READOUT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING MAY 6, 2009

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 USNATO 000177 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2019 TAGS: PREL PHSA PARM MOPS AF XA RS KN SUBJECT: READOUT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING MAY 6, 2009 Classified By: Classified by Ambassador Kurt D. Volker for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). USNATO TODAY, NAC EDITION, May 6, 2009 (C/NF) Summary from the NAC Meeting: -- AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN: Discussion centered on reports of a significant civilian casualty incident in Farah province on May 4, with Permanent Representatives calling for information from the ISAF chain of command as soon as possible. The Secretary General agreed to organize a comprehensive briefing for the Council on Pakistan's current security situation, while stressing that this will require the assistance of national experts from capitals. -- PIRACY: Denmark urged that NATO endorse a long-term counter-piracy operation by the Defense Ministerial in early June. Portugal, Belgium, Spain, and France stressed that a NATO operation should neither weaken nor compete with the ongoing EU mission, while the U.S., Canada, and Norway insisted that this should not prevent or delay agreement on the operation. -- RUSSIA: The Secretary General informed Allies that the Russian Foreign Ministry had formally revoked the diplomatic status of two Canadian-seconded NATO diplomats in Moscow, previewing for Allies the statement he intended to make in response. -- GEORGIA: The Secretary General informed Allies of his May 5 discussion with Georgian President Saakashvili in which he stressed that Saakashvili should not make irresponsible or inaccurate statements regarding the upcoming Partnership for Peace exercises to held in Georgia -- BALKANS: Assistant Director of the International Military Staff Operations Division Major General Li Gobbi briefed that the Kosovo Police Service and EULEX have effectively handled ongoing reconstruction-related demonstrations near Mitrovica, without KFOR having to act as third responder. -- IRAQ: The Secretary General announced that NATO Assistant Secretary General Howard and NATO Legal Advisor De Vidts are in Baghdad for negotiations on the long-term status of forces MOU for the NATO Training Mission-Iraq (NTM-I). -- NEW HEADQUARTERS: After a briefing on the status of the new NATO Headquarters Building, the Canadian PermRep suggested finding ways to save money on the project, including speeding up the tendering process. While sympathetic with the desire to save money, most Allies stressed that no actions should be taken which would further delay the project or which might inadvertently drive up the costs. Ambassador Volker stressed the need for the building to meet strict security standards and asked about its ability to handle future rounds of NATO enlargement. -- STATEMENTS ON POLITICAL TOPICS: The Czech Republic briefed on recent EU events noting in particular a Presidency statement voicing concern over the signature of protection of borders agreements between Russia and Abkhazia and South Ossetia, declaring the move contradictory to the 12 August 2008 six-point cease-fire agreement. USNATO 00000177 002 OF 004 END SUMMARY. (C/REL ISAF) Afghanistan-Pakistan: Reports of a significant civilian casualty incident in Afghanistan's Farah province on May 4 dominated the discussion during the North Atlantic Council's May 6 discussion of Afghanistan. Italy, Germany, and Spain called for full information and a briefing as soon as possible from the ISAF chain of command, even though ISAF forces reportedly were not involved. Ambassador Volker supported this idea, noting that a joint investigation by Afghan and Coalition Forces had already been announced. The International Military Staff acknowledged the sensitivities of the incident, and said that all actors on the ground, including the Regional Command West commander, were involved in confirming information in Farah. The Secretary General agreed on the need to quickly obtain information on the incident, while stressing that the reliability of the information gathered should not be sacrificed for the sake of speed. (C/NF) In response to a request from the Canadian Permanent Representative, the Secretary General said he would organize a comprehensive briefing on Pakistan's current security situation, including the disposition of its nuclear weapons. The Secretary General stressed, however, that such a briefing would require the assistance of national experts from capitals. Responding to a question from Spain, Major General Li Gobbi of the International Military Staff said ongoing Pakistan military fighting with militants is affecting ISAF logistics lines mostly by limiting the mobility of civilian contractors. (C/NF) After providing a briefing on the political situation in Afghanistan, including the registration of presidential candidates, the Secretary General called attention to the need for ISAF to help create a level playing field for the upcoming elections. (C) Piracy: Portugal, Belgium, Spain and France, signaled that they were likely to break silence on a couple of piracy-related documents currently under Council silence procedures (Note: One of these documents relates to the strengthening of the Rules of Engagement for the ships currently taking part in NATO's counter-piracy mission, while the other is an initiating directive seeking military advice for a longer-term NATO role in counter-piracy. End Note). These countries argued that a NATO operation should neither weaken nor compete with the ongoing EU mission, with Belgium arguing that there should be no duplication of effort "in space or time" with the EU operation. These countries also said that NATO needed to address legal issues regarding NATO's detention of captured pirates. (C) Ambassador Volker, supported by Canada and Norway, said NATO-EU issues should not be obstacles to moving forward on NATO's counter-piracy efforts, especially considering the size of the piracy problem. Turkey, supported by the U.S., Canada, and the Secretary General, argued that complementarity was a two-way street. The Secretary General, for example, argued that there was no reason why NATO's Rules of Engagement should not be strengthened to equal those of the EU or Task Force 151. Turkey also stressed that all international efforts, including NATO's and the EU's, should operate within the UN framework provided by the Contact Group on Piracy. Ambassador Volker joined the Secretary General in USNATO 00000177 003 OF 004 arguing that establishing the legal framework for detention would take considerable time and could be worked on during, rather than before, the establishment of a long-term counter-piracy mission for the Alliance. While recognizing that certain nations were likely to break silence on the documents under discussion, the Secretary General nonetheless urged Allies to move expeditiously on this matter. He added that Allies should not to seek "perfection" in these documents. Denmark urged that NATO endorse an operation by the Defense Ministerial in early June. (C/NF) Russia: The Secretary General informed Allies that the Russian Foreign Ministry had formally revoked the diplomatic status of two Canadian diplomats seconded to NATO as the director and deputy director of the NATO Information Office in Moscow. The Secretary General said that he would issue a statement noting that this action was unjustified, while also reaffirming NATO's willingness to reengage with Russia. (Note: The Secretary General's statement was e-mailed to EUR/RPM and will also be reported via septel. End Note). (C/NF) Georgia: The Secretary General also informed Allies of his May 5 conversation with Georgian President Saakashvili regarding the Partnership for Peace exercises in Georgia, as well as the attempted mutiny at a Georgian military base. He said he had told Saakashvili the exercises would proceed on schedule, despite the attempted mutiny. At the same time, he said he had stressed that Saakashvili should refrain from calling the exercises "NATO exercises" or "NATO-Georgia exercises." Instead, he said that he had told Saakashvili that he should make clear that these are Partnership for Peace exercises which Georgia is hosting and which are not "aimed at" or "threaten" any other country. He said he had expressed frustration with Saakashvili for not following similar lines during his recent talks with the press. (C) Briefing on the new Headquarters: Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment Peter Flory and Director of the HQ Project Office Tony Carruth briefed PermReps on the status of NATO's new headquarters building, the first such briefing to the NAC in two years. Carruth stated that tender documents were being completed. The Deputy Permanent Representatives Headquarters Board (DPRHQB) is expected to approve a second stage authorization request at its upcoming meeting. Thereafter, Belgium will release construction bids, which will be due by the end of 2009. Contracts will be awarded in May 2010, with construction starting likely to start in August 2010. Construction is expected to take 58 months, with the expected hand-over date to NATO of May 2015. (C) Following the briefing, the Canadian PermRep intervened to point out the 370 percent increase in estimated costs since the project was first agreed in 1999. Arguing that NATO was "in the driver's seat" to take advantage of competitive bids given the current financial situation and should leverage current market conditions, he said Allies should look at speeding up the tendering process. He also said Allies should task Deputy PermRep's with examining options of how to save 15 percent on items such as furniture and doors, pointing out that such items would probably be cheaper bought off the shelf rather than being custom made. While Ambassador Volker and other Allies expressed sympathy with the desire to save money, they also stressed that nothing should be done which could further delay the project. Allies also agreed that there should be no reopening of the USNATO 00000177 004 OF 004 building's design. Ambassador Volker took the opportunity to make clear that the building needed to meet strict security standards, as well as adding that he hoped the building would be capable of accommodating any new Allies added to the Alliance in future rounds of enlargement. (C) Balkans: The Secretary General said that reconstruction-related demonstrations near Mitrovica will likely continue until Kosovo Serb and Albanian communities reach an agreement, emphasizing the need to maintain diplomatic pressure on Belgrade to play a constructive role. Assistant Director of the International Military Staff Operations Division Major General Li Gobbi added that the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) and the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) have thus far effectively handled the situation without KFOR involvement, although KFOR is closely monitoring the situation and stands ready to respond if needed. (C) Iraq: The SYG announced that ASG Howard and Legal Advisor De Vidts are in Baghdad for negotiations on the long-term status of forces MOU for NTM-I. (C/NF) Statements on Political Subjects: The Czech Republic briefed on recent EU events noting in particular a Presidency statement voicing concern over the signature of protection of borders agreements between Russia and the Georgian separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, declaring the move contradictory to the August 12, 2008, six-point cease-fire agreement. Other EU events include a visit by the representatives of the Political and Security Committee to Kosovo and the upcoming Eastern Partnership and Southern Corridor summits in Prague. VOLKER