DEFENSE MINISTER BOLD REPLIES TO SECRETARY GATES'

C O N F I D E N T I A L ULAANBAATAR 000128 STATE FOR EAP/CM - DAS JOHN NORRIS; DOD FOR DASD DAVID SEDNEY AND DASD MICHAEL SCHIFFER; NSC FOR JEFF BADER E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2019 TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL MG SUBJECT: DEFENSE MINISTER BOLD REPLIES TO SECRETARY GATES' LETTER ON AFGHANISTAN REF: A. ULAANBAATAR 064 ¶B. ULAANBAATAR 113 ¶C. USDAO IIR 6909 0053 09 Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Covington, Reasons 1.4 (a/b/d) ¶1. (C) Minister of Defense Lu. Bold called in the Ambassador and the Defense Attache on May 11 to present a letter from the Minister to Secretary Gates expressing the Government of Mongolia,s decision to deploy to Afghanistan. The letter came in response to Secretary Gates, letter dated February 24, 2009, on Mongolia,s prospective redeployment to Afghanistan (see reftels A and B). At the meeting, Bold explained that Mongolia,s National Security Council and Cabinet have made the political decision to send troops to Afghanistan and will send a working group to CENTCOM to work out details of the deployment. ¶2. (C) To assist the GOM in working out the deployment details, post encourages CENTCOM,s reception of the Mongolian working group and recommends that Secretary Gates meet with Minister Bold at the Shangri-La annual regional security dialogue on 29-31 May. (Please see reftel C for details.) ¶3. (SBU) Begin text of Defense Minister Bold's letter: MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF MONGOLIA 11 May 2009 06/135 H.E. ROBERT GATES SECRETARY OF DEFENSE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Mr. Secretary, With much delight I received the letter conveying your appreciation of the military cooperation between our nations. Having conducted a thorough review of your proposal and having prudently assessed our options, we are coming to the point of the Mongolian Armed Forces' support to our mutual goal to ensure peace and long-lasting stability in Afghanistan. Throughout this period, our military survey team has visited Afghanistan, and though (sic) their encounters with the coalition forces, as well as based on their evaluation of their assessment of the situation on ground, we succeeded in gaining a political support of our national leadership to continue to offer our modest yet willed contribution to our common effort. Accordingly, a working group designated by the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces are on their way to visit the United States Armed Forces' Central Command to work out the details for deployment and terms of collaboration, including the logistical aspects thereof and other issues of mutual concern. The government and the people of Mongolia are aware that the success of our own democracy and well-being benefits from the pursuit for global peace stability, which, on its own turn, depends on the advancing of freedom worldwide. I am, therefore, pleased to assure you of our commitment for ensuring collaboration for the sake of our committed values and remain confident the virtue of this very cooperation will significantly enhance benefits for the process of transformation of the Mongolian Armed Forces. I am looking forward to our first encounter during the Shangri-La Dialogue later this month, and furthermore, to the anticipated bilateral meetings in our respective capitals in the near future. With respect, (Bold Luvsanvandan) BOLD LUVSANVANDAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, MEMBER OF GOVERNMENT OF MONGOLIA MINISTER OF DEFENSE May 2009 Mongolia End text of letter. MINTON