NO PROGRESS ON TRANSPORTING INDIAN WHEAT DONATION TO

UNCLAS KABUL 000873 DEPT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/RA, AND SCA/A DEPT PASS FOR AID/ANE DEPT PASS USTR FOR DELANEY AND DEANGELIS DEPT PASS OPIC DEPT PASS FOR TDA FOR STEIN AND GREENIP USOECD FOR ENERGY ATTACHE CENTCOM FOR CSTC-A NSC FOR JWOOD TREASURY FOR MHIRSON, ABAUKOL, AWELLER, AND MNUGENT COMMERCE FOR DEES, CHOPPIN, AND FONOVICH SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958 N/A TAGS: EAGR EAID ETRD ELTN PREL AF PK ID SUBJECT: NO PROGRESS ON TRANSPORTING INDIAN WHEAT DONATION TO AFGHANISTAN REF: A) State 22965 B) Kabul 505 ¶1. (SBU) EconCouns presented ref A demarche to Commerce Minister Shahrani, Deputy Commerce Minister Farhady, and Agriculture Minister Rahimi. The consistent reply from all three was that the Afghans are making no progress is securing Pakistani cooperation on transshipping the Indian wheat donation through Pakistan. As Rahimi put it, "When we solve one problem, they [the GOP] raise another." They said the GIRoA has essentially given up on persuading the GOP to cooperate and is now focused on transshipment through Iran. ¶2. (SBU) We urged Afghan officials to consider the option of milling the wheat into flour, to address Pakistani phyto-sanitary concerns. The GIRoA would prefer to receive the Indian donation as grain, not flour, because they want to build up reserves, and grain can be stored longer than flour. While officials agreed to consider our suggestion, they do not see stated Pakistani health concerns as the main issue. ¶3. (SBU) Afghan officials said they are considering shipping at least 80,000 tons of the donation through the Iranian port of Chabahar. Positive aspects of this option are that the Indian and Iranian governments support it, and Afghan trucks would be allowed to transport the grain from Chabahar. Negative aspects are that it costs more (estimated $20 million vs $12 million for transshipment through Pakistan; GIRoA must absorb the transport cost whatever the route),takes longer than the Pakistan option should take, and leaves the grain in western Afghanistan, a long and insecure haul from eastern population centers. Afghan officials admitted to all these drawbacks but said the Iran option is now the only feasible one available. RICCIARDONE