Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08UNVIEVIENNA478
2008-08-27 15:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
UNVIE
Cable title:
FRIENDS OF AFGHANISTAN TAKES SHAPE IN PREPARATORY MEETING
how-toVZCZCXYZ0009 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHUNV #0478 2401512 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 271512Z AUG 08 FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8353 INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1313 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0238 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0207 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0847 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0990 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0332 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0562 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0574 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 0175 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0676 RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 0038 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 0063 RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0102 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0754 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0189 RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEHNA/DEA WASHDC
UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000478
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR UN AF FR UK IT CA AS NL GM DA NO TU RS PK
SUBJECT: FRIENDS OF AFGHANISTAN TAKES SHAPE IN PREPARATORY MEETING
REF: STATE 091864
UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000478
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR UN AF FR UK IT CA AS NL GM DA NO TU RS PK
SUBJECT: FRIENDS OF AFGHANISTAN TAKES SHAPE IN PREPARATORY MEETING
REF: STATE 091864
1. (U) Representatives from Afghanistan, France, Italy, U.K., and
U.S. met at the Italian mission in Vienna on August 27 to discuss
the structure and format of the proposed "Friends of Afghanistan"
group. Charge delivered guidance points from reftel, which were
well received across the board.
2. (U) All participants agreed with our position that the Friends
should be an informal forum with no secretariat or rotating
officers, and all accepted the membership of Sweden, given its role
as co-chair of the Working Group on Finance and Governance and
status as a Major Donor.
3. (SBU) Afghanistan Charge Wahid Monawar noted his desire to limit
membership to major donors and troop-contributing countries. The
U.K. agreed that initial discussions should focus on supply
reduction, but wants to leave the door open to discuss demand
reduction and other issues as needed in future sessions. France
again pressed to expand the scope of the group's discussions beyond
UNODC to the activities of other Vienna-based organizations active
in Afghanistan, but their proposal was not accepted by the others.
All agreed that the involvement of Russia would be a distraction at
this stage.
4. (U) Italy was tasked to develop a short terms of reference to be
shared with others in the group. The first meeting of the Friends
of Afghanistan will take place on Sept. 17 at the UN with
participation by UNODC Executive Director Costa.
PYATT
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR UN AF FR UK IT CA AS NL GM DA NO TU RS PK
SUBJECT: FRIENDS OF AFGHANISTAN TAKES SHAPE IN PREPARATORY MEETING
REF: STATE 091864
1. (U) Representatives from Afghanistan, France, Italy, U.K., and
U.S. met at the Italian mission in Vienna on August 27 to discuss
the structure and format of the proposed "Friends of Afghanistan"
group. Charge delivered guidance points from reftel, which were
well received across the board.
2. (U) All participants agreed with our position that the Friends
should be an informal forum with no secretariat or rotating
officers, and all accepted the membership of Sweden, given its role
as co-chair of the Working Group on Finance and Governance and
status as a Major Donor.
3. (SBU) Afghanistan Charge Wahid Monawar noted his desire to limit
membership to major donors and troop-contributing countries. The
U.K. agreed that initial discussions should focus on supply
reduction, but wants to leave the door open to discuss demand
reduction and other issues as needed in future sessions. France
again pressed to expand the scope of the group's discussions beyond
UNODC to the activities of other Vienna-based organizations active
in Afghanistan, but their proposal was not accepted by the others.
All agreed that the involvement of Russia would be a distraction at
this stage.
4. (U) Italy was tasked to develop a short terms of reference to be
shared with others in the group. The first meeting of the Friends
of Afghanistan will take place on Sept. 17 at the UN with
participation by UNODC Executive Director Costa.
PYATT