AFGHAN DELEGATION VISITS ESTONIA TO STUDY NATION

UNCLAS TALLINN 000599 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV EN SUBJECT: AFGHAN DELEGATION VISITS ESTONIA TO STUDY NATION BUILDING ¶1. (U) Summary: Estonia recently hosted a high-level delegation from Afghanistan to discuss issues relating to nation building and e-governance. Although our Estonian interlocutors believe the Afghans are unlikely to implement what they learned about e-government in the near future, they believe the trip provided the Afghans with inspiration of what a country in transition can become. End summary. ¶2. (U) The week of June 12 Estonia received its first-ever official delegation from Afghanistan. The group consisted of members of the Afghan parliament and government agencies. The purpose of the visit was a fact finding mission about Estonian "e-government." The visit took place in cooperation with the MFA and the e-Governance Academy (EGA). EGA Director (and former MP) Ivar Tallo told us on June 20 that he felt the main benefit of the trip was to impart broader lessons of reform to the Afghans, and to show what could be accomplished given the right policy environment. ¶3. (U) While in Tallinn, the Afghans visited the Foreign Ministry, the State Chancellery, and Parliament. They also had several meetings and workshops with the EGA. The EGA is a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to the creation and transfer of knowledge concerning e- governance, e-democracy and the development of civil society. It advises leaders and stakeholders in using information and communication technology to increase government efficiency and to improve democratic processes with the aim of building open information societies. The EGA, which conducts training worldwide, is a joint initiative of the Government of Estonia, the Open Society Institute, and the Regional Support Center of the United Nations Development Program. ¶4. (U) EGA director Tallo said the Afghan visit was initiated as a result of previous Estonian training in Bulgaria. A Bulgarian involved in that training now serves as an advisor to the Afghan government. Tallo stated that while the technical aspects of e-governance are currently too advanced for Afghanistan, his goal for the delegation was to stress development, economic reforms, and modernization and to recommend Estonia as a model of a country that has gone through successful transition. According to Tallo, it was not so important for the visitors from Afghanistan to gather specific knowledge, but rather that they understand that successful nation-building is possible in the face of challenging circumstances. ¶5. (U) MFA Director of Development Cooperation Marje Sotnik told us that sending one Estonian to a country to provide long-term training may make more economic sense, but that a country like Afghanistan also benefits when members of its government see Estonia in person. Sotnik and Tallo reported that while getting broad policy right may have been the group's focus, the delegation also spent time soaking up the simple but vital details of institution-building, down to security access procedures used at Parliament. ¶6. (U) In an effort to develop relationships, and to get a better idea of how Estonia might best contribute to Afghan development efforts, the MFA recently selected a diplomat who will join the Estonian contingent with the UK-led PRT in Helmand Province early this fall. According to Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, "His work will be that of a political adviser, making proposals on civilian projects in which Estonia could participate. . ." ¶7. (SBU) Comment: Although the Estonian hosts suspected that some of the Afghan delegation members had "bribed their way aboard," the visit appears to have been successful in providing the Afghans with a positive role model and laying the groundwork for future Estonian-Afghan cooperation. Tallo hit the nail on the head when he said it wasn't so much the detail of what the Estonians had imparted, but rather the juxtaposition of descriptions of life in Estonia - down to the unheated buildings and rationing -- only 15 years ago, and what a positive policy environment had brought about in the intervening period, that will likely have the greatest impact. WOS