SINGAPORE,S EVOLVING COOPERATION WITH NATO, THEIR

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000050 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2017 TAGS: NATO PGOV MARR PREL SN AF SUBJECT: SINGAPORE,S EVOLVING COOPERATION WITH NATO, THEIR EMBASSY,S VIEW Classified By: CDA Richard Olson, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C/NF) Summary: Singapore,s DCM in Brussels confirmed Singapore is considering an increased yet modest contribution to ISAF in the summer months of 2008. He has also been asking cautious questions about what opportunities could derive from deeper Singapore-NATO cooperation. He implied information sharing might influence the outcome. End summary. ¶2. (C/NF) In the wake of Singapore,s formal recognition by NATO as an ISAF Non-NATO Contributing nation, CDA met February 08 with Singaporean DCM Joseph Teo to encourage greater contributions to Afghanistan and to gauge Singaporean interest in further deepening its relationship with NATO. ¶3. (C/NF) Teo explained that Singapore,s decision to sign participation, financial, and security assurance agreements with NATO had been aimed at facilitating its 2007 contribution. However, bureaucratic delays had meant the agreement was actually concluded too late, well after Singapore,s contribution of a 5-person dental team and 5-person engineering team had returned to Singapore. Now, armed with the necessary legal documentation, Singapore is considering increasing the size of a summer 2008 contribution, possibly consisting of engineers for Bamiyan and Uruzgan. ¶4. (C/NF) Teo said Singapore is focused on three information needs when considering its next steps on NATO/Afghanistan: -- The Singaporean Ministry of Defense, particularly the military, is interested in detailed information on NATO,s strategic direction and plans for Afghanistan, information which could help them with their own analysis on if or how they might contribute. -- The military is interested in intelligence sharing that could assist with force-protection planning. -- The Foreign Office is pondering what to do with Singapore,s invitation to attend the Afghanistan Contributors, meeting at the April 2-4 NATO Summit in Bucharest. They are unsure of the level at which Singapore should be represented, and are interested in detailed information about the agenda and the issues that will be discussed there. ¶5. (C/NF) Teo asked several questions about NATO,s approach to its Global Partners, queries that indicated he has been following the topic and that he is looking for positive information on NATO partnerships that he can feed to his superiors at home. He also solicited information on NATO,s structures and programs for cooperation for partners. CDA hinted that Bucharest would be a good venue for Singapore to become a Global Partner if interested. While he made no commitments, Teo did seem interested in the possibility of Singapore assuming a relationship with NATO similar to that of Australia, Japan, ROK and New Zealand. Teo asked to keep in close working contact with USNATO. ¶6. (C/NF) Comment: USNATO will continue to encourage greater contributions to Afghanistan from Singapore, as well as a deepening of its relationship with NATO. End comment. OLSON