This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS BUCHAREST 001130
SIPDIS
STATE DEPT FOR EUR/NCE - WILLIAM SILKWORTH
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR MASS PARM AF RO
SUBJECT: INTERNAL TRANSPORTATION COSTS AND END USER
AGREEMENT FOR ROMANIAN ARMAMENT DONATION TO THE AFGHAN
NATIONAL ARMY
1. The Embassy Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) received
a letter dated May 4 from the Romanian Ministry of National
Defense addressed to ODC regarding Romania's offer to donate
armaments to the Afghan National Army. Post notes that the
MOD letter states that the GOR cannot pay for the "internal
transportation" cost of the armaments, estimated at USD
35,520, nor "handling costs" at the airport of shipment.
The letter also underscores that the GOR requires an end
user certificate from the Afghans. The text of the letter
is in Romanian and Post's informal translation of the letter
follows:
Unclassified
SIPDIS
Copy no. 1
Romania. Ministry of National Defense
General Staff. Logistics Directorate
05/04/2005 Nr. L/4153
Bucharest
To Mr. LTC IRA C. QUEEN
CHIEF OF THE OFFICE FOR DEFENCE COOPERATION
The Romanian Ambassador to Washington, Mr. Sorin Ducaru, has
sent us Diplomatic Note nr. 043/2005 from the US Embassy in
Bucharest, which provides notice of the agreement for the
donation and informs us that you and Mr. Christopher Palmer
are the contact persons at the US Embassy.
At the same time, [America] inquires about the possibility
of [Romania] covering the costs of the internal
transportation of the donation, to the airport of shipment
and whether the armament should be taken from another
location.
In this regard, we would like to ask you to communicate to
the Embassy the following:
- the airport of shipment is the International Airport
"Mihail Kogalniceanu";
- the armaments are currently in the Targoviste garrison,
located 350 kilometers from the airport; [Embassy Note: The
reference to "the airport" refers to the Mihail Kogalniceanu
airport near the city of Constanta. The distance between
the cities of Constanta and Targoviste is more than 300
kilometers. End Embassy Note.]
- the armaments will be shipped to a location five
kilometers from the airport, one or two days before the
airplane arrives and will remain there until boarding;
- Romania can cover neither the costs of the internal
transportation of the armament estimated at USD 35,520
(according to the annex), nor the handling costs at the
airport of shipment;
- Romania cannot initiate the procedure of promoting a
government decision to approve the donation, unless it
receives the end user certificate from the Afghan
government. The certificate in original is necessary for
the issuance of the export license;
- the details regarding the dimensions of the donation are
in conformity with the annex. Annex: one page,
unclassified.
SIPDIS
Respectfully yours,
Brigadier General Dr. Craciun Leucea
Deputy Chief of the Logistics Directorate
For the Chief of the Logistics Directorate
Drafted by Colonel Aurel Filip, tel. 1001341
End informal Post translation of text.
2. Attached to the letter is an "Unclassified Annex" in
table format, which provides a breakdown in Romanian of the
cost of internal shipment of the armaments from their
current location to the airport of shipment. The annex also
provides details about the quantity, size, volume and weight
of the armaments to be donated.
Delare