TAORMINA INFORMAL DEFENSE MINISTERIAL -- MOD

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000563 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2016 TAGS: MARR PREL FR NATO SUBJECT: TAORMINA INFORMAL DEFENSE MINISTERIAL -- MOD LOOKING TO RAISE BROADER NATO OBJECTIVES Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, REASON 1 .4 B/D ¶1. (C) On January 26, during the course of a previously scheduled meeting to discuss NATO issues, pol/miloff raised the recent unsuccessful debate at NATO on securing a NAC-PSC meeting on CT. In response, Camille Grand, Deputy Diplomatic Advisor in the MOD Cabinet, said that the minister was also concerned about ongoing differences at the technical level among allies at NATO. ¶2. (C) Grand said that the recent debates and/or disagreements arise from the different visions alliance members have of NATO, adding that Alliot-Marie plans to broach this issue at Taormina, as well as with SYG de Hoop Scheffer, during the latter's stopover in Paris in February. Alliot-Marie, he added, is very concerned about the evolution of NATO and whether the right priorities are being set. (Note: Grand did not provide a date for the SYG's visit, but de Hoop Scheffer is scheduled to speak before the European-American Press Club in Paris on 2 February.) ¶3. (C) In response to pol/miloff's observation that such political discussions were already possible at the NAC, Grand observed that a general debate on NATO's mission was still needed. To emphasize this point, which embassy officers have also heard at the MFA, Grand noted that the alliance is discussing new operations, while modalities of existing operations have not been sorted out. In the Balkans, the concept of "in together, out together" was under question as the United States considers a withdrawal of its forces. Similarly, although NATO quite rightly reacted to a crisis and embarked on a humanitarian operation in Pakistan, it is not clear that NATO's militaries are equipped for such civilian tasks. Without providing details, Grand observed that Spain is unhappy with how the relief operation in Bagh turned out. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton