BUILDING ON NATO FOREIGN MINISTERIAL: GERMANY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000065 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/07/2015 TAGS: MARR PREL AF GM NATO SUBJECT: BUILDING ON NATO FOREIGN MINISTERIAL: GERMANY SUPPORTS GOALS ON AFGHANISTAN REF: STATE 2743 Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor John K. Bauman; Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) In response to reftel demarche, on January 6 MFA Deputy NATO director Herbert Beck assured Embassy that Germany will continue to push other NATO allies increase their contributions to ISAF. When asked if he thought Germany would be able to persuade the Spaniards to provide a PRT in Qala-e Nah or Chaghcharan, Beck replied "that is a good question." Germany has urged the GOS to take over a PRT, but thus far they have been noncommital. He said that the success of ISAF remains one of Germany's top priorities and that Germany raises the issue with allies at every opportunity. ¶2. (C) Beck said that Germany did not have a specific plan in mind for how it could help with the Parliamentary elections. He noted that when Turkey takes over the ISAF lead from EUROCORPS in February, Germany will have a larger cushion between deployed forces and the parliamentary-imposed ceiling of 2,250. Although Germany had originally thought that its NRF-IV forces would be deployed to support the Parliamentary elections, the French would prefer to keep NRF-IV troops on standby for other missions. Instead he expected that the German contribution for election support will be determined by the upcoming force generation process. Kabul minimize considered. COATS