Cablegate: Germany Favors Maintaining Eufor Troop Levels

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DE RUEHRL #1497 3280925
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY ADDF623C MSI3597-695)
R 240925Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5883
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0061
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0897
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO BRUSSELS BE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS BERLIN 001497

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC PREL MARR MOPS EUN BK GM
SUBJECT: GERMANY FAVORS MAINTAINING EUFOR TROOP LEVELS

REF: 118244

1. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to MFA Deputy
Director for the Balkans Marc Bogdahn on November 18 and
had a follow-on conversation with MFA Bosnia desk officer
Michael Geisler on November 20. Geisler -- who had just
returned from the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) meeting
in Sarajevo -- assured us that Germany would maintain its
current level of troops (about 130 ) in EUFOR ALTHEA.
Moreover, he said that German officials had impressed upon
new
FM Westerwelle and new DefMin zu Guttenberg the importance of
keeping EUFOR troops in Bosnia.

2. (SBU) However, Geisler emphasized that the EU as a whole
had made no decision yet on the future of ALTHEA. He said
Germany has been engaged bilaterally with EU partners to
discourage the unilateral withdrawal of troops from Bosnia.
However, it was too early to gauge whether these efforts
would be successful. Geisler underscored Germany's position
that the EUFOR mandate should continue to be extended until
the closure of the Office of the High Representative (OHR).
MURPHY

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