LATVIAN VIEWS ON AFGHANISTAN AND KOSOVO

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000055 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2017 TAGS: MOPS PREL NATO YI AF LG SUBJECT: LATVIAN VIEWS ON AFGHANISTAN AND KOSOVO REF: A) STATE 4834 B) STATE 5652 Classified By: Ambassador Catherine Todd Bailey. Reason: 1.4 (d) ¶1. (C) Ambassador met Foreign Minister Pabriks January 18 to discuss points in reftels on Afghanistan and Kosovo. Pabriks asserted that Latvia remained committed to sending additional troops to ISAF, although the Ministry of Defense was still working on when it would be possible to get additional troops into theater. He said he was fully on board on Kosovo policy, as outlined by the Ambassador. We understand that on the basis of our approach, Latvia has resumed its search for an appropriate trainer to send to Afghanistan as part of the NATO-Russia Council's counter narcotics project. ¶2. (C) Defense Attache explored Afghanistan policy in greater detail with MOD officials. Latvia will develop this spring a comprehensive, interagency strategy for Afghanistan, looking at how it can best make use of its limited resources there. The envisioned deployment of an additional company to ISAF is limited by currently high operational tempo and the need to partner with another nation for logistical support and may be delayed until early 2008. However, Latvia will look to increase its contribution to ISAF this year to 72 personnel by summer (up from the current 36). In addition to CN trainers as noted above, Latvia is also looking to contribute funds (roughly 50,000 USD) to development projects in the area around Maymana where it currently serves in the Norwegian PRT. ¶3. (C) Separately, Latvian Poldir Ilgvars Klava underscored to Pol/Econ chief that Latvia did not support further delays in the Kosovo status process, saying that delay would only lead to instability there, further stretching an already strained alliance. He added that Latvia would likely participate in the ESDP security mission in either Afghanistan or Kosovo, but not both. Once the EU had full plans for both missions, Latvia would decide which was the better fit. BAILEY