summary.  During a January 10 lunch discussion, MFA 
Director of Middle East Affairs Ivo Silhavy discussed the 
Czech role in the Middle East Peace Process and upcoming 
elections in Iraq.  The Czechs see the Middle East as an area 
where they can play a role as an honest broker, making use of 
its good relations with Israel, Palestinian leaders and 
neighboring Arab states, as well as capitalizing on its 
"neutral" status as a small country with no ulterior motives 
in the region.  The Czech Republic will also serve this year 
as the NATO Contact Embassy for Israel.  Silhavy also 
discussed strong GOCR interest in sending observers to 
monitor Iraqi elections later this month, and the MFA's 
efforts to keep its Iraqi development budget from being 
raided by those seeking to boost Czech assistance to victims 
of the South Asia tsunamis.  End summary. 
 
2.  (C) Silhavy said that the Czechs were very pleased with 
the January 9 elections in the Palestinian Authority, noting 
that they appeared to be largely free and fair.  This gives 
Mahmoud Abbas a fairly broad mandate to represent the 
Palestinian people in re-starting the peace process.  He 
noted that both sides seemed ready to come back to the 
negotiating table -- something that has often been missing 
historically.  The GOCR has made assisting the Middle East 
Peace Process a foreign policy priority and they are 
committed to seeing the roadmap implemented.  Silhavy said 
that the Czech Republic enjoys a reputation in the region as 
being "neither pro-Israeli, nor pro-Palestinian" and that it 
enjoys good relations with neighboring Arab countries as 
well.  FM Svoboda completed a trip to the Middle East in 
December 2004, where he visited a number of Arab states and 
in Israel met with the PM, FM and the Israeli Knesset, as 
well as with Palestinian leaders.  This year, the Czech 
Embassy will serve as the NATO Contact embassy for Israel. 
Silhavy stated that one advantage of the Czech Republic is 
that, due to it's being a small country rather than a 
superpower or major foreign policy player, it can bring ideas 
and encouragement to the table without anyone suspecting them 
of having another "agenda" where affecting the outcome could 
be put to their benefit. 
 
3.  (C)  Silhavy was also very interested in this month's 
elections in Iraq.  He said the MFA had identified a small 
number of people (probably 2-5) who are willing to go to Iraq 
to serve as election observers.  The GOCR is now waiting for 
further word from the Coalition authorities as to how 
security will be managed, in order to complete planning for 
their participation.  The Czechs met with a group of 25 
countries in Ottawa that is considering basing election 
observers out of Amman, Jordan, but they are also reviewing 
other possible missions where they can contribute.  The 
missing details about security will determine the final 
outcome; they want to know how the coalition plans to 
guarantee security for voters and observers on election day. 
Silhavy is also occupied with guarding his Iraqi assistance 
and development budget (approximately $1.4 million in 
transformation and cooperation funds), following the proposal 
by Minister of Industry and Trade Milan Urban to raid some of 
the Iraq budget to boost Czech assistance to the 
tsunami-stricken areas of South Asia.  Silhavy said that a 
 
SIPDIS 
final decision on this should take place on January 19 and 
that he was hopeful that his budget would remain intact. 
After all, he noted wryly, "there is always money" if the 
government decides it is a priority. 
 
4.  (C) The conversation also briefly touched on the issue of 
democracy in the Middle East and whether the Palestinian 
elections would spur additional democratization initiatives 
in the region.  Silhavy said that if Iraq can get the 
security situation under control, it will be the major test 
case for implementing democracy in the Middle East, which is 
now being "exported" there, rather than arising domestically. 
 
 
5.  (C) Comment.  Silhavy, like the two preceding MFA Middle 
East Department Directors, is a strong supporter of USG 
policies in the region.  Outside of Europe, promoting 
democratic change in both the Middle East and Cuba are two of 
the GOCR's most significant foreign policy goals.  Despite 
(or perhaps because of) the lack of a visible connection in 
both places, the Czechs have the ability to play a unique 
role in supporting USG initiatives there.  In both the Middle 
East and Cuba, the Czech Republic has shown the willingness 
to take a stand within the EU to push for policy initiatives, 
it has a wealth of experience in transitioning to democratic 
institutions and a market economy to share, and it believes 
that as a small country with no ulterior motives, it can play 
a significant role as "honest broker."  The Czechs want a 
strong partnership with the U.S. in these areas.  If ket 
informed on USG policy initiatives, they will often be 
natural allies in helping shape the EU positions on issues 
when we seek European backing.  End comment. 
 
6. BAGHDAD MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
HILLAS