FSC MAY 13: STOCKPILE AND BORDER SECURITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 USOSCE 000123 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR VCI/CCA, VCI/NRRC, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, EUR/CARC, SCA/CEN, SCA/RA, PM/WRA, ISN/CPI JCS FOR J-5 OSD FOR ISA (PERENYI) NSC FOR HAYES USUN FOR LEGAL, POL EUCOM FOR J-5 CENTCOM FOR J-5 UNVIE FOR AC GENEVA FOR CD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL KCFE OSCE MD TI XG SUBJECT: FSC MAY 13: STOCKPILE AND BORDER SECURITY HIGHLIGHTED ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Moldova and the OSCE proposed construction of new facilities to improve the safety of munitions storage facilities near Chisinau at the cost of 834,000 euros and requested participating State financial support. Tajikistan outlined its Border Security and Management Strategy and stressed the need to improve the training and equipment of border forces who confront increasing levels of trafficking and terrorism originating in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The new Border Security Staff College in Dushanbe will include students from Afghanistan. In the working groups, the Danish proposal for a December 2009 meeting of heads of verification agencies gained wide support. The draft decision on FSC contributions to the Annual Security Review Conference will be brought to plenary on May 20. End summary. Moldova Stockpile Security -------------- ¶2. (SBU) OSCE Mission to Moldova project coordinator Kenneth Pickles and Moldovan Colonel Andrei Sarban addressed upgrading Moldovan conventional ammunition storage facilities. They requested financial support for constructing a new conventional ammunition storage facility at the Bulboaca training area outside of Chisinau. Pickles noted that the aging storage structures existing at Bulboaca were originally designed as garages and storehouses for a Soviet airborne unit. The existing facility does not provide safe storage of conventional munitions for a number of structural and environmental reasons, as well as inadequate separation distances. ¶3. (SBU) Pickles noted Moldova's December 2006 request for technical and financial assistance from the OSCE to enhance stockpile security, as well as the May 2007 FSC assessment visit to Moldova which recommended new construction at Bulboaca among other tasks. In response to the FSC assessment, Pickles said the OSCE proposed to improve the site by constructing three new ammunition storage units. These units would be part of the larger effort to upgrade existing storage sites and provide munitions destruction assistance. Sarban noted that new facilities would bring the Bulboaca site into compliance with international standards, raise standards for stockpiling in Moldova more generally, and promote OSCE best practices for storage of conventional ammunition. Pickles estimated the cost of the construction project to be 834,000 euros and requested financial support, noting that the project timeline depends largely on the timing and size of contributions. ¶4. (SBU) The U.S. (Neighbour) asked about the sustainability of the project and questioned whether the Mission would provide transparency measures to Transnistria to ensure that de facto authorities therein are not threatened by improved storage capabilities at Bulboaca and within Moldova more generally. Pickles noted that the Mission would fully brief Transnistrian authorities and that they are routinely invited to visit and inspect the military sites and exercises. In response to another U.S. question, Pickles noted that MANPADS were not included in Moldovan plans for destruction of surplus ordnance while S200 missiles and R60 air-to-air rockets are slated for elimination. Border Security in Tajikistan USOSCE 00000123 002 OF 004 -------------- ¶5. (SBU) General Kasym Gafarov, First Deputy Chief of the State Committee for National Security of Tajikistan, briefed on the finalization of the Tajikistan 2009-2015 National Border Security and Management Strategy, crafted jointly by the OSCE and the Tajik Border Task Force, and asked for assistance in resulting joint OSCE-Tajik projects. Gafarov noted that the Task Force, comprised of relevant Tajik ministries, had identified core threats along the border, including human trafficking, transnational criminal groups, illegal migration, and terrorism and extremism. Based on these threats, the task force recommended a long-term, "integrated system of border management" consisting of five initiatives: - synchronization of national legislation with international standards for border security; - protection of human rights; - increased coordination between border patrol and other military units; - streamlining of customs and border crossing; and - upgrades to technical infrastructure. Stressing the need to upgrade border units, Gafarov closed his presentation by requesting expert and financial assistance to implement the strategy. Tajikistan Details Its Needs -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Colonel Saymudin Mirzoev of the Tajikistan State Committee for National Security followed Gafarov with a more detailed appeal for financial assistance to modernize Tajik border patrols, noting the threat that increasingly well-armed and trained non-state actors pose to Tajikistan's current border security forces. To implement the new border management strategy in this environment, Mirzoev stated that the OSCE was working on a project with Tajikistan to create "roving" border security patrols along the southern border with Afghanistan. The patrol units will act as a separate border detachment comprised of highly-trained and equipped officers, akin to the system employed by Russia. Mirzoev focused on the importance of state-of-the-art equipment such as all-terrain vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and requested funding to proceed with necessary equipment modernization. ¶7. (SBU) Mirzoev frequently referred to Tajikistan's concerns over its border with Afghanistan, while presenting some positive notes on Tajik-Afghan cooperation. On several occasions, Mirzoev specifically noted Tajikistan's increasing concerns with drug trafficking, terrorism, and religious extremism originating from Afghanistan, which are not expected to decrease in the short term. Kazakhstan (Asanov) seconded this sentiment and encouraged other participating States (pS) to contribute. ¶8. (SBU) Mirzoev stated that Tajikistan continued to seek partner participation with Afghanistan and any other interested party on border security. He noted that twenty Afghan border officers will attend a June 2009 train-the-trainer session offered by Tajikistan, and that USOSCE 00000123 003 OF 004 Tajikistan was in close contact with top Afghan border security officials about potential cooperation on mobile border patrols. ¶9. (SBU) Russia (Ulyanov) said it supported increased Tajik border security and OSCE assistance for this, observing that it planned to "pay particular attention" to the types assistance offered by pS. The U.S. (Neighbour) praised the cooperative efforts made by Tajikistan, especially with Afghanistan, and hoped that its border strategy would work well so it could serve as a model to its neighbors. ¶10. (SBU) Given the funding requests by both Gafarov and Mirzoev, several pS noted the upcoming May 27 launch of the Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe and questioned whether financial shortfalls would prevent its operation. Both Mirzoev and the OSCE Conflict Prevention Center director (Salber) agreed that the college still needed funding but fully expected needs would be met and noted that the college was moving forward on hiring and equipment purchases. FSC Inputs to ASRC -------------- ¶11. (SBU) The draft decision on the FSC contributions to the 2009 Annual Security Review Conference (FSC.DD/2/09) was approved by the working group and will be considered by the May 20 plenary. Per the draft, the FSC would: - present an oral and written report of its activities through the FSC chair; - propose that an FSC Troika member of the director of the Conflict Prevention Center coordinate and chair a working session of the ASRC; and - submit to the CiO a list of politico-military elements for discussion and use in keynote speeches. ¶12. (SBU) The chair (Giorgadze, Georgia) announced that the list of politico-military elements will be distributed May 15 and discussed in the May 20 working group. Vienna Document -------------- ¶13. (SBU) Turkey (Bekar) announced it hosted Vienna Document Chapter IV contact events May 4-8, including visits to a military facility and an air base, and the demonstration of new equipment. Representatives of 48 participating States, the OSCE Secretariat, and the Zagreb-based RACVIAC Center for Security Cooperation attended. ¶14. (SBU) The CPC announced a May 26-27 conference on Vienna Document implementation in Almaty. The CPC, the OSCE Center in Astana, and representatives from Central Asia and Caucasus participating States will attend. HOV Meeting -------------- ¶15. (SBU) The Danish proposal for a meeting of heads of verification agencies on December 14, 2009, received wide support (FSC.DEL/107/09). The U.S. (Silberberg) asked Denmark to elaborate on the relative advantage of a meeting USOSCE 00000123 004 OF 004 in December instead of on the margins of the Annual Implementation Assessment Meeting (AIAM) in the spring. The U.S. also asked what was the added value of a free-standing meeting, noting there was wide agreement that recent HOV meetings had only duplicated discussions in the AIAM. ¶16. (SBU) Denmark (Petersen) replied that a meeting in December would allow delegations and capitals sufficient time to consider and develop any proposals made by the HOV. Petersen said a December meeting need not impose additional costs if held in conjunction with the annual information exchange. The Czech Republic, Greece, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Austria, and Georgia support the proposal. Canada (Linteau) offered general support, but proposed a January 10, 2010 meeting. Petersen noted the later date might entail added expenses. The proposal will remain on the working group agenda. Code of Conduct -------------- ¶17. (SBU) The FSC coordinator for the Code of Conduct (Eischer, Austria) will start discussion in the May 20 working group on a proposal for annual review of implementation of the Code of Conduct. Conventional Ammunition -------------- ¶18. (SBU) The CPC announced that the Handbook of Best Practices on Conventional Ammunition has been issued as a CD-ROM. Also, the CPC has recently translated the handbook into Russian. Information Exchanges -------------- ¶19. (SBU) The CPC (Martynuk) noted that national submissions were due June 30 for the information exchanges on measures to prevent illicit air transport of SALW (FSC.GAL/53/09) and conventional arms transfers (FSC.GAL/43/09/Rev.1). ¶20. (SBU) Martynuk also noted that the UN was reviewing its reporting instrument on military expenditures. As the OSCE used the same instrument for its annual information exchange, it would need to consider revisions if the UN made changes. Next Meeting -------------- ¶21. (SBU) The next FSC will be on May 20 and will feature Dr Alexander Lambert of the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces on the recent technical update of the Code of Conduct questionnaire (FSC.DEC/2/09). SCOTT