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Cablegate: Seeking Guidance for November 18 Vienna Friends Of

Published: Thu 6 Nov 2008 03:54 PM
VZCZCXYZ0020
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHUNV #0588 3111554
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061554Z NOV 08
FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8642
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE 0231
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 0058
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1388
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0251
UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000588
SIPDIS
STATE PASS SCA, INL, EUR/RPM,
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID KCRM PREL PTER SNAR UN NATO AF
SUBJECT: SEEKING GUIDANCE FOR NOVEMBER 18 VIENNA FRIENDS OF
AFGHANISTAN MEETING
REF: A. STATE 99177
B. UNVIE 523
1. (SBU) Ambassador will host the second meeting of the
Vienna Friends of Afghanistan group (Ref b) on November 18.
(Note: List of Friends follows in para 5. End Note.) UNODC
Executive Director Antonio Costa has been invited to give a
presentation on UNODC's activities in Afghanistan, as well as
UNODC's response to an internal evaluation report of its
Afghanistan operations. In addition, we have proposed a
discussion of the October 10 decision taken by NATO defense
ministers in Budapest regarding ISAF's role in
counternarcotics operations in Afghanistan, a shift that
Costa had strongly advocated. We will also seek to encourage
continued close consultation between UNODC and NATO
officials. This Friends meeting can be a useful venue to
guage, very informally, member countries' reaction to this
decision, and UNODC's views on how this can increase the
effectiveness of counternarcotics operations in Afghanistan.
2. (SBU) At the end of the meeting, we plan to review areas
for future discussions. France is prepared to host the third
meeting of the Group and has suggested precursors and
anti-corruptions as possible topics for future meetings.
3. (SBU) The full agenda for the meeting are:
(i) Update from Afghan Mission in Vienna
(ii) UNODC's activities in Afghanistan
- Comprehensive overview
- Response to recommendations from internal evaluation
report
(iii) Implication of NATO's Decision on ISAF's Role in
Counternarcotics
(iv) Areas of Future Discussions
4. (SBU) Mission requests Washington-cleared talking points
for discussions on the third agenda item concerning the
recent NATO decision on Afghan counternarcotics. We ask that
these cover the U.S. planned response to the NATO decision
plus any encouragement for other countries to take similar
steps. We would also appreciate any thoughts about areas of
future discussion for the Group.
5. (U) List of Vienna's Friends of Afghanistan Group:
Austria
Australia
Canada
Denmark
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
Turkey
U.K.
U.S.
European Commission
SCHULTE
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