Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08MOSCOW2687
2008-09-08 13:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Moscow
Cable title:
RUSSIA WANTS TO CONTINUE COOPERATION ON AFGHANISTAN
how-toVZCZCXRO7678 PP RUEHPW DE RUEHMO #2687 2521359 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 081359Z SEP 08 FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9887 INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 002687
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID MARR AF GG RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA WANTS TO CONTINUE COOPERATION ON AFGHANISTAN
REF: A. MOSCOW 1868
B. STATE 93225
C. MOSCOW 1927
Classified By: Political M/C Alice G. Wells for reasons 1.4 (b/d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 002687
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID MARR AF GG RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA WANTS TO CONTINUE COOPERATION ON AFGHANISTAN
REF: A. MOSCOW 1868
B. STATE 93225
C. MOSCOW 1927
Classified By: Political M/C Alice G. Wells for reasons 1.4 (b/d).
1. (C) MFA Afghan Desk Chief Yuri Kholkhov told us on
September 5 that the GOR wanted to continue cooperating with
the U.S. and NATO on achieving stability in Afghanistan, an
issue that was too important to be sidetracked by tensions
over Georgia. Kholkhov explained that there was a consensus
within the GOR on supporting NATO's mission in Afghanistan,
but said that he could not predict the future of such
sentiment on the Russian side should U.S.-Russia relations
"take a turn for the worse." Most Russian officials did not
want to see a further deterioration in relations, but there
were "hard-liners" who could use whatever punitive measures
Washington might decide to take against Moscow as an excuse
to derail any chance of cooperation on Afghanistan or other
issues.
2. (C) Kholkhov said that the ISAF transit agreement would
remain in force, despite press reports that Russian
Ambassador to NATO Rogozin and Ambassador to Afghanistan
Kabulov said that the agreement should be nullified.
Kholkhov also said that the Russian offer to provide military
assistance to the Afghan National Army (ANA) was still on the
table, and asked that the U.S. consider the GOR's standing
request to send a small delegation to Washington in
September. The GOR would like the meeting agenda to include
the details of the military aid package, discussion of a
Russian role in the rehabilitation of Afghanistan's
Soviet-era infrastructure, and provide the GOR an opportunity
to present its concern with Afghanistan's political
reconciliation process and upcoming elections (ref A).
3. (C) We provided the non-paper on expanding the size of the
ANA to Kholkhov, who reiterated that Russia supported this
goal (refs B and C). He asked if the proposed multi-donor
trust fund to support funding for sustainment of the ANA
could be used to finance arms purchases, which would dovetail
with the Russian proposal for a percentage of the arms the
GOR would send the ANA to be provided through commercial
transactions (ref A).
BEYRLE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID MARR AF GG RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA WANTS TO CONTINUE COOPERATION ON AFGHANISTAN
REF: A. MOSCOW 1868
B. STATE 93225
C. MOSCOW 1927
Classified By: Political M/C Alice G. Wells for reasons 1.4 (b/d).
1. (C) MFA Afghan Desk Chief Yuri Kholkhov told us on
September 5 that the GOR wanted to continue cooperating with
the U.S. and NATO on achieving stability in Afghanistan, an
issue that was too important to be sidetracked by tensions
over Georgia. Kholkhov explained that there was a consensus
within the GOR on supporting NATO's mission in Afghanistan,
but said that he could not predict the future of such
sentiment on the Russian side should U.S.-Russia relations
"take a turn for the worse." Most Russian officials did not
want to see a further deterioration in relations, but there
were "hard-liners" who could use whatever punitive measures
Washington might decide to take against Moscow as an excuse
to derail any chance of cooperation on Afghanistan or other
issues.
2. (C) Kholkhov said that the ISAF transit agreement would
remain in force, despite press reports that Russian
Ambassador to NATO Rogozin and Ambassador to Afghanistan
Kabulov said that the agreement should be nullified.
Kholkhov also said that the Russian offer to provide military
assistance to the Afghan National Army (ANA) was still on the
table, and asked that the U.S. consider the GOR's standing
request to send a small delegation to Washington in
September. The GOR would like the meeting agenda to include
the details of the military aid package, discussion of a
Russian role in the rehabilitation of Afghanistan's
Soviet-era infrastructure, and provide the GOR an opportunity
to present its concern with Afghanistan's political
reconciliation process and upcoming elections (ref A).
3. (C) We provided the non-paper on expanding the size of the
ANA to Kholkhov, who reiterated that Russia supported this
goal (refs B and C). He asked if the proposed multi-donor
trust fund to support funding for sustainment of the ANA
could be used to finance arms purchases, which would dovetail
with the Russian proposal for a percentage of the arms the
GOR would send the ANA to be provided through commercial
transactions (ref A).
BEYRLE