NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING, MAY 20,2009

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 USNATO 000207 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2019 TAGS: PREL NATO EWWT MARR MOPS AF PK SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING, MAY 20,2009 Classified By: A/PolAd A. "Hoot Baez. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C/NF) Summary from the NAC Meeting: -- AFGHANISTAN: While initially objecting to a proposal to begin the committee work to formulate political guidance on the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan until the May 28 release of military advice on the subject, France and Turkey did ultimately agree to a compromise that would allow the appropriate committee chairman to use his discretion to start political discussions, with the proviso that no political decisions could be taken before the military advice was formulated. Norway asked whether the decision by Afghanistan to appoint a high-level commission to study the issue of foreign troops in the country would impact on the question of a Military Technical Agreement between NATO and Afghanistan. UN Special Representative of the Secretary General in Afghanistan Kai Eide will likely brief the Council on June 4 or 5. The Chairman of the Military Committee reported continuing critical shortfalls in the Combined Joint Statement of Requirements, despite the recent U.S. contributions. France briefed on the visit of French FM Kouchner and Special Representative Lellouche to Afghanistan. -- Pakistan: Allies expressed concerns about the reported 834,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Pakistan, with several asking whether NATO assistance had been requested or could be offered. The Deputy Secretary General said that visiting Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Qayani had not requested any assistance on this matter during his May 19 visit to NATO Headquarters. Germany announced a 5 million euro contribution it had made for humanitarian assistance to Pakistan; this aid will be distributed by the UNHCR. -- BALKANS: In response to a letter from SACEUR proposing that NATO take a decision on moving NATO to a deterrence force posture in Kosovo as early as at the June Defense Ministerial, Greece--supported by Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania--said that they would need advice from the Military Committee before taking any decisions. These countries also strongly emphasized that decisions on NATO's future role in Kosovo were ultimately political in nature and would require a political analysis, as well as a military one. The Greeks and Bulgarians expressed interest in learning more about Vice President Biden's trip to the Balkans. �00A;-- Piracy: Noting that Greece had broken silence on the draft NAC Initiating Directive to direct military planning for a long-term NATO counter-piracy role, the Deputy Secretary General said that the International Staff would issue a revised version of the Directive under a short silence procedure after first working directly with Greece and Turkey to find language acceptable to both. (Note: A revised version of the Initiating Directive was issued and agreed to on May 22.) -- Russia-Georgia: The Czech Republic*on behalf of the EU presidency*briefed that the fifth round of the Geneva Talks on Georgia had "obviously" been hindered by Abkhazia's absence, as well as by the walkout of Russia and South Ossetia. Greece--on behalf of the OSCE Chairman in Office-said that it had a "different" take on the Geneva Talks, claiming that despite initial differences, the talks had taken place in a "constructive spirit." USNATO 00000207 002 OF 004 END SUMMARY. Afghanistan -------------- ¶2. (C/REL ISAF) NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan: The Chairman of the Military Committee ADM Di Paola (CMC) noted that SHAPE had provided its input on the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A) on May 15. The Military Committee was in the process of evaluating SHAPE's input and crafting military advice on the proposal. The Military Committee intended to issue a draft document to Allies for comments on May 21 (deadline May 25),then incorporate comments into final military advice on May 28. The CMC emphasized the urgency of the military committee's work and encouraged parallel political work in the Policy Coordination Group (PCG) to begin. The Deputy Secretary General (D/SYG) underscored this point, requesting nations to approve a tasking to the PCG to provide political guidance that could be considered alongside the finalized military advice. While France and Turkey raised initial procedural concerns about this course of action, they did not object when the UK proposed as a compromise that the PCG chairman be allowed to use his discretionary authority to begin some political work, with the proviso that the PCG could reach no decisions until after the receipt of military advice. The CMC also asked Council to add to its agenda in the near future a discussion and agreement of the assumptions from a recent military advice paper on new long-term command and control capability for COMISAF. ¶3. (C/REL NATO) Military Technical Agreement (MTA): Noting that the Government of Afghanistan had appointed a high-level commission to look into the issue of the presence of foreign troops, Norway repeated its question from the previous week about whether NATO should begin taking forward the Afghan-proposed Military Technical Agreement. The CMC replied that he did not know of any recent Afghan government approach to ISAF on the issue of the MTA. ¶4. (C/REL ISAF) Kai Eide to brief Council: In response to a request by PermReps the previous week, the Deputy Secretary General said that a briefing to the Council by UN Special Representative of the Secretary General Kai Eide would likely happen on either June 4 or 5. ¶5. (C/REL ISAF) CJSOR Update: Chairman of the Military Committee ADM Di Paola reported that SHAPE has provided an update on the standing Combined Joint Statement of Requirements (CJSOR) for Afghanistan and the Elections Support Force CJSOR. There were still critical shortfalls, he said, notwithstanding the recent and in-flowing U.S. contributions. These shortfalls included additional Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams, medical evacuation rotary wing for Regional Commands (RC) North and West, two Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and airborne counter-warfare to counter improvised explosive devices, among others. SHAPE continued to maintain that there were shortfalls for the Elections Support Force, most critically in Regional Command-South. ¶6. (C) French Visit to Kabul: French PermRep Andreani said Foreign Minister Kouchner and Special Representative for USNATO 00000207 003 OF 004 Afghanistan and Pakistan Pierre Lellouche visited Kabul last week, emphasized the importance of democratic elections, and expressed French intent to contribute to the development of an Afghan gendarmerie force. Pakistan -------------- ¶7. (C/REL ISAF) General Qayani's visit and internally displaced people: RADM Salvo Moreno, Deputy Assistant Director of the Operations Division of the International Military Staff, reported that the UN High Commission for Refugees in Pakistan is reporting 834,000 new internally displaced people (IDPs) as a result of PakMil operations. Canada, Germany, and Norway asked if Pakistan's government had made any requests for NATO assistance in delivering humanitarian aid, possibly through airlift. The CMC and D/SYG replied that General Qayani, Pakistani Chief of Army Staff, discussed the issue of IDPs while visiting the Military Committee and the Secretary General on May 20, but did not request international assistance. Germany announced a 5 million euro contribution of humanitarian assistance to Pakistan, which would be distributed through the UNHCR. Germany said this donation was on top of an already existing 6 million euro contribution it had made. In response to a PermRep question, the Chairman of the Military Committee reported that most recent IDPs were traveling south within Pakistan, not into Afghan provinces, and posed no threat to ISAF operations. The Balkans -------------- ¶8. (C/REL NATO) In response to a letter from SACEUR proposing that NATO take a decision on moving NATO to a deterrence force posture in Kosovo as early as at the June Defense Ministerial, Greece--supported by Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania*said that they would need advice from the Military Committee before taking any decisions. These countries also strongly emphasized that decisions on NATO,s future role in Kosovo were ultimately political in nature and would require a political analysis, as well as a military one. Turkey, Greece, and Romania urged colleagues to keep all discussions about this issue confidential and within NATO channels. ¶9. (C) Deputy Secretary General Bisogniero said he hoped the Council would have Military Committee advice by the end of June in order to begin its deliberations before the Defense Ministerial in June. The Secretary General intends to invite SACEUR to brief the Council when the military advice is ready, and EULEX chief de Kermabon and ICR/EUSR Feith will address the Council on June 9. ¶10. (C) The Greek and Bulgarian PermReps welcomed Vice President Biden's trip to the Balkans as an important development, adding that they would like a readout of the visit. Greece also praised the symbolic and substantive significance of the Vice President being accompanied by EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Solana to Bosnia. Piracy -------------- USNATO 00000207 004 OF 004 ¶11. (C/REL NATO) Noting that Greece had broken silence on the draft NAC Initiating Directive to direct military planning for a long-term NATO counter-piracy role, the Deputy Secretary General said that the International Staff would issue a revised version of the Directive under short silence procedure after first working directly with Greece and Turkey to find language acceptable to both. (Note: A revised version of the Initiating Directive was issued and agreed to on May 22.) Russia-Georgia -------------- ¶12. (C/REL NATO) The Czech Republic*on behalf of the EU presidency*briefed that the fifth round of the Geneva Talks on Georgia had "obviously" been hindered by Abkhazia's absence and by the walkout by Russia and South Ossetia. Greece--on behalf of the OSCE Chairman in Office-said that it had a "different" take on the Geneva Talks, claiming that despite initial differences, the talks had taken place in a "constructive spirit." HEFFERN