EAPC PLAYS A FULL HOUSE: FIRST MEETING AT 49 ON

UNCLAS USNATO 000019 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR MOPS NATO PREL EAPC SUBJECT: EAPC PLAYS A FULL HOUSE: FIRST MEETING AT 49 ON JANUARY 10 PREVIEWING THE PRESIDENT'S IRAQ POLICY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Ambassador Nuland provided the January 10 Ambassadorial Session of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) with a meaty preview of President Bush,s address on the way forward on Iraq, based on an oral briefing provided by the NSC. EAPC Ambassadors welcomed the gesture to bring real consultation to the forum and took careful note of her presentation, no one asked questions. NEW PARTNERS TAKE THEIR PLACES -------------- ¶2. (SBU) NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and EAPC representatives welcomed Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH), Montenegro, and Serbia to the first EAPC Ambassadorial meeting held "at 49." BiH Ambassador to Brussels Sven Alkalaj, Montenegrin Head of Mission to the EU Slavic Milacic, and Serbian Special Envoy to NATO Branislav Milinkovic each took the floor in response. In his remarks, Milinkovic acknowledged Serbia,s unfulfilled obligations to arrest and deliver Persons Indicted for War Crimes to the Hague. Nine Allied and twelve Partner representatives intervened to welcome the three new Balkan Partners to the EAPC forum. Norway and Balkans-area Allies and Partners were particularly effusive in their remarks, while other Allies stressed the need for the new Partner nations to press ahead with defense reforms and meet the other obligations of Partnership. UZBEKISTAN IS BACK -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Uzbekistan,s chair was also occupied for the first time in 18 months. Charge Karomidin Gadoev reported that following the visit to Tashkent of the SecGen,s Special Envoy to Central Asia and the Caucasus Robert Simmons the month before, Uzbekistan had decided to resume its cooperation with the Alliance gradually, participating in committees open to Partner nations, and eventually "resuming the level of cooperation of April 2005." (Uzbekistan adopted an "empty chair" policy following NATO criticism of Tashkent,s handling of the events in Andijon in May 2005 that led to hundreds of civilian deaths. Gadoev,s reference to resuming the earlier level of cooperation appears to indicate that it will resume its Individual Partnership Action Plan ) IPAP ) if things go well with NATO. There was no mention of offering its Termez airfield to support Allied operations in Afghanistan.) COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Assistant Secretary General for Defense Policy and Planning John Colston provided the EAPC a review of practical aspects of implementation of NATO Policy on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (CTHB). Implementation of the CTBH policy, which was developed under U.S. and Norwegian leadership and approved by Allies and Partners at the 2004 Riga Summit, has proceeded in accordance with U.S. guidance, but continues to be debated in NATO,s Political-Military Steering Committee. After another round of discussion, based on EAPC comments and on late revisions requested by Turkey, the implementation report will be submitted to the NAC for approval. NULAND