FRIENDS OF AFGHANISTAN TO MEET AGAIN JANUARY 22

UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000007 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCRM PREL NATO EUN FR AF RU PL UN SUBJECT: FRIENDS OF AFGHANISTAN TO MEET AGAIN JANUARY 22 REF: A).08 UNVIE 615, B).08 UNVIE 478, C).08 UNVIE 466, D).08 SECSTATE 91864, E). WARSAW 23 ¶1. (U) This is an action request for IO, INL and SCA. Please see Para 8. ¶2. (U) The French Mission will host the next meeting of the Vienna Friends of Afghanistan Group (Ref A) on January 22. The draft agenda includes corruption, precursors, UNODC Independence Evaluation Unit report on Afghanistan, and French debrief on the December 14 ministerial meeting in Paris on Afghanistan and its neighbors. The French Mission has also invited Francis Maertens, UNODC's Director of the Division of Operations, and his deputy Bernard Frahi, to give a brief presentation on the different agenda items. ¶3. (SBU) France was a strong advocate for including Russia in the Group (Ref B),but the former Afghan charge opposed Russia's (and Pakistan's) inclusion. As host of the next meeting, France has asked our views about inviting Russia and Poland to the meeting. The newly-arrived Afghan ambassador in Vienna, Abdul Mohammad Shoogufan, is expected to attend the meeting, although France is still waiting for a formal reply. ¶4. (SBU) At the inception of the Friends group back in August 2008, Afghanistan, along with the U.S., U.K., France, and Italy, decided on the current list of Friends, based on a country's contributions to ISAF and to UNODC, as well as its pledges at the June 2008 Paris meeting on Afghanistan (Refs B and C). Russia ranks low on these three factors. It is considered an "emerging donor" to UNODC, contributing around half a million USD in 2008. However, it is a G-8 member and a major regional force on UNODC issues related to Afghanistan, including the Paris Pact Initiative, and in other international arena on Afghanistan, such as the NATO-Russia Council. In Vienna especially, Russia has been keen to highlight a strong history fighting terrorism and our bilateral CT relationship. ¶5. (SBU) However, Russia in the OSCE has blocked projects to improve border control between Afghanistan and its Central Asian neighbors (e.g., Tajikistan). The former Afghan charge's hostility towards Russia stemmed partly from his frustration in dealing with it in that forum. (Note: Russia has separate missions in Vienna, one to the OSCE and one to the UNODC. Afghanistan's Ambassador is accredited to Austria and all the Vienna organizations. End Note.) ¶6. (SBU) Poland, with 1140 troops, is the 8th largest contributor to ISAF (followed by Australia with 1100 troops). It is one of our strongest NATO allies. However, it is not active in the UNODC substantively or financially (contributing USD 100,000 in 2007). It ranked 23rd in pledges at the June 2008 Paris conference. Given its intention to increase its engagement in Afghanistan (Ref E),it could be a good addition to the Friends group. ¶7. (SBU) Per earlier Washington guidance (Ref D),Mission had advised the Group to postpone inviting Russia (Ref B). Assuming Washington's agreement to involving Russia at this stage, Mission believes that France should first discuss with the new Afghan ambassador the idea of inviting Russia and Poland, and then with the Friends Group. ¶8. (SBU) Action Requested: Mission requests Department guidance on the proposed agenda topics and on including Russia and Poland in the Friends Group. End Action Requested. SCHULTE