MONTENEGRO'S PARLIAMENT ENDORSES DEPLOYMENT OF MEDICAL TEAM

UNCLAS PODGORICA 000001

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/SCE AND EUR/RPM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS MW
SUBJECT: MONTENEGRO'S PARLIAMENT ENDORSES DEPLOYMENT OF MEDICAL TEAM
TO ISAF

REF: (A) 08 PODGORICA 289 AND PREVIOUS (B) 08 STATE 83856


1. (SBU) On 17 December, the Montenegrin Parliament voted to
authorize deployment of a three-person medical team to join NATO
forces in Afghanistan. The doctor and two medical assistants
will receive preparatory training in Macedonia prior to
deploying in March. They will then link up with other Adriatic
Charter member countries participating in ISAF, as part of a
medical unit attached to a Czech military hospital in Kabul.




2. (U) Defense Minister Vucinic, addressing the Parliament on
the day of the vote, explained that Montenegro's participation
in the UN-sanctioned mission in Afghanistan demonstrates that
Montenegro is a reliable international actor and partner.
Opposition members of Parliament criticized the decision,
however, arguing that the GoM is risking the lives of its
military personnel, with little direct benefit to Montenegro.
While not responding directly to the opposition, senior GoM
officials, including Minister Vucinic in interviews with
television and print journalists, have publicly elaborated the
benefits for Montenegro of closer ties to NATO. They emphasized
in particular NATO's importance to overall integration with
Europe and to boosting the confidence of foreign investors in
Montenegro's long term stability.


3. (SBU) In a conversation with DCM on 23 December, the Deputy
Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs emphasized that the GoM
views deployments to ISAF as a top priority for 2009. They were
encouraged by NATO Force Planning Director Frank Boland's
comments to the local daily Vijesti saying that deploying
Montenegrin units to Afghanistan would send an important signal
to NATO in advance of the Strasbourg summit. (At the same time,
Boland said he could not predict how members would respond to
Montenegro's request to join MAP.)


4. (SBU) The Deputy MoD added that the Ministry is intent on
moving ahead with plans to train, equip and deploy infantry
units in 2009. He said he would like to see combat training
start in January to prepare the first of two platoons for
deployment in the fall. If the training does in fact get
underway in January, he said, it is possible the GoM could seek
the requisite parliamentary authorization as early as March.
He confirmed that this would require only a simple majority to
pass. However, a senior Montenegrin military official told
our DATT on 29 December that it was his understanding that the
GoM will not request parliamentary authorization for further
deployments until after rumored pre-term parliamentary
elections. (Note: Local media have speculated about elections
in late March or early April, after PM Milo Djukanovic said
publicly on December 26 that the ruling Democratic Party of
Socialists is considering early elections. As part of an
October 2007 compromise over Montenegro's new Constitution,
parliamentary elections were supposed to be held in the fall of
this year, rather than in fall 2010 as originally scheduled.)


5. (SBU) Comment: The parliamentary debate over the deployment
of the medical team is a warm-up for the sharper clash likely
when the GoM announces plans to deploy infantry units. One
argument the GoM plans to make is that its soldiers are
receiving thorough training and modern equipment, which will
enhance their effectiveness and minimize the risk of casualties.
The USG must be ready to deliver quickly on its train and equip
commitment, both to help the GoM make the case to Parliament and
subsequently to ensure the deployment goes without a hitch,
thereby strengthening the GoM's effort to build support for NATO
among the citizens of Montenegro. End Comment.

KONTOS