DEMARCHE ON JIRGA PREPARATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 093926

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2017
TAGS: PGOV PK PREL PTER AF
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON JIRGA PREPARATIONS


Classified By: A/S Richard A. Boucher Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. This is an action request. Please see para 4.


2. (C) Proposed dates for the Afghanistan-Pakistan
Crossborder Peace Jirga are less than four weeks away.
Washington remains concerned that the two sides have not
come to agreement on several key outstanding issues. It
was hoped that the Bilateral Technical Committee would
meet in Kabul the last week of June to address the
outstanding questions, but it still has not met.


3. (C) Outstanding issues include:

--Date of the jirga - the Afghan Commission
Secretariat confirms that they still consider July 28 as

SIPDIS
the target start date

--Duration of the jirga

--List of representatives from each country

--Agreed upon outcome for the jirga


4. (C) Action Request: Drawing on the background above,
Embassies Kabul and Islamabad are requested to deliver
demarches at the highest appropriate level urging:

--That the Technical Committee meet next week.

--That they reach agreement on
date, duration, participation, and anticipated outcome.

--That both parties aim for a simple, principled
declaration as the outcome.
RICE