LUXEMBOURG EXCEEDS USG REQUEST FOR AFGHAN NATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L LUXEMBOURG 000098 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/A TOM REOTT DEPT FOR EUR/RPM AARON COPE E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2019 TAGS: NATO PREL MOPS MARR AF LU SUBJECT: LUXEMBOURG EXCEEDS USG REQUEST FOR AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY REF: A. STATE 31102 ¶B. 08 LUXEMBOURG 244 ¶C. 08 LUXEMBOURG 300 ¶D. 08 LUXEMBOURG 66 Classified By: A/Political-Economic Chief, Adam Center, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Luxembourg announced on 31 March a five-year annual contribution of $5.4 million to the Afghan National Army (ANA),fulfilling a pledge made by Minister of Defense Schiltz to SecDef Gates in October 2008 and exceeding the USG ask for $4 million annually. Foreign Minister Asselborn announced an additional $3.4 million in development aid to Afghanistan, through the UN Development Plan. Prime Minister Juncker also announced an additional 75,000 Euro (approximately $100 thousand) contribution to the Afghan presidential elections in August 2009. Asselborn repeated the GoL position that there would be no increase in Luxembourg troop commitments to Afghanistan at this time. The GoL has expressed a willingness to work with the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) At the 31 March Afghanistan Conference in The Hague, Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn announced Luxembourg's $5.4 million annual pledge over five years (2010-2014) to the Afghan National Army. The four million EURO pledge exceeds the USG ask of four million DOLLARS made through numerous demarches and pledged by Minister of Defense Schiltz to Secretary Gates during an October 2008 Pentagon meeting (refs b and c). MoD officials informed Post on 31 March that the first tranche of this multi-year donation was already deposited with SHAPE. Post has confirmed with Ministry of Defense officials that the donation is indeed for four million euros, not dollars, as we requested. ¶3. (C) Also at The Hague, Asselborn announced an additional 2.5 million euro contribution (approximately $3.4 million) towards development aid. According to the GoL, this contribution is part of an ongoing yearly contribution, channeled through the UN Development Program. In response to ref a demarche, the GoL has expressed a willingness to engage with Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and is exploring future funding possibilities. Prime Minister Juncker separately announced an additional 75,000 euro contribution on 2 April to the August presidential elections. ¶4. (SBU) Asselborn reiterated on 31 March the GoL's position that an increase in its troop presence in Afghanistan is out of the question. The GoL presently maintains a contingent of nine troops embedded with a larger Belgian contingent at Kabul Airport. Ministry of Defense officials have repeatedly told us that the GoL just does not have the manpower or resources to contribute to an OMLT at this time but hopes to be able to once military transformation within Luxembourg has progressed sufficiently. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Getting the GoL to contribute to the ANA has been one of Post's top priorities, and we were pleased with Minister Schiltz's pledge to Secretary Gates in October ¶2008. The higher contribution announced in The Hague, however, signals the GoL's willingness to place Afghanistan at or near the top of its priority list. We are gratified by Luxembourg's initiative. Our efforts to persuade the GoL to offer up police mentors, as they are doing in Kosovo, are ongoing (ref d). END COMMENT. KRAFT