INVITATION FOR HOST NATIONS TO SOUTH EAST EUROPE

UNCLAS STATE 023809 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM MASS AL BK BU HR KV MK MW SI ZL SUBJECT: INVITATION FOR HOST NATIONS TO SOUTH EAST EUROPE REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON STOCKPILE REDUCTION REF: A. 2008 CDRUSEUCOM 12010907 ¶B. STATE 2919 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraphs 2-6. ¶2. (U) Summary and Action Request. The idea for a regional approach to the common challenge of excess munitions disposal first emerged at the September 2008 Adriatic Charter Chiefs of Defense Conference. Recognizing the potential benefits of regional dialogue and coordination on this issue, the Department of State will host a workshop on May 5-7, 2009 in Zagreb, Croatia aimed at launching the "Regional Approach to Stockpile Reduction" (RASR) in South East Europe. Posts are requested to extend invitations to host governments. End Summary. OBJECTIVES/ACTION REQUEST ¶3. (U) Posts are requested to undertake the following: -- Extend invitation to the host nation MOD and General Staff on Embassy letterhead, using the text in para 11 and providing the concept paper, agenda, administrative details, hotel reservation form, and workshop registration form that will be sent via email. Foreign Ministries should be provided copies. -- Coordinate with host government to determine which three host nation officials will attend the workshop. While the MOD and General Staff should each send one representative, the third representative may come from any government agency the host nation interlocutors believe appropriate. The ideal invitees will have responsibility for stockpile management and reduction policy, as well as the ability to discuss these issues in English. However, if governments' workshop participants do not speak English, inform them that they should make their own arrangements for simultaneous translation. --For Embassies Belgrade, Sofia, and Tirana: Host government officials should be asked to give a brief presentation in English on the impact of unstable munitions explosions (see paragraph 4). --For Embassies Ljubljana, Podgorica, and Sarajevo: Host government officials should be asked to give a brief presentation in English on their countries' policies and plans for stockpile security and reduction (see paragraph 5). -- Encourage participants to register for the workshop as soon as possible, and to plan on arriving in Zagreb in time to attend the opening reception on Tuesday evening, May 5. -- Inform participants that they must pay for their travel and lodging. The USG will cover all administrative costs of the workshop (workshop venue, technical support, coffee breaks and working lunches, and the icebreaker reception). ¶4. (U) Embassies Belgrade, Sofia, and Tirana are requested to invite a representative from their host nation's MOD or General Staff to speak on a panel devoted to the economic and human impacts of unstable munitions explosions. This will require a 10 minute presentation, in English, on munitions explosions in their country, their government's response, and the impact on local communities. Following their presentations, they will participate in a 30-to-45 minute open discussion with all attendees. ¶5. (U) Embassies Ljubljana, Podgorica, and Sarajevo are requested to invite a representative from their host nation's MOD or General Staff to speak on a panel devoted to their countries' policies and plans for stockpile security and reduction. This will require a 10 minute presentation in English, followed by participation in a 30-to-45 minute open discussion. ¶6. (U) Embassy Zagreb is requested to invite representatives from the Government of Croatia to make brief opening remarks and to give a 15-20 minute presentation in English regarding its policies and plans for stockpile security and reduction. The opening remarks will occur on the morning of May 6 after the US Ambassador's welcome. The presentation will be given during the working lunch on May 6. BACKGROUND ¶7. (U) South East European countries have aging, excess, and unstable stockpiles of conventional weapons and munitions. These stockpiles pose dual threats of illicit proliferation and accidental explosion. These threats could cause humanitarian disasters and/or destabilize individual countries or the region as a whole. Since 2006, ammunition stockpile explosions in Albania, Bulgaria, and Serbia have caused large numbers of casualties and significant damage, displacing many civilians. ¶8. (U) At the September 2008 Adriatic Charter Chiefs of Defense Conference, the Montenegro CHOD suggested a regional approach to the common challenges of excess munitions disposal. U.S. European Command (EUCOM) agreed, believing that the Department of State should help create a forum where the governments of South East Europe could develop regional plans to address problems associated with excess and unstable stockpiles (ref A). ¶9. (U) The Department of State supports EUCOM's proposal and has organized a workshop on the reduction of stockpiles of conventional weapons and munitions (ref B). The purpose of the workshop is to launch a proactive, coordinated, and regional approach for addressing the destabilizing threats posed by excess, unstable, and loosely secured stockpiles of conventional weapons and munitions in South East Europe. We do not aspire to create a new regional bureaucracy. Instead, we seek to foster relationships between senior General Staff and MOD officials from the region so that they can periodically share information, advice, and lessons learned, as well as improve coordination in efforts, when and where appropriate, to reduce and destroy stockpiles. We envision this being the first in a series of ongoing discussions and collaborations among regional officials regarding stockpile reduction. ¶10. (U) Because the workshop precedes the next Adriatic Charter CHOD meeting (to be held on May 21-22 in Tirana),it will allow the Member States and the US government to show concrete progress toward an action item identified at their previous meeting. TEXT OF OFFICIAL INVITATION ¶11. (U) The Embassy of the United States presents its compliments to the (Ministry) of (Country) and has the honor to invite the Government of (Country) to participate in a workshop inaugurating the South East Europe Regional Approach to Stockpile Reduction (RASR). Hosted by the U.S. Department of State in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, the RASR workshop will be held on May 5-7, 2009 at the historic Regent Hotel in Zagreb, Croatia. The purpose of this workshop is to facilitate a regional approach to the reduction of excess, unstable, and loosely secured conventional weapons and munitions, which pose significant security and humanitarian threats to the countries of South East Europe. The idea for a regional approach to the common problem of unstable and unsecure stockpiles emerged at the September 2008 Adriatic Charter Chiefs of Defense Conference. Inspired by this idea, the RASR workshop aims to be the first in a series of discussions regarding national and regional plans for stockpile reduction and management in South East Europe. The workshop will give Defense Ministry and General Staff officials involved in stockpile management an opportunity to build relationships with their counterparts in the region, share best practices and lessons learned, develop regional stockpile reduction efforts, and coordinate when and where appropriate. The Government of (Country) is invited to send three representatives to the workshop, which will include an opening reception on the evening of May 5, working lunches on May 6 and 7, and an optional, no-host dinner on May 6. A preliminary agenda, concept paper, administrative details, hotel reservation form, and workshop registration form are attached. We would appreciate confirmation of (Country's) participation, as well as participants' contact information, by April 7, 2009. Accommodation can be booked at the Regent Esplanade Hotel at a special rate until April 13, 2009; the hotel reservation form should be faxed to the Regent Esplanade at 385 (0)1-45-66-020. The workshop presentations and discussions will be in English; please prepare your delegation for any translation needs. Registration forms should be completed by participants and submitted no later than April 7, 2009 to Laurie Freeman at the Department of State's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement. Questions about the workshop should be also directed to Ms. Freeman (freemana1@state.gov, 1 202-663-0113 (telephone),and 1 202-663-0106 (fax)). END INVITATION ¶12. (U) A subsequent cable will be released on or around April 1 with the final agenda and any important additional information. ¶13. (U) Department greatly appreciates Embassy support for this workshop. Department points of contact are: PM/WRA F. David Diaz 202-663-0102 and Laurie Freeman 202-663-0113. CLINTON