RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAY 6-7 TRILATERAL

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000844 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ETRD EAID MOPS PK SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAY 6-7 TRILATERAL ¶1. (SBU) Based on Washington's draft agenda, Post recommends the following format and Pakistani participants for the U.S.-Afghanistan-Pakistan tri-lateral meetings scheduled for May 6-7 in Washington. We will follow up, as requested, with suggestions on deliverables. Foreign Policy Session - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (SBU) Post recommends this session, chaired by Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Holbrooke, be sub-divided into: --Update on the U.S. Strategic Review and multilateral engagement (FM Qureshi and all participants) --Political-military affairs coordination: updates on counterterrorism and COIN operations, cross border attacks (Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Balochistan),the next Pak-Afghan grand jirga. (Defense Minister Mukhtar, Director General of Military Operations MG Javed Iqbal) --Economic issues: transit trade, the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA),coordination after the recent Donors' Conference. (Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen, Commerce Minister Amin Faheem) --Wrap-up, strategic communications, Congressional outreach. (all participants) Border Security Session - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (SBU) Post recommends this session focus on border security from a law enforcement framework. This discussion would focus on civilian law enforcement, including equipment needs and training opportunities, counternarcotics, cross-border immigration/customs controls, and challenges of ensuring security for expanding trade. We should seek improved cooperation/coordination and cross-training, particularly between the Afghan Border Police and the Frontier Corps (FC) stationed in NWFP/FATA and Balochistan. (Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Tariq Khosa, NWFP Inspector General of Police Malik Naveed, Balochistan Inspector General of Police Asif Nawaz, and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Ahmed Waqar.) Agriculture/Water/Energy Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. (SBU) We recommend this session be expanded to include issues of water and energy. The delegations would discuss broad trade policies, synergies for increased agricultural cross-border trade, tariffs on agricultural products that make processing and re-export prohibitive, science and technology training, and adjustments of regulatory frameworks to expand trade, shared water issues (such as Afghanistan's proposed hydro-electric power project on the Kabul River), and the proposed energy corridors through the region, such as CASA 1000. (Pakistan's Food and Agriculture Minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf) Intelligence Session - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (SBU) We understand the objectives are being drafted in Washington. (ISI Director General LTG Ahmed Shuja Pasha) Invitations - - - - - - ¶6. (SBU) Post requests Washington concurrence with the proposed participant recommendations so we quickly can extend invitations and obtain visas. Please advise on how many staff could be included with the principals for these trilateral meetings. FEIERSTEIN