PRT/BAMYAN: DONORS NONCOMMITAL IN MEETING FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 003251

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, S/CR, EUR/ERA, EUR/RPM
STATE PASS USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG
NSC FOR HARRIMAN
OSD FOR BREZEZINSKI
REL NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958 N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EAID SOCI AF
SUBJECT: PRT/BAMYAN: DONORS NONCOMMITAL IN MEETING FOR
BAMYAN RECONSTRUCTION

Summary
--------------

1. (U) Afghan Minister of Urban Development Pashtun
and Provincial Governor Sarabi hosted a donors
meeting on Bamyan reconstruction July 12. The
government defined its preference for the way ahead in
broad terms, and made a pitch for international
assistance. Donors outlined their current assistance
programs, but did not commit to future funding. The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to coordinate a
follow-on conference in Kabul to provide greater
specifics, possibly in the early fall. End Summary.

Participants
--------------

2. (U) The July 12 Donors Meeting on Bamyan
Reconstruction was hosted by Minister of Urban
Development Yusuf Pashtun, and Provincial Governor
Habiba Sarabi, with participation by Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs Saiqal, Deputy Minister of Urban
Development Djallazada, and Deputy Minister of Public
Works Dr. Safari. The donor community included Dutch
Ambassador Martin de la Bey, French Ambassador Regis
Koetschet, Japanese Charge Motohiko Koto, USAID Chief
of Staff Philip Gary and Indian representative Sandeep
Kumar as well as representatives from NZ PRT, JICA,
UNAMA, and UNESCO.

GOA Outlines Aim, But Not How to Get There
--------------

3. (SBU) Governor Sarabi stressed that Bamyan, unlike
other parts of the country, has the necessary
prerequisites (stability and peace) for development
and reconstruction to flourish. She emphasized that
the way ahead for Bamyan is the tourism sector
(domestic and international),and she noted the
importance of improving roads within the province.
The Governor did not pass up the opportunity to
criticize what she perceived were lower levels of
international assistance for Bamyan than other
provinces. She took particular aim at USAID,
reminding the audience that the Afghan National Police
(ANP) need a permanent center for training. (Note:
The ANP in Bamyan are currently being trained in a
Regional Police Center adjacent to the PRT funded by
INL and managed by the New Zealand police. USAID is
uninvolved in police training activities. End Note.)


4. (U) Minister Pashtun reiterated the Governors
comments on the prominence tourism must play in the
reconstruction of Bamyan. He also praised the work of
the PRT, and indicated that he wanted comprehensive
urban development for Bamyan and not just home
construction. Ironically, his Ministrys funds (half
a million dollars) have been pledged for exactly this.

Bamyan Urban Plan - Assistance Requested
--------------

5. (U) In a nutshell, the Bamyan Urban Plan is the
GOAs vision for moving many of the buildings in
Bamyan to a site (Dashte-Esse-Khan) approximately two
kilometers south of the NZ PRT. The idea is to bring
together government offices, residences, school
buildings and parks in one location, helping to
preserve the cultural heritage of Bamyan by
restricting expansion in areas close to the World
Heritage Sites.


6. (U) The GOA acknowledged that a great deal of work
is required in order to turn the Bamyan Urban Plan,
which is currently just a blueprint, into a reality.
The governments first priority related to this

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this
project is to detail the associated costs. Second,
Governor Sarabi requested individual donors address
discrete elements of the plan, such as water, energy
and sanitation assistance. Third, she indicated that
the provincial government wished to establish a Bamyan
Trust Fund for the development of the province, which
would require technical expertise as well as an
Administrator, preferably the World Bank. Finally,
she welcomed international participation on the Board
of Directors, once a trust is established.

Donors Reference Current Programs - No New Commitments
Yet
-------------- --------------
--------------

7. (U) Following this pitch by the government,
Japanese Charge Koto, Indian Representative Sandeep
Kumar, and Dutch Ambassador de la Bey outlined some of
their governments programs within Afghanistan, and
Bamyan province specifically. USAID Chief of Staff
Philip Gary stated that this fall, USAID will commence
a nationwide capacity building project worth 200
million dollars over the next four to five years.
Donors, however, did not commit to a timeline for
future funding of the Bamyan Urban Plan.


8. (SBU) Prior to departing Bamyan July 12, the donors
met independently to discuss the GOAs presentations.
The most frequently expressed refrain was concern
about unaddressed issues by the government, many of
which could be costly, such as site preparation of a
scree slope, a lack of water points requiring piping
water from a nearby village, and the relocation of the
present airfield to a site 25 kilometers away.


9. (SBU) Many of the donors accepted the argument that
attention/assistance should be provided for Bamyan
along the lines of a peace dividend for good
behavior, but did not appear convinced that this
particular project deserved support. As the French
Ambassador commented, the plan seems far removed from
reality. UNAMA Acting Head of Office Christine Kuhn
requested that donors express their concerns about the
he
Bamyan Plan directly to the relevant ministries,
especially Urban Development, if they hoped to modify
the current plan into something more realistic.

Donor Community Remains Hesitant
--------------

10. (SBU) Comment: Governor Sarabi expressed high
hopes to PRToff on July 17 that the donors conference
would be a big break in the ice with donors,
enabling them to begin supporting the Urban Plan. The
GOAs vague outline of the Urban Plan, especially
costs, appears unlikely to break that ice. Donors may
be more receptive to the plan, however, should the GOA
provide a more realistic, detail-oriented discussion
in a follow-on conference scheduled tentatively for as
early as this fall. The GOA will also have an
opportunity to make its case to donors at an upcoming
UNESCO conference August 2-3 outlining plans for the
cultural protection of the Bamyan World Heritage
Sites.

NORLAND
AND