ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR REQUESTS U.S. PREFERENCES FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000608 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2017 TAGS: NATO PGOV MARR PREL AM PINR AF SUBJECT: ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR REQUESTS U.S. PREFERENCES FOR AN ISAF CONTRIBUTION REF: SECDEF WASHDC 241406Z OCT 07 Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 4. ¶2. (C) On November 14 Armenian Ambassador to NATO Samvel Mkrtchian called on Ambassador Nuland to discuss possible Armenian contributions to ISAF. Mkrtchian said Armenian PM Serzh Sargsyan had been strongly encouraged by SECDEF Gates and others on October 18 to contribute to ISAF, and SECDEF had undertaken to task his staff to provide Yerevan with specific suggestions. Mkrtchian said Armenia would welcome these U.S. suggestions. He shared that Armenia is already in ongoing talks about a possible contribution to the Czech PRT to be deployed to Logar in Spring 2008. ¶3. (C) Ambassador Nuland reminded Mkrtchian that there will be a meeting for Allies and contributors to Afghanistan at the Bucharest Summit in early April 2008. She suggested Yerevan consider contributing early enough to earn an invitation to Bucharest. Mkrtchian agreed to look more closely at Armenia's deployable capabilities. ¶4. (C) Action request: USNATO requests guidance on U.S. thinking about where and with what the Armenians could best contribute to ISAF. We note the Czech Delegation to NATO says Prague is not/not enthusiastic about adding Armenians in Logar. NULAND