NSC TALKING POINTS ON TRILATERAL SUMMIT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 047496 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PTER PREL PK AF SUBJECT: NSC TALKING POINTS ON TRILATERAL SUMMIT ¶1. General Talking Points: The United States hosted a Trilateral Summit between the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan in Washington, D.C. on May 6 and 7. ¶2. The Summit consisted of two days of intense consultations between President Karzai, President Zardari, their respective cabinets and the U.S. Government at the highest level. ¶3. These meetings featured U.S. involvement by the President and the Vice-President as well as Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack, FBI Director Mueller, CIA Director Panetta, Special Representative Holbrooke, CENTCOM Commander General Petraeus, Defense Under-Secretary Flournoy, USAID Acting Administrator Fulgham, and other senior U.S. Government officials. ¶4. On May 6, after meeting with President Karzai and President Zardari, President Obama spoke to the press. He called these meetings important and reiterated the United States' lasting commitment to supporting these two democratically-elected, sovereign, civilian governments and to defeating Al Qaeda. ¶5. It was clear from these meetings that both President Karzai and President Zardari fully appreciate the seriousness of the common threat that we face. ¶6. During the meetings, both President Karzai and President Zardari reaffirmed their commitment to confront the threat by working together and working with us to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their ability to operate in either country. ¶7. We agreed that it is imperative we deny these terrorists the space to threaten Pakistani, Afghan, or American people, or those of any other nation, and agreed that we must advance security and opportunity, so that Pakistanis and Afghans can pursue the promise of a better life. This includes creating economic bonds and improving relations between the two countries. ¶8. In particular, on the border, we discussed the need to work together with a renewed sense of partnership, to share intelligence, and to coordinate our efforts to isolate, target and take out our common enemy. ¶9. These two days of discussions yielded an agreement to finalize a transit trade agreement, as well as pledges to cooperate on agriculture, trade, customs, water, and enhanced border security. The two sides also agreed to continue their cross-border jirga process to build consensus in the population against extremists and Al Qaeda. ¶10. There is trust between leaders at personal level in the Governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States. Building trust and cooperation between institutions will be the major challenge and a key focus of our efforts. ¶11. We believe this Summit has provided an important venue to improve -- if not generate -- dialogue on a number of important issues and served to expand the potential of bilateral and trilateral cooperation beyond security to virtually every matter of mutual interest. ¶12. Cooperation among our three countries is essential to peace, security and development in the region. The United States looks forward to continuing close cooperation with the Governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the future. ¶13. Major Summit Deliverables: Historic Signing of the Transit Trade Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The signature by the Afghan and Pakistani Foreign Ministers of the Transit Trade Agreement MoU ends forty-three years of stalling on transit trade discussions between both countries and unlocks a potential of trade and economic growth. In follow-up during the trilateral session with Finance Ministers, Deputy scretary Lew got the two delegations to agree that they would conclude negotiations by September 30, 2009. ¶14. Continuing the cross-border jirga process to build STATE 00047496 002 OF 002 consensus in the populations of both countries against extremists and Al Qaeda. The Governments agreed to revitalize their cross-border jirga process. This process aims to develop popular, tribal positions against extremists and in support of development. A mini-jirga held in Kabul after the Afghan elections (as a follow up of the October Islamabad mini-jirga) should be the next step. ¶15. Strengthening Border Coordination with two additional centers. Both countries are committed to opening two additional border coordination centers (BCCs),one in Kandahar province and another inside Pakistan Federally Administered Tribal Areas by the end of 2009. Foreign Minister Qureshi underscored for the Pakistani side that implementation should be carried out "expeditiously." ¶16. Opening a new era of cooperation on Agriculture. Pakistani Agriculture Minister Gondal and Afghan Agriculture Minister Rahimi met for the first time. The session hosted by Secretary Vilsack proved extremely successful. The three leaders set up a trilateral working group on food security, trade corridors and watershed management. Secretary Vilsack announced a plan to spend $27.5 million under the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food for Progress program to help Pakistan and Afghanistan improve the sustainable development of their agricultural sectors. ¶17. Building new bridges on Internal Security Cooperation. Afghan Interior Minister Atmar and Pakistani Interior Minister Malik met for the first time. Initial steps towards major developments in law enforcement, border security and management were taken: establishment of focal points and a hotline between the two ministers, work towards an extradition treaty, exchange of list of terrorists. ¶18. Increased Intelligence sharing. Discussions focused on means to institutionalize exchanges between the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) and the Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) and enhance existing forms of intelligence sharing. ¶19. The Summit deliverables generated a dense agenda that requires continued consultations. The next round of Trilateral Consultations with interagency involvement will happen after the completion of the Afghan elections. Consultations at working level to follow up the most pressing issues may take place sooner. ¶20. Minimize considered CLINTON