SCENESETTER FOR YOUR VISIT TO ALBANIA AND SEDM

C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 000996

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FROM AMBASSADOR RIES TO SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFELD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2026
TAGS: PREL MARR PGOV MCAP AL
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR YOUR VISIT TO ALBANIA AND SEDM

REF: A. TIRANA 953

B. TIRANA 960

C. TIRANA 970

Classified By: Ambassador Marcie B. Ries, Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------

1. (C) Your attendance at the September 26-27 Southeast
Europe Defense Ministerial (SEDM) is the event's highlight
for your Albanian hosts. NATO entry is Albania's primary
goal, one supported by all levels of society and all
political tendencies. The Ministerial provides the chance
for Albania to demonstrate its ability to make tangible
contributions in the areas of defense and regional security.
In his meetings with you, we expect Prime Minister Berisha to
reiterate Albania's determination to be "wherever the U.S. is
deployed" and to underscore Albania's desire to join NATO as
soon as possible. sd from your participation in SEDMislf,this is a chancee for you to publicly comend the
performance f Albanian commandos in Ira, Albani' te
otrributions to the GWOT, its einllaesi including
through A3 and SEDM n t rogres ndfeense reform. In
your prvaemeig,hwvr yyou should also remind th
lain htteeis" considerably more to be dn: norder toacheve their goal, they must devote theneee
eorces to defense reform and as eosrt oitical
maturity and progresso eocratic reforms and rule of law.
END SUMMARY.

--------------
COMBAT SUPPORT TO GWOT
--------------

2. (SBU) In advance of the actual Ministerial, you will
meet with President Mosiu, PM Berisha, and DM Mediu. With
the latter, you will present awards to some of the Albanian
commandos who have returned from service in Iraq. These
meetings provide an opportunity to praise Albanian combat
troops serving beside us in Iraq, as well as Albania's
contribution to stability in the region (Bosnia/EUFOR).
Albania was among the first countries to answer our calls for
support in the GWOT, and that support has been unwavering.
It has been extraordinarily cooperative across the board in
these efforts, including by freezing terrorist assets.


3. (SBU) Albania currently has a contingent of 120 combat
troops in Mosul, Iraq, and 22 Special Operation Forces in
ISAF in Afghanistan. In addition, it deployed nine personnel
as part of a Southeastern European Brigade (SEEBRIG)
headquarters element and has three in the A-3 Joint Medical
Unit. There are 71 troops in the EUFOR mission in
Bosnia-Herzegovina. Overall, including troops in training
and preparation for overseas deployments, Albania has about a
third of its elite troops committed to the GWOT. Despite
this already significant contribution, PM Berisha continues
to explore other ways to "be where the U.S. is deployed,"
including recent suggestions that Albania might consider
sending troops to Lebanon.

--------------
REGIONAL STABILITY AND INTEGRATION
--------------

4. (C) Especially under DefMin Mediu's active leadership,
Albania has played an important role in encouraging regional
defense cooperation. He has played a key role in A3 and SEDM
coordination and seeks to make full use of the tools these
fora offer. The President and PM have used their influence
to urge Albanian Kosovars to show restraint and flexibility
in Kosovo status negotiations and have called on the Albanian
leadership in Kosovo to do more to protect the rights of
minority Serbs. This week at the UNGA, President Moisiu (and
Foreign Minister Mustafaj) were careful not to respond to
Serbian rhetoric. As Kosovo negotiations reach the "end
game," we will want Albania's leaders to continue to be a
voice for moderation in Albania and with Albanian leaders
throughout the region.

--------------
PARTNERSHIP AND PROGRESS
--------------

5. (C) Albanian defense forces have provided support for
NATO training, participated in NATO exercises, and partnered
with us to allow sensitive low-level flight training. The
MOD is committed to modernizing the Albanian Armed Forces
(AAF) to make it deployable and NATO-interoperable. While
there is no doubt about the political commitment, several
constraints remain. Albania has not kept to its own schedule
for bringing defense spending up to two percent of GDP by

2010. Real spending on defense (excluding retirement) is
about $120 million, with only about eight percent of that
amount available for modernization. Albania must focus the
MOD's modest resources on creating a "niche capability" that
shows it brings something to the NATO table. The MOD is
working to equip, train, and modernize the Rapid Reaction
Brigade (RRB),the unit it says would be ready for NATO duty
if called.


6. (C) But we must continue to reinforce the message that,
while we value Albania's bilateral and multilateral
contributions, NATO membership is not about defense reform
alone. NATO allies look for a reliable partner that shares
NATO's democratic values. All new entries have been expected
to resolve internal differences and show unity on national
priorities before receiving a membership invitation, and
those standards still apply. Though it cannot control
Albania's fractious opposition, the Government has the
responsibility to build a consensus on issues of national
concern. The Government must move its strong rhetoric about
the fight against corruption beyond words into action )-
against money laundering, against trafficking in persons and
contraband, and in favor of a cultural sea change to one of
respect for lawfulness. At the same time, the GOA must also
strengthen its democratic institutions. The campaign against
corruption cannot be perceived as a campaign against
institutions or individuals with different points of views.

--------------
YOUR INTERLOCUTORS
--------------

7. (C) As noted Ref B, President of the Republic Moisiu in
polls has the highest respect of any elected official among
the Albanian population. He is considered honest and a
person of integrity. Appointed by consensus of the main
political parties (he does not belong to one himself) he
plays a stabilizing role in Albania's turbulent domestic
political scene and has a Constitutional role in the justice
system. He is well placed to guide Albania on the road
toward democratic consolidation, but is currently under
pressure from PM Berisha, who wants the President to remove
the Prosecutor General. The international community has
worked to avoid being drawn into this dispute, while at the
same time underscoring the importance we attach to adherence
to Albania's own laws and Constitution.


8. (C) Like all Albanians, PM Berisha holds the United
States in high esteem. Berisha is seeking to erase memories
of his forced departure from the political scene (he was then
the President) in 1997 under the scandal of the pyramid
scheme debacle. We believe he is determined to bring
positive change during his administration, but his methods
have aroused controversy and criticism. We want to let him
know that we appreciate his contributions in the areas of
foreign policy, the war on terror, and regional security, but
keep the pressure on for more progress on defense reform, and
especially development of democratic institutions and
fighting corruption.


9. (C) Ref A provides detailed biographical background on
Minister Mediu.
RIES