Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07COPENHAGEN66
2007-01-19 08:43:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Copenhagen
Cable title:
DANES SUPPORT U.S. INFORMAL NATO MINISTERIAL GOALS
VZCZCXYZ0008 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHCP #0066/01 0190843 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 190843Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3148 INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0198 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0080 RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 0022 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0492 RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 1410 RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 0129 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 8906 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0647 RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 0069 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0859 RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN 1864 RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 3774 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0767 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0047 RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0151 RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 0237 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0494 RUEHLE/AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG 1998 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 2123 RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 0529 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 5409 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2523 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0358 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE 0643 RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK 0374 RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA 0807 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0508 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0465 RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 0091 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 0468 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 8802 RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN 1486 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 5737 RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA 0141 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0457 RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 0311 RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS 1592 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 1971 RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 0289 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO BRUSSELS BE 1092
C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 000066
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2017
TAGS: PREL NATO MARR MOPS AF DA
SUBJECT: DANES SUPPORT U.S. INFORMAL NATO MINISTERIAL GOALS
REF: STATE 4834
Classified By: Ambassador James Cain, reasons 1.4b,d
C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 000066
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2017
TAGS: PREL NATO MARR MOPS AF DA
SUBJECT: DANES SUPPORT U.S. INFORMAL NATO MINISTERIAL GOALS
REF: STATE 4834
Classified By: Ambassador James Cain, reasons 1.4b,d
1. (C) Ambassador Cain highlighted for Danish MFA Permanent
Secretary (deputy FM) Ulrik Federspiel the urgent need to
SIPDIS
seize the momentum in Afghanistan, to pre-empt and thwart an
anticipated Taliban offensive in the spring. The United
States plans to increase our forces and assistance as part of
that effort, he said, and we are looking to Denmark and other
allies to accelerate and step up their contributions.
Ambassador Cain encouraged Federspiel, who will attend the
January 26 ministerial, to consider SHAPE's recommendations
to address specific needs and shortfalls, and to look at
increasing development aid in response to the forthcoming
coordinated list of high-priority, high-impact projects. The
United States recognizes that Denmark has been a stalwart
ally in Afghanistan, Ambassador Cain noted, but the stakes
for NATO could not be higher.
2. (C) Federspiel responded that Denmark shares "completely"
our assessment of the situation in Afghanistan, and, without
making any commitments, indicated that the Danish government
is reviewing its assistance options and possible
contributions of special forces. He also welcomed our
emphasis on a comprehensive approach for improved
civilian-military coordination, and agreed on the need for
NATO-ISAF to have greater flexibility. Federspiel reported
that Danish efforts to persuade the Germans to lift their
caveats have not met with much success, and predicted that
Chancellor Merkel will not be moved on this issue.
3. (C) That said, Federspiel noted that the Danes have been
among those "doing the heavy lifting" in Afghanistan,
operating in the difficult Helmand province, and provided us
with a paper outlining Danish assistance to Afghanistan to
date, which includes 117 million USD in reconstruction and
democratization assistance for Afghanistan over five years,
ending in 2009.
4. (C) Ambassador Cain took advantage of the meeting to press
Federspiel to take a hard look at overall defense spending,
with an eye toward adjusting the Danish defense budget to
meet the NATO target of two percent of GDP. Federspiel
indicated that the government's multi-year defense plan would
not be negotiated among the parliamentary groupings until
next year, and at this point it is too early to tell what
public attitudes will be toward international commitments --
which increasingly serve as the primary mission for the
Danish military.
CAIN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2017
TAGS: PREL NATO MARR MOPS AF DA
SUBJECT: DANES SUPPORT U.S. INFORMAL NATO MINISTERIAL GOALS
REF: STATE 4834
Classified By: Ambassador James Cain, reasons 1.4b,d
1. (C) Ambassador Cain highlighted for Danish MFA Permanent
Secretary (deputy FM) Ulrik Federspiel the urgent need to
SIPDIS
seize the momentum in Afghanistan, to pre-empt and thwart an
anticipated Taliban offensive in the spring. The United
States plans to increase our forces and assistance as part of
that effort, he said, and we are looking to Denmark and other
allies to accelerate and step up their contributions.
Ambassador Cain encouraged Federspiel, who will attend the
January 26 ministerial, to consider SHAPE's recommendations
to address specific needs and shortfalls, and to look at
increasing development aid in response to the forthcoming
coordinated list of high-priority, high-impact projects. The
United States recognizes that Denmark has been a stalwart
ally in Afghanistan, Ambassador Cain noted, but the stakes
for NATO could not be higher.
2. (C) Federspiel responded that Denmark shares "completely"
our assessment of the situation in Afghanistan, and, without
making any commitments, indicated that the Danish government
is reviewing its assistance options and possible
contributions of special forces. He also welcomed our
emphasis on a comprehensive approach for improved
civilian-military coordination, and agreed on the need for
NATO-ISAF to have greater flexibility. Federspiel reported
that Danish efforts to persuade the Germans to lift their
caveats have not met with much success, and predicted that
Chancellor Merkel will not be moved on this issue.
3. (C) That said, Federspiel noted that the Danes have been
among those "doing the heavy lifting" in Afghanistan,
operating in the difficult Helmand province, and provided us
with a paper outlining Danish assistance to Afghanistan to
date, which includes 117 million USD in reconstruction and
democratization assistance for Afghanistan over five years,
ending in 2009.
4. (C) Ambassador Cain took advantage of the meeting to press
Federspiel to take a hard look at overall defense spending,
with an eye toward adjusting the Danish defense budget to
meet the NATO target of two percent of GDP. Federspiel
indicated that the government's multi-year defense plan would
not be negotiated among the parliamentary groupings until
next year, and at this point it is too early to tell what
public attitudes will be toward international commitments --
which increasingly serve as the primary mission for the
Danish military.
CAIN