US-JAPAN WORK TO ADVANCE COOPERATION IN AFGHANISTAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000470

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958 N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV AF
SUBJECT: US-JAPAN WORK TO ADVANCE COOPERATION IN AFGHANISTAN

KABUL 00000470 001.2 OF 002



1. (U) Summary: Ambassador Wayne, USAID Mission Director Frej, and
Embassy representatives met with Japanese Ambassador Shigeyuki
Hiroki and his team on February 4 to solicit views on how Japan
plans to disburse $5 billion in assistance to Afghanistan over the
next five years. Ambassador Wayne encouraged a regular dialogue
between our missions. All agreed that good areas for possible
US-Japan cooperation include: assistance for Kabul city (in
preparation for the upcoming Kabul conference as well as the
longer-term),police training, infrastructure, reintegration,
agriculture, education and health. Ambassador Hiroki noted Japan's
broad plan for spending an initial tranche of $500 million to be
disbursed over the next three months, which will be largely spent
through UN agencies and focus on three main areas: 1) enhancing
Afghanistan's capability to maintain security; 2) assistance for
reintegration of grass root level soldiers; and 3) assistance for
Afghanistan's sustainable and self-reliant development. End
Summary.

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BACKGROUND: JAPAN'S ASSISTANCE TO AFGHANISTAN
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2. (U) Since 2002, Japan has hosted five international conferences
in Tokyo in support of Afghanistan reconstruction and assistance,
supported counter-terrorism maritime interdiction activities
(replenishment support to vessels),provided civilian assistance
(130 Japanese civilians based in Afghanistan as of November 2009)
and implemented more than $1.8 billion in development assistance.
Japan's development assistance to Afghanistan has centered on
democratic processes, security improvement, human resources
development, economic infrastructure and humanitarian assistance,
including for Kabul city. On November 10, 2009 (just prior to
President Obama's Tokyo trip),Japan pledged $5 billion in
assistance to Afghanistan over the next five years (also pledging $2
billion in assistance for neighboring Pakistan). The pledge
catapults Japan to the number two provider of donor assistance in
Afghanistan behind the U.S.

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AREAS OF US-JAPAN COOPERATION
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3. (U) Ambassador Wayne outlined key areas of possible U.S-Japan
assistance cooperation in Afghanistan including assistance to Kabul
city, police training, infrastructure, reintegration, agriculture,
education and health, and narcotics prevention and treatment. In
preparation for the Spring Kabul conference, USAID Mission Director
Frej highlighted the need to work with Japan and other donors to
identify measures we can take quickly to help improve life in
existing Kabul, indicating that Ambassador Eikenberry will in the
near future host a meeting with Afghan and Kabul government
officials and key donors such as Japan, World Bank, Germany and
Turkey to discuss priorities and possible donor cooperation.
Ambassador Hiroki and his team explained that they have been
exploring Kabul's needs, and shared with us an assessment that among
other things showed that the city will run out of water at current
population growth rates unless it spans out to the north.


4. (U) The U.S. delegation commended Japan's support to the
UNDP-managed Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA) to
cover police salaries. International Narcotics and Law Enforcement
(INL) Director Drew Quinn stressed it is important that Japan and
other donors coordinate with NATO Training Mission Afghanistan
(NTM-A),the Ministry of Interior (MOI),and other police
coordination bodies to avoid duplication and to ensure
sustainability.


5. (U) In terms of infrastructure, Ambassador Wayne's suggestion
that Japan support the $200 million plus needed for asphalting the
East-West Highway form Herat to Salma Dam to Chaghcharan as part of
a consortium of donors, was well-received by Ambassador Hiroki.
Hiroki also agreed that Japan would consider supporting construction
of the entire highway as the Government's plans evolve (septel).
(NB: Embassy Kabul will ensure Japan remains informed of GIRoA's
meetings and plans for the highway.) Both Ambassador Wayne and
USAID Mission Director Frej also encouraged coordination in the
health, education (including higher education) and agriculture
sectors, requesting Japan to do more. In the area of education,
Ambassador Hiroki mentioned that he received a call from Education
Minister Wardak requesting Japan support, following Ambassador
Eikenberry's meeting with the Minister. Director Frej encouraged
Japanese participation in the Minister's upcoming donor meetings.
In the area of health, Ambassador Hiroki noted Japan's interest in
military hospitals, preventing and treating tuberculosis, and
midwifery training. In terms of agriculture, the Japan delegation
noted its interest in research, specifically related to soy (in the
north) and rice (in Nangahar Province).

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$500 MILLION IN THREE MONTHS
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6. (U) In Ambassador Hiroki shared Japan's broad plan under its $5
billion pledge, sharing their very UN-heavy spending plan (an
initial tranche of approximately $500 million to be disbursed over
the next three months),which will be focused in three main areas:
1) support in enhancing Afghanistan's capability to maintain
security; 2) assistance for reintegration of grass root level
soldiers; and 3) assistance for Afghanistan's sustainable and
self-reliant development.

Pillar I: Assistance to enhance Afghanistan's capability to maintain
security

-- UNDP/Law and Order Trust Fund (LOTFA): Payment for police force
remuneration, support to Afghan National Police (ANP) infrastructure
(i.e. construction of training center in Ghor and support to drug
rehabilitation center in Kabul),Support to financial and management
capacity at the Ministry of Interior: $180 million.

-- UNODC: Border control, capacity building of the justice sector,
measures for drug addicts, alternative livelihood, etc.: $7
million.

Pillar II: Assistance for reintegration of grass root level
soldiers

-- UN-Habitat: National Solidarity Program (NSP) support to form
clusters, irrigation, micro-hydro, wells, community roads, job
training, etc.: $31 million.

-- UNDP: ANBP: Recovery of ammunitions, community development,
capacity building of DIAG unit, management of database, etc.: $5
million.

-- UNDP: National Area-Based Development Program (NABDP); capacity
building of Community Development Councils (CDCs),irrigation,
micro-hydro, wells, community roads, etc. :$10 million.

-- World Food Program (WFP): Food for work, education, etc. $53.8
million.

Pillar III: Assistance for Afghanistan's sustainable and
self-reliant development

Implementer Project Amount (US$ million)
UNHCR Support for Refugees 22.8
UNMAS De-mining 12.8
UNICEF Water Sanitation, nutrition,
Education 26.5
IOM Support for IDPs 6.1
UNOCHA Humanitarian Assistance
Coordination 1.5
IFRC Support for Disaster
Prevention 0.7
ICRC Support for supply of
Water and medicine 16.9
UNDP ELECT 35.6
UNV ELECT 0.4
WFP UNHAS 3.0
NATO ANA Trust Fund 11.5


7. (SBU) COMMENT: As the second largest donor to Afghanistan, Japan
can make a big impact in key areas such as Kabul City assistance,
higher education, and infrastructure, as well as police training.
We will continue to discuss and coordinate our work in these areas,
and help connect GIRoA and Japanese officials. We believe that some
of the multilateral vehicles they pursue (such as their insistence
on using UNDP for their reintegration trust fund donations) are not
optimal and would recommend them to contribute to the World
Bank-administered Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) as in
the past - Japan contributed $5 million to ARTF in 2002-2003. This
is a policy-level issue that Embassy Tokyo and Washington may wish
to pursue with Japanese counterparts. End Comment.

EIKENBERRY