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