AMBASSADOR'S MAY 2 MEETING WITH AGRICULTURE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 001226 SIPDIS NSC FOR ZKHALILZAD, JDWORKEN, HMANN, RHANSON, DSEDNEY DEPT FOR SA/PAB, SA/AR, EB/FO MANILA PLEASE PASS AMB PSPELTZ USDOC FOR DAS/TD MURPHY AND AFGHAN RECON TASK FORCE STATE PASS USAID FOR JPRYOR STATE PASS TDA FOR DSTEIN AND JSUSSMAN STATE PASS TREASURY FOR U/S TAYLOR, LMCDONALD STATE PASS OPIC FOR RCONNELLY AND DZAHNHEISER E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2013 TAGS: EAID EAGR ECON AF SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MAY 2 MEETING WITH AGRICULTURE MINISTER ANWARI Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROBERT P. FINN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) Ambassador met with Afghan Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Sayed Hussain Anwari on May 2. Anwari requested the Ambassador,s intervention on eight areas of need for the Ministry. First, the Minister requested help in establishing an Institute for Livestock Research. Second, the Minister requested help arresting the spread of epidemic livestock diseases ) including a severe outbreak of hoof and mouth disease - in the North. Third, the Minister requested donation of an extensive list of relevant vaccines and equipment for both research and treatment of livestock disease. Fourth, the Minister requested audiovisual equipment to improve the media reach of the Ministry. Fifth, the Minister requested support to obtain internet capability and computerization of the Ministry. Sixth, the Minister requested technical support by U.S. agricultural experts and advisors. Seventh, the Minister requested help in rebuilding a farmer,s cooperative building that he said was destroyed during OEF bombing. Finally, the Minister requested help in obtaining international market access for Afghan agricultural goods. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador responded that he would follow up with USAID on the status of the Research Institute proposal and steps to address the outbreak of livestock disease in the North. Ambassador further noted that USDA is very interested in increasing their involvement in Afghanistan, and that President Karzai had a productive meeting with Secretary of Agriculture Veneman during Karzai,s February visit to Washington. The exact nature of USDA and USG engagement in the agricultural sector was being finalized and would be determined soon. One proposal under review was to post agricultural experts to selected PRTs. As for the provision of vaccines, the Ambassador asked if any other countries had the necessary vaccines. Minister Anwari replied that the vaccines were available through Iran and India. Ambassador suggested that the Minister discuss the possibility of India offering the vaccines as part of its Tokyo assistance pledge of $100m. Ambassador reaffirmed that US support for Afghanistan would continue despite Iraq, and that the US Congress had recently authorized an additional $100m for Afghanistan is a special supplemental and $820m in support was planned in the FY2004 budget. FINN