[06SOFIA430] BULGARIA LOOKS TO U.S. FOR “PUSH” ON LIBYA

 date: 3/23/2006 14:29 refid: 06SOFIA430 origin: Embassy Sofia classification: CONFIDENTIAL destination: 06TRIPOLI60 header: VZCZCXRO9414 OO RUEHTRO DE RUEHSF #0430 0821429 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 231429Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1654 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHTRO/USLO TRIPOLI IMMEDIATE   C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000430    SIPDIS    SIPDIS    E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2011  TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, LY, BU  SUBJECT: BULGARIA LOOKS TO U.S. FOR "PUSH" ON LIBYA    REF: TRIPOLI 60    CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JOHN BEYRLE, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).    1. (C) SUMMARY: IN A MARCH 23 MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR,  FOREIGN MINISTER KALFIN EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT NEGOTIATIONS  ON THE RELEASE OF BULGARIAN NURSES IN LIBYA WERE "GOING INTO  SLEEP MODE" AND SUGGESTED THAT A HIGH-LEVEL PUSH FROM THE  U.S. SIDE MIGHT BE THE BEST NEAR-TERM CHANCE OF GETTING TALKS  BACK ON TRACK.  END SUMMARY.    2. (C) KALFIN'S FRUSTRATION WAS BASED ON THE FACT THAT,  DESPITE AGREEMENT FROM ALL SIDES ON A GENERAL FRAMEWORK FOR  MOVING FORWARD, MOVEMENT TOWARD THE NURSES' EVENTUAL RELEASE  IS STALLED DUE TO DELAYS IN THE SCHEDULING OF A NEW TRIAL AND  LACK OF PROGRESS IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE VICTIMS' FAMILIES.  KALFIN SAID HE UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS A "DIFFICULT TIME FOR  QADHAFI" AND NOTED THAT RECENT EVENTS IN BENGHAZI HAVE SHOWN  THAT THE LIBYAN LEADER "IS NOT MASTERING THE SITUATION."  CITING THE LIBYAN COURT'S UPCOMING SUMMER RECESS, KALFIN  EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE COURT'S FAILURE TO SET A DATE FOR  THE NURSES' RETRIAL COULD CAUSE THE ENTIRE PROCESS TO STALL.  ACCORDING TO A REPORT RECEIVED BY KALFIN ON MARCH 22, THE  LIBYAN COURT IS CONSIDERING HOLDING THE NEW TRIAL IN  BENGHAZI, RATHER THAN TRIPOLI AS REPORTED IN REFTEL.  KALFIN  FELT THAT A BENGHAZI TRIAL WOULD FURTHER COMPLICATE PROGRESS  TOWARD A FAVORABLE RESOLUTION.    3. (C) WHEN ASKED BY THE AMBASSADOR WHETHER A NEW ROUND OF  MULTILATERAL MEETINGS COULD HELP ADVANCE THE PROCESS, KALFIN  WAS PESSIMISTIC, STATING THAT THERE WAS "NOTHING ELSE TO TALK  ABOUT ON THE POLITICAL LEVEL."  IN ORDER FOR MULTILATERAL  MEETINGS TO SUCCEED, HE SAID, IT WOULD FIRST BE NECESSARY FOR  THE LIBYAN SIDE TO PROPOSE A TRIAL DATE, A PLAN FOR THE  FAMILIES, AND AN ULTIMATE DEADLINE FOR RETURN OF THE MEDICS.    4. (C) REFERRING TO RECENT TALKS WITH THE LIBYAN GOVERNMENT  ON DEBT FORGIVENESS, KALFIN SAID THE GOB IS WILLING TO ACCEPT  ANY LIBYAN PROPOSAL FOR REVALUATION OF THE DEBT -- "TO FIVE  MILLION DOLLARS OR TO FIVE DOLLARS" -- AS LONG AS IT IS PART  OF A FINAL SETTLEMENT.  HOWEVER, THE BULGARIAN SIDE SEES  LITTLE POINT IN NEGOTIATING A SEPARATE AGREEMENT WITH LIBYA  ON DEBT REVALUATION WHILE THE FATE OF THE MEDICS REMAINS  UNRESOLVED.    5. (C) KALFIN EMPHASIZED THE GOB'S ATTEMPTS TO EXERCISE  PUBLIC RESTRAINT ON THE ISSUE IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE A  PRODUCTIVE ATMOSPHERE FOR NEGOTIATIONS.  HE SPECIFICALLY  MENTIONED THAT BULGARIA HAD STOPPED THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE  FROM ISSUING A RESOLUTION ON THE ISSUE ON THREE SEPARATE  OCCASIONS, BUT HE NOTED THAT SUCH A POSITION WAS NOT  SUSTAINABLE INDEFINITELY.  KALFIN ALSO GAVE A READOUT OF  PRESIDENT PURVANOVS MARCH 1 PHONE CONVERSATION WITH QADHAFI,  STATING THAT IT WAS BROADLY POSITIVE, IF NOT PARTICULARLY  SUBSTANTIVE.  ACCORDING TO KALFIN, QADHAFI WAS ENGAGED AND  APPEARED WELL-INFORMED ON RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CASE,  HOWEVER, "YOU NEVER KNOW WITH QADHAFI."    6. (C) COMMENT: IN KALFIN'S WORDS: "IF THERE IS ONE THING  THAT INFLUENCES THE LIBYAN POLICY, IT IS THE U.S. POSITION."  THE BULGARIANS CONTINUE TO SEE WASHINGTON AS THE MOST  INFLUENTIAL INTERNATIONAL PARTY TO THE ONGOING TALKS WITH  LIBYA, AND WANT US TO USE OUR INFLUENCE TO KEEP THINGS  MOVING.  WE BELIEVE THE PREREQUISITES FOR A MULTILATERAL  MEETING OUTLINED BY KALFIN IN PARA. 3 ABOVE ARE A BIT STRICT  (SURELY THERE CAN BE A MEETING IN ADVANCE OF SETTING A  DEADLINE) BUT WOULD WELCOME VIEWS FROM USLO AND WASHINGTON ON  NEXT STEPS.  END COMMENT.      BEYRLE