Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE23809
2009-03-12 21:35:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

INVITATION FOR HOST NATIONS TO SOUTH EAST EUROPE

Tags:  PARM MASS AL BK BU HR KV MK MW SI ZL 
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VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #3809 0712153
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 122135Z MAR 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE 0000
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE
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

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