Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MOSCOW818
2009-04-01 12:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Moscow
Cable title:  

MFA DISCUSSES AFGHANISTAN WITH DAS MOON

Tags:  PGOV PREL EAID MARR AF RS 
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FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2649
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MOSCOW 000818 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID MARR AF RS
SUBJECT: MFA DISCUSSES AFGHANISTAN WITH DAS MOON

REF: A. STATE 29482

B. MOSCOW 746

Classified By: Political M/C Alice G. Wells for reasons 1.4 (b/d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MOSCOW 000818

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID MARR AF RS
SUBJECT: MFA DISCUSSES AFGHANISTAN WITH DAS MOON

REF: A. STATE 29482

B. MOSCOW 746

Classified By: Political M/C Alice G. Wells for reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (C) Summary: MFA Second Asia Director Aleksandr Maryasov
and SCA DAS Moon covered a range of Afghan-related issues
during a March 26 meeting held on the eve of U.S.
participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's
(SCO) Conference on Afghanistan. Maryasov said that FM
Lavrov would be an active participant in The Hague conference
on Afghanistan, which complemented the SCO initiative to
assist Afghan stabilization. He asked that ISAF expand its
fight against narcotics trafficking, and confirmed that the
GOR was considering an Afghan Ministry of Interior request to
provide AK-47s. The GOR is pleased with the effectiveness of
the NATO transit agreement, but concerned that a lack of
capacity on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border could delay
future shipments. Russia is interested in improving the rail
yards near the border, as well as rehabilitating Soviet-built
infrastructure in Afghanistan, if international funding could
be identified. The GOR is not opposed in principle to UNSCR
1267 delisting of Taliban, but cannot agree to do so based
upon what it considers unconvincing evidence, and is
concerned that a real successor to Karzai has not emerged.
Russia is not planning a special initiative to consult with
Iran on Afghanistan, and agrees with the U.S. that additional
regional actors can play a positive role in stabilizing the
country. End summary.

The Hague Conference
--------------


2. (C) MFA Second Asia (South Asia) Department Director
Aleksandr Maryasov told SCA DAS Moon on March 26 that the GOR
appreciated what it considered a U.S. initiative to hold an
international conference on Afghanistan at The Hague on March
31, and pledged that FM Lavrov would "participate actively."
Conferences such as those at The Hague and the March 27 SCO
conference in Moscow helped focus attention and resources
toward Afghan stabilization (septel). Maryasov expressed
appreciation for Moon's preview of the President's March 27

announcement of the results of the Afghanistan-Pakistan
Strategic Review. Moon explained that further details would
be provided by the Secretary at The Hague conference. (Note:
We passed the MFA the ref A white paper on March 27.)
Maryasov and Moon agreed that there currently existed a more
favorable atmosphere for real cooperation on Afghanistan,
with Moon adding that the new policy laid out in the
Strategic Review held out the prospect of decisive results in
three to five years.

Can ISAF Fight Narcotics?
--------------


3. (C) Maryasov reiterated Russian concern with narcotics
trafficking in Afghanistan, stressing that to fight
extremists and not narcotics would be a "half task." He said
that the GOR understood that the Afghan army and police could
not sufficiently address the narcotics problem and asked what
more ISAF could do. Moon explained that legal issues
complicated using military forces for law enforcement
purposes, but ISAF had been directed to tackle narcotics
trafficking where it was linked to the insurgency.


4. (C) Maryasov explained that Russia and Afghanistan signed
an intergovernmental agreement to fight narcotics trafficking
during FM Lavrov's March 16 Kabul visit, and both sides
agreed to continue using the GOR's Domodedovo facility to
provide counter-narcotics training to Afghan officials.
Maryasov reiterated that Russia had agreed to reconsider its
opposition to two OSCE projects to train Afghan and Central
Asian border and counter-narcotics officials in Afghanistan,
but would wait until after the August election to determine
if the security situation would allow these projects to go
forward. Moon encouraged the GOR to support the two
programs, adding that Washington was ready to work with
Moscow to address Russian concerns.

Russian Arms to Afghanistan
--------------


5. (C) Maryasov confirmed that Russia was considering a
request passed to Lavrov by MinInt Atmar to provide the
Afghan National Police with AK-47s and other equipment

MOSCOW 00000818 002 OF 003


(reftel). The MFA was looking to the Russian MOD or MOI for
possible financing for the weapons, but cutbacks in ministry
budgets would make any donation of military equipment "a
problem." Maryasov reiterated that the MOD preferred that
arms be supplied to the Afghans on a commercial basis. When
Moon stressed that most weapons and military supplies were
donated to the Afghans, and that he knew of no initiative to
begin purchasing weapons, Maryasov replied that the GOR might
consider some donations but a "more considerable amount"
could be supplied through sales. Moon encouraged the GOR to
coordinate the supply of AK-47s or other weapons to the
Afghans through CSTC-A in Kabul, which would ensure that the
weapons were properly stored and used.

Transit Agreement
--------------


6. (C) Maryasov said that the GOR understood there were
"practically no problems" in the flow of ISAF-bound supplies
through Russia and Kazakhstan, but there were problems on the
Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border where the rail facilities
between Termez and Hairaton were insufficient for moving
large numbers of containers. Russian railways officials were
aware of the problem and ready to construct new facilities at
Hairaton if funding was made available. Maryasov did not
indicate whether Russia would be willing to provide any
financing for such work as part of its contribution to
Afghanistan.

Infrastructure Rehabilitation
--------------


7. (C) Maryasov argued that Russia could render technical
assistance to the rehabilitation of Soviet-built
infrastructure in Afghanistan "cheaper and better" than other
countries. He identified the Salang Tunnel, a hydro-electric
plant on the Salang River, and factories and a grain elevator
in the Kabul region as possible projects for Russian
involvement. Maryasov suggested that Russian construction
companies be linked-up with USAID either in Moscow or Kabul,
but gave no indication that Russia would provide any funding
for these projects.

National Reconciliation/Elections
--------------


8. (C) DAS Moon told Maryasov that the U.S. appreciated
recent statements by GOR officials in support of the
reconciliation of moderate Taliban with the government in
Kabul. He stressed that the U.S. saw the UNSCR 1267 process
as a useful tool to promote this process so long as it
remained flexible, and raised recent Russian opposition to
delisting several individuals despite the supply of
additional information on them by the British. Maryasov
responded that Russia was not against delisting, but would
only support delisting based upon "truthful and convincing"
information, which, he maintained, was not the case with the
British information.


9. (C) Maryasov characterized the Afghan presidential
election as the "most important event" in the stabilization
of the country, and reiterated Russian concern with the gap
between Karzai's current term in office and that of the next
President. He explained that the international community
must help the Afghans find a compromise and not allow the
extremists to use this as an opportunity to advance their
goals, a message FM Lavrov gave to Karzai and the leaders of
both houses of Parliament during his recent visit (reftel).
Maryasov expressed the GOR concern that there did not appear
any "strong figures" to take over the Presidency. Karzai had
made many mistakes, and proven himself ineffective, but at
least had experience and tried to listen to the opposition in
Parliament.

Working with Iran in Afghanistan
--------------


10. (C) Maryasov said press reports that Russia would use the
occasion of the SCO conference on Afghanistan to hold
trilateral Russia-India-Iran consultations to address the
threat of terrorism in Afghanistan were inaccurate. He
explained that Russia consulted with India on
counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan and elsewhere
through their CT working group, and also consulted less
formally with Iran on these saQ issues. The Iranians had

MOSCOW 00000818 003 OF 003


urged the GOR to create a mechanism to combat terrorism in
Afghanistan, but, Maryasov explained, the GOR responded that
there currently existed such a mechanism, ISAF, and we should
support its initiatives in Afghanistan.


11. (C) Maryasov and Moon agreed that other countries could
play a positive role in regional efforts to stabilize
Afghanistan, with Moon highlighting the joint
Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran counter-narcotics operation in
Baluchistan as a positive sign. Maryasov pointed to the
Turkish initiative to help Afghanistan and Pakistan stabilize
their border as another positive effort.


12. (U) DAS Moon has cleared this cable.
BEYRLE