08USNATO251
WikiLeaks Cable
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin 08USNATO251 2008-07-17 10:03 2011-04-24 00:00 CONFIDENTIAL Mission USNATO
VZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHNO #0251/01 1991003 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 171003Z JUL 08 FM USMISSION USNATO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2078 INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV IMMEDIATE 0132 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 6010 RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO IMMEDIATE 0144 RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE IMMEDIATE 3399 RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI IMMEDIATE 5625 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEHNO/USDELMC BRUSSELS BE IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/USNMR SHAPE BE IMMEDIATE C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000251
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2018 TAGS: PREL MARR NATO AORC AM AJ RU GG SW FI AF SUBJECT: JULY EAPC: OSCE BRIEF, UNSCR 1325, DEFENSE EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Richard G. Olson, Jr. for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
¶1. (C) Summary: During their July 9 meeting, EuroAtlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) Ambassadors exchanged views with OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, covering issues such as Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Georgia. The EAPC also received a briefing on defense education and training from Partnership for Peace Consortium Chairman Henri Bigo and discussed next steps in implementing UNSCR 1325 on women, peace and security. In a separate meeting with the Charge, de Brichambaut said the Russians had specifically asked him to pass on their offer to support the U.S. desire for increased OSCE cooperation on Afghanistan, in exchange for unspecified concessions in other areas. End summary.
OSCE Secretary General's Presentation
¶2. (C) OSCE SYG Marc Perrin de Brichambaut told the EAPC that NATO and the OSCE have a shared interest in promoting stability. He said the last 12 months have tested the commitment of nations to the OSCE principles at the most basic level. After highlighting the challenges facing the OSCE in election monitoring and assisting with the unresolved conflicts in Georgia, de Brichambaut shared his fear that the "deeply rooted impasse" in Kosovo may have entered a long period of ambiguity. De Brichambaut expressed his belief that international action is vital to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Balkans. He also observed that OSCE action in Afghanistan and Central Asia was a part of the long term effort to consolidate security and democracy in these areas. De Brichambaut said OSCE effectiveness in Afghanistan will depend on the support of international organizations, other key countries, and Russia. De Brichambaut said the impasse over Russian suspension of the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty concerns the entire OCSE community due to the importance of military transparency. Finally de Brichambaut asserted that the OSCE itself can only be effective insofar as the member states use it as a toolbox. He argued that political-military considerations cannot exist independently from economic and human-dimension concerns. In conclusion he said he looked forward to closer work with NATO, including through staff-to-staff consultations.
¶3. (C) In response, Finland said that enhancing OSCE-NATO cooperation is a priority for its chairmanship of the OSCE. Austria, Spain, Germany and France asked what the OSCE could do to enhance its role in Afghanistan, with Spain and Germany specifically mentioning elections as an area to focus on. Spain, Greece, and Hungary asked about OSCE activity in Kosovo, while the Serbian representative took this opportunity to express his thanks for a statement in 2007 by de Brichambaut that Kosovo could become a precedent. Serbia also expressed "profound gratitude" to the countries present that had not recognized Kosovo. Russia said the OSCE should play an adequate role in international security, and hoped nations could work together to creatively solve the CFE impasse.
¶4. (C) Georgia expressed gratitude to the OSCE SYG, saying the OSCE had been helpful in the separatist conflicts. The Czech Republic supported this view and called for more OSCE, EU, and UN attention in the South Caucasus. Russia expressed concern about escalating tensions in Georgia adding that Moscow could not agree with the suggestion that peacekeeping formats for the separatist conflicts be changed.
¶5. (C) Armenia spoke of the OSCE as a key asset for conflict resolution, prompting Azerbaijan to assert its commitment to democracy, human, rights and the rule of law. Azerbaijan and Armenia traded well-known positions on the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, causing other delegations to roll their eyes at the proceedings.
¶6. (C) U.S. Charge Olson deployed guidance praising the work of OSCE in promoting human rights and democratic elections in Europe and Eurasia. Olson highlighted the work of ODIHR, which, he said, is at the forefront of promoting, protecting and defending shared values that are critical to democracy
and democratic development. He called on the OSCE to play a proactive and creative role in working on the frozen conflicts. The U.S. also strongly supported the OSCE's engagement in Afghanistan, asserting that activities must take place inside of Afghanistan to have any real impact.
OSCE Secretary General's Bilat with the U.S. Charge
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¶7. (C) In a separate meeting with Charge Olson, de Brichambaut suggested that the Russians were not yet in support of the OSCE proposals for Afghanistan. He said the Russians had directly asked him why "the U.S. does not ask us directly to support their proposal" and that they had added that if the U.S. were to do so "we will see what we might ask of them." He said Russia had asked him to relay that message directly to the U.S. He did not know what specifically they might be seeking from the U.S., but was clear that the Russians see the U.S. as the demandeur on this program.
¶8. (C) Charge Olson replied that the U.S. tries to avoid linked deals of the sort the Russians seem to be seeking. While the Russians repeatedly try to initiate negotiations of this kind, the U.S. usually resists their efforts to make a grand bargain and prefers to stick to the specifics of an issue. The SYG noted that the Russians should ideally realize that secure borders for Afghanistan were in Russia's interest too. The SYG's Chief of Staff Paul Fritch remarked that involvement of the CSTO was the most obvious demand the Russians would seek. The Charge responded that such a request would likely be a bridge too far in a NATO context.
¶9. (C) Olson stressed the importance of the OSCE program operating inside Afghanistan. De Brichambaut replied that he would have to take things one step at a time -- once the program is approved the OSCE can look at other options, such as increasing the presence inside Afghanistan and training the Afghan customs force. Reacting to the comments of several nations in the EAPC meeting that the OSCE should play a role in assisting with the set up of the Afghan elections, the SYG said he would discuss the possibility with the head of ODHIR and thought it would be politically and financially feasible.
¶10. (C) The SYG said he has been telling the Russians that, if they were serious about Medvedev's proposal for a European Security Treaty, they would need to define it more and decide in which venue it will be discussed. The SYG said he had discussed with Russian Deputy FM Grushko the possibility of using OSCE Vienna as the venue. Grushko had told him Russia felt it could not wait until the next U.S. administration to begin talks on this issue.
¶11. (C) The SYG asked about the July 18 Friends of Kosovo meeting in Brussels, saying he had been hearing from many participants that they are not expecting much to come out of it. Olson explained the background to the meeting, stressing that an OSCE and UN presence were important as a way to give cover to the Turks to allow the EU and NATO to have a meeting together. The SYG said he would have to protect the Finnish Presidency from Russian anger about the OSCE participating, but still thought the OSCE would be able to attend.
Defense Education and Training - Resources Needed
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¶12. (C) During the EAPC Ambassadorial, Mr. Henry Bigo, Executive Director of the PfP Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institute, briefed on EAPC/PfP education and training goals, programs, and activities. Bigo also encouraged the EAPC to take a good look at the published Food for Thought paper (e-mailed to EUR-RPM), which provides the "way-ahead" for the PfP Consortium. He reminded Ambassadors that the Consortium relies on a small budget (less than USD 1M per year) and could benefit from additional assistance.
¶13. (C) Bigo requested three areas of assistance from the EAPC: (I) A broader base of contributor nations to the Consortium; (II) Direct-funding by Partner nations to their defense colleges, institutions, and faculty to serve PfP Consortium projects, education, and training. (III)
Voluntary contributions of national staff for the Consortium.
(Bigo did not request a specific number, but noted that they
currently rely on 3 full-time staff members).
¶14. (C) The Secretary General - assisted by Canada - provided additional background on the Canadian-led PAP-DIB (Defense Institution Building) Reference Curriculum that aims to provide NATO partner and emerging partner nations with in-depth learning objectives and curriculum support on building and reforming defense institutions. The Curriculum centers on three themes: public administration and governance, defense management and economics, and ethics and leadership.
¶15. (C) EAPC Partners were quick to support the initiatives and activities of the PfP Consortium. The U.S. noted support for the program, encouraged specificity of programming to Partnership requirements, and requested that activities be linked to an EAPC Work Plan, IPAP, or PfP PARP criteria. This theme of "tailoring activities towards Partners' requirements" was echoed by other nations including Switzerland, Romania, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Mr. Bigo later indicated that it is the Consortium's intent to tailor activities to Partner nations' needs and requirements.
¶16. (C) The SECGEN concluded the discussion by appealing to EAPC nations to review their contributions and assistance, noting that, "high quality education and training cannot be made available on the cheap."
UNSCR 1325 - Guidelines and a Policy to be Developed Sweden to lead a PRT Study in Afghanistan
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¶17. (C) The SYG announced that Allies had decided to adopt the following approach in developing NATO,s commitment to the principles of UNSCR 1325:
(I) The International Military Staff (IMS) will task Allied Command Operations and Allied Command Transformation with developing "bi-strategic guidelines" that will provide pragmatic guidance to commanders and their troops.
(II) The NATO International Staff (IS) and the IMS will work together to develop a policy paper, drawing on national and international organizational experience.
(III) An ad-hoc working group of Allies (membership to be determined) will meet to consider the policy, and will then consult with partners.
(IV) The final paper would be returned to the North Atlantic Council for endorsement.
¶18. (C) Allies and Partners welcomed this approach but many also expressed frustration that it had taken so long to reach this point. Austria, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Montenegro, Spain, France and Germany all spoke of their national support for UNSCR 1325 and looked forward to progress. France suggested EU work on the issue could inspire a coherent approach. Swedish Ambassador Veronika Wand Danielsson announced that Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden will conduct a joint study on improving the effectiveness of PRTs in Afghanistan in applying UNSCR 1325. The study is to be completed by Spring ¶2009. Wand Danielsson hoped that all Allies and Partners would support this work, including by accepting researchers into their PRTs (Note: In a follow up conversation with the Swedish Mission to NATO, PolOff learned that planning for this effort is at the earliest stages. The group plans to meet in Stockholm in September to launch the project proposal, as well as to plan the study trips. Sweden's minutes of the group's initial meeting have been forwarded to EUR/RPM. This development will undoubtedly lead to requests for U.S. assistance. End note.)
OLSON