Cablegate: Luxembourg's Contributions to Afghanistan

VZCZCXRO3320
RR RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHYG
DE RUEHLE #0398 2741339
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011339Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6078
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS LUXEMBOURG 000398

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/WE AND SCA/A

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: NATO PREL PGOV MOPS MARR LU AF
SUBJECT: LUXEMBOURG'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO AFGHANISTAN

1. (U) The Ministry of Defense recently provided the Embassy
with updated facts and figures concerning Luxembourg's total
contributions to Afghanistan's security and development. The
information included military as well as developmental
assistance.

2. (U) Regarding military assistance, since 2003, Luxembourg
has supported ISAF through the consistent deployment of nine
personnel for four-month tours. A total of 12 detachments
have deployed thus far. These personnel are assigned to the
Belgian Force Protection Company with the mission of
protecting Kabul International Airport as well as VIP escorts
to and from the airport. Additionally, in the July 2004 to
January 2005 time frame, one officer and one NCO were
deployed with the European Corps headquarters to man the
headquarters of ISAF VI.

3. (U) On the development front, Luxembourg has provided a
total of 19.5 million EUR (25.5 million USD) in bilateral
development assistance since 2000 as well as an additional
1.41 million EUR (1.85 million USD) in assistance through
NATO and the UN. This includes, most notably, 1 million EUR
for the ANA equipment trust fund for the acquisition of
passive security equipment (i.e. helmets and body armor) and
200,000 EUR for the Partnership for Peace trust fund for the
physical security and stockpiling of ammunition in
Afghanistan. In 2006, Luxembourg donated over 200,000 EUR to
the NATO-Russia Council pilot project on counternarcotics
training for Afghan and Central Asian personnel.

4. (U) Much of Luxembourg's development assistance has been
targeted at women's issues including maternal health; food
security in remote areas; humanitarian projects through NGOs
such as Caritas and Handicap International; election support;
and institution building. In coming years, the GOL plans to
spend about 100,000 EUR annually to support infrastructure
development at the Kabul Military High School.
KRAFT

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