A/S FRIED WITH PORTUGUESE DEFENSE STATESEC JOAO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 001854

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2017
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL PO AF RS EUN
SUBJECT: A/S FRIED WITH PORTUGUESE DEFENSE STATESEC JOAO
MIRA GOMES


Classified By: Political Officer Troy Fitrell for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)


1. (C) Summary. Portuguese State Secretary for Defense Mira
Gomes told A/S Fried that his ministry is considering a plan
to lead an Operational Mentoring Liaison Team in Afghanistan
in addition to Portugal's current military contributions
there, although budgetary and political considerations may
derail the proposal. Mira Gomes and A/S Fried agreed that
Russia's aggressive foreign policy require a united response
and that, with missile defense proposals on the table, Putin
has a chance to prove he is serious. A/S Fried also stressed
that NATO and EU operations in Kosovo must coordinate
closely, regardless of complaints by Greece, Cyprus, or
Turkey. As reported septel, Kosovars are not likely to
declare independence unilaterally because they have faith in
the West's ability to resolve the issue. A/S Fried noted that
if Russia maintains its hard-line posture, another solution
must be found. End summary.

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

2. (U) A/S Fried
Charge d,Affaires Adrienne O,Neal
Naval Attache CAPT Steve Gnassi
Pol Officer Troy Fitrell (notetaker)

Ministry of Defense State Secretary Joao Mira Gomes
Director General for Defense Planning Paulo Vizeu Pinheiro
Military Advisor LCDR Joao Paulo Codinha
Diplomatic Advisor Dr. Gilberto Sousa Jeronimo

Afghanistan
--------------

3. (C) Mira Gomes related that his ministry is studying the
proposal to field an Operational Mentoring Liaison Team
(OMLT) in Afghanistan, in addition to its Special Forces and
Air Traffic Control contributions in that theater. Mira
Gomes cautioned, however, that Portuguese overseas operations
are extensive and are competing for scarce resources and
political commitment. The Portuguese government has managed
to maintain its commitment despite some internal objections,
but that significant casualties would make that position much
more difficult. Mira Gomes and A/S Fried were pleased with
greater EU commitment to building institutions in Afghanistan.

Russia
--------------

4. (C) A/S Fried noted that we are taking President Putin's
two recent offers on missile defense (MD) very seriously,
even if the Russians themselves were not. This is a chance,
A/S Fried opined, for Putin to be serious. We are hoping to
develop complementary systems that provide security for NATO
and partner nations. The U.S. system developed with Poland
and the Czech Republic matches well with NATO developments; a
mutual system with Russia would complement the other two.
A/S Fried agreed that the Polish government's recent
statements were impolitic, but they had toned down the
rhetoric even though they are on the receiving end of overt
Russian threats.


5. (C) The Russian use of energy policy against EU and NATO
member states, noted both Mira Gomes and A/S Fried, is
worrying for European security and thus for American
security. Europe, said A/S Fried, has a viable and important
plan to develop the Nabuco pipeline to bring Caspian Basin
gas resources to Europe, yet were not defending Europe's
interests very well in the face of Russian objections. Putin
is himself Russia's top gas negotiator, while the EU has not
yet even designated a chief coordinator.


6. (C) A/S Fried stressed that Europeans and Americans alike
have a Russian problem. Russia is a corporatist state with a
revisionist foreign policy. Mira Gomes hoped that the
EU-Russia summit will help establish a common strategic
vision. A/S Fried suggested that this is unlikely, given
that Putin believes Europe,s divisions are permanent, when
these divisions are merely a process in which the EU arrives
at agreement.

NATO-EU Coordination in Kosovo
--------------

7. (C) Mira Gomes noted that the EU's ESDP program in Kosovo
would be a civilian operation based on contributions of
police. Portugal has extensive police experience in the
Balkans and intends to contribute, but that the ESDP
operation will need the protection of the NATO forces, thus
requiring cooperative rules of engagement to be devised
beforehand. The stalemate, he continued, betweenTurkey on
one hand and Cyprus and Greece on the ther must be resolved.
A/S Fried noted that NAT-EU coordination on the ground in

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Kosovo needed to occur at the working level and that we must
not allow Greece or Turkey to block this procedurally. We
should, he noted, manage the coordination anyway. Should
Greece or Turkey complain, we must ignore them. A/S Fried
hoped that Portugal was prepared to do what needed to be done.

Kosovo
--------------

8. (C) A/S Fried summarized his recent meetings in the
Balkans and expressed the belief that the Kosovars will not
make a unilateral declaration for the time being. The U.S.
is committed to working with the EU on this issue and is not
giving up on the UNSCR. Mira Gomes noted the need to achieve
unity both within the EU and between the EU and the U.S. A/S
Fried noted that if Russia maintains its hard-line posture,
another solution must be found.

Comment
--------------

9. (C) Mira Gomes' announcement that the Portuguese are
actively considering leading an OMLT is welcome. We have
pressed the Portuguese to increase their contributions in
Afghanistan, but the number and size of Portugal's overseas
deployments, coupled with an austerity budget, had previously
led the Portuguese to decline.
Hoffman