LITHUANIA'S GO-FORWARD STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 VILNIUS 000699

SIPDIS

STATE FOR S/SRAP AMBASSADOR RICHARD HOLBROOKE AND PDAS JONES
STATE FOR EUR/NB, EUR/RPM AND SCA/A HENRY ENSHER
EMBASSY KABUL FOR AMBASSADOR WAYNE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2019
TAGS: AF MAPP MOPS NATO PREL EAID LH
SUBJECT: LITHUANIA'S GO-FORWARD STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN

REF: A. VILNIUS 695

B. VILNIUS 652

C. VILNIUS 635

D. VILNIUS 618

E. VILNIUS 594

F. KABUL 3845

Classified By: Ambassador Anne E. Derse for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. Members of the U.S. delegation to the
December 8-9 GOL-hosted RC-West conference met bilaterally
with MFA and MOD representatives on December 9 to discuss
RC-West conference conclusions and future strategy for
Afghanistan. The U.S. delegation underscored that we should
work together to forward the Kabul - Herat road construction
project and to conclude the MOU on support for USG
representatives at the Ghor PRT. GOL officials also
delivered a clear message that they are committed to the
mission in Afghanistan; however the GOL needs USG assistance
with its development program and its resource planning to
maintain forward momentum. Senior MFA representatives
pledged to make Afghanistan a focus of Lithuania's OSCE
chairmanship in 2011. MOD officials asked for help to fill
the staffing gap at the Ghor PRT after Croatian troops leave
in mid-2010 and for USG support to centralize terms of
engagement with Afghanistan's National Directorate of
Security offices in RC-South. The GOL plans to further
enhance the civilian component of its mission. The GOL is
grateful for U.S. civilian engagement at the Ghor PRT, and
seeks additional civilian resources to expand capacity
building initiatives in the province. Lithuania is
organizing a Ghor Donors Conference in spring 2010 which it
will use to promote priority development projects such as
constructing a road from Herat to Kabul. End summary.



2. (C) Director of the Office of Afghanistan Affairs Henry
Ensher, Senior Civilian Representative in RC-West Brad
Hanson, USAID Field Officer Hilda Grigorian and Emboffs met
with MOD's Political Director Andrius Krivas, MFA's Political
Director Eitvydas Bajarunas, Lithuania's Ambassador to
Afghanistan Dainius Junevicius and MFA's Chief Counselor
Valdemaras Sarapinas (who was recently appointed as MFA lead
on Afghanistan issues) on December 9 to discuss RC-West
conference conclusions and strategy for Afghanistan.
Bajarunas said the GOL was "delighted" with the RC-West
conference and the opportunity to discuss the unique
situation in Western Afghanistan with international
participants (REFTEL A). He elaborated that the GOL is
already thinking about ways to reshuffle its Afghanistan
engagements based on ideas that were discussed during the
conference.


3. (C) Bajarunas explained that when the GOL started working
in Ghor it was focused on military engagement. It is now
clear that the GOL should develop the civilian side of its
engagement as well. Bajarunas said that both he and Krivas
would approach their respective Ministers with this idea.
Henry Ensher replied that the U.S. is also working to expand
civilian engagement. He thanked the GOL for organizing the
conference and said that the U.S. is grateful and admiring of
Lithuania's exceptional work in Afghanistan. Ensher
underscored that we understand the political and economic
situation in Lithuania which makes its contribution all the
more impressive. Regarding the conference Ensher said that
he was interested in the proposal to begin transition of
authority in the more stable North and West provinces of
Afghanistan. He encouraged the GOL to work closely with the
Afghan people on capacity building initiatives.

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OSCE Role in Afghanistan
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4. (C) Bajarunas said the GOL will engage Central Asian
colleagues on Afghanistan when it chairs the OSCE in 2011.
He said that Afghanistan is a priority for the OSCE even
though Russia has blocked OSCE activity in Afghanistan. The
OSCE is instead working in coordination with Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan on border issues such as lost passports and drug

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smuggling. Bajarunas said that Kazakhstan is planning to
pledge USD 50M for education projects in Afghanistan. The
GOL is trying to get a piece of this funding for agricultural
training in Ghor province.

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GOL Challenges in Afghanistan
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5. (C) Krivas thanked the USG for sending a strong and
representative delegation to RC-West. He said the GOL
appreciates USAID's presence in Chaghcharan and its support
of local projects especially the Chaghcharan airport
renovation. He also recognized that the U.S. military is
very helpful in transporting Lithuanian contingents to and
from Afghanistan. Krivas asked for help to find a
replacement for the 35 Croatian patrol troops who will be
leaving the Ghor PRT in 2010. He recalled that Ambassador
Vershbow had offered Pentagon support to find a way to fill
the gap and emphasized that our diplomatic and political -
military assistance would be appreciated. Krivas added that
the GOL plans to deploy additional troops to Ghor but will
not be able to fill all 35 positions.


6. (C) Krivas also confided that the GOL is experiencing
"resource pressure" in RC-South where it deploys Special
Operations Forces. Krivas explained that some countries are
signing MOUs with the National Directorate of Security (NDS)
offices to provide uniforms, equipment and other capabilities
as part of partnering initiatives. The GOL is at a
disadvantage because it does not have funding to equip the
NDS. The MOD wants a more unified approach on how to engage
the Afghan NDS such as an agreement between ISAF and the
GIRoA or an agreement between ISAF and NDS itself to manage
expectations for partnering initiatives. MOD's Tomas Urbonas
emphasized that the issue is not about equipment procurement
but about having a centralized approach to NDS engagement.
Ensher suggested that it would make sense to raise this issue
with ISAF HQ.

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Plans for Ghor Province
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7. (C) Krivas acknowledged that training of Afghan National
Security Forces is a high priority. Since the Afghan
National Army is not present in Ghor on a permanent basis, he
said that a PMLT will likely be established before an OMLT.
Krivas elaborated that the GOL is working with the PA
National Guard on a PMLT initiative which they hope will bear
fruit by next October. Sarapinas added that strengthening
the civilian component of their mission in Ghor is important.
He said that President Obama's announcement is "full of good
news" especially with regards to a surge of civilian
advisors. Sarapinas expressed gratitude for the USDA
representative who will be joining the Ghor PRT in January
and asked if the U.S. could help to place additional civilian
experts in Ghor. He said that the GOL also needs help to
attract sponsors to Ghor development projects. Sarapinas
noted that Japan's contributions to Ghor are a success story.
He asked if the USG could send a political message to
potential sponsors Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to encourage
them to invest in Ghor province.


8. (C) Ambassador Junevicius said the GOL plans to hold a
Ghor Donors Conference in 2010 in Kabul with a possible side
trip to Chaghcharan. The GOL is working with the local
government to develop the idea. Bajarunas said the EC
supports the conference concept and encouraged the GOL to
work closely with the UNAMA. He said that the GOL would
appreciate USG guidance with the planning process. Grigorian
suggested that the GOL needs to work closely with the local
government in Ghor to revamp the Provincial Development Plan
and make it into a working document that can be shared at the
conference.


9. (C) Regarding specific development projects, Hanson said
that constructing a road from Herat to Kabul is a top
priority. He said that USAID is actively seeking new funding
for its budget to build a portion of the road from Herat to

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Chaghcharan via the strategic Salma dam in Herat province.
We encouraged the GOL to work together with the U.S. Embassy
in Kabul and international sponsors to coordinate plans for
the road construction. Hanson also said that he and Embassy
Kabul are looking forward on GOL feedback on the MOU for the
provision of life, security and mobility support at
Lithuanian-operated facilities in Afghanistan.

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A Note on Public Relations
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10. (U) Ensher shared that he would be speaking to the local
press about the U.S. strategy for Afghanistan and asked if
there were any specific messages that the GOL is trying to
promote. Bajarunas and Krivas replied that 1) In response to
those who oppose the GOL's Afghan engagement, NATO's
collective investment in Lithuania's security is deeper than
Lithuania's individual contribution to the NATO mission. For
example, the GOL would not be able to fund air space defense
if it were acting alone. 2) In response to those who believe
that Afghanistan has nothing to do with Lithuania, the GOL is
defending its own security in Afghanistan. 3) In response to
those who think this war is no different from the USSR's
invasion of Afghanistan, the USSR was fighting against the
Afghan people and NATO is fighting for them.

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Comment and Action Request
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11. (C) Lithuania remains a strong and committed partner in
Afghanistan despite daunting financial and human resource
constraints. It is in our interest to help the GOL succeed
in its mission in Afghanistan, especially running the Ghor
PRT, as Lithuania's strategic goals for Afghanistan are
closely aligned with our own. Per Henry Ensher's suggestion
we will encourage the GOL to approach ISAF HQ regarding their
concerns about decentralized terms of engagement with
Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security offices in
RC-South. We request Department of State and Department of
Defense engagement to help the GOL to find replacement troops
for the 35 Croatian soldiers who are leaving the Ghor PRT in
2010, to support the Ghor Donors conference in late spring
2010, to send a political message to Kazakhstan and
Azerbaijan supporting investment in Ghor and to see if any
additional civilian resources could be assigned to the Ghor
PRT. End comment.
DERSE