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Viewing cable 09UNVIEVIENNA7, FRIENDS OF AFGHANISTAN TO MEET AGAIN JANUARY 22

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09UNVIEVIENNA7 2009-01-12 14:06 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY UNVIE
VZCZCXYZ0006
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUNV #0007 0121406
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 121406Z JAN 09
FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8887
INFO RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 0097
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1441
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0820
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0079
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0272
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0921
UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000007 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PREL NATO EUN FR AF RU PL UN
 
SUBJECT:  FRIENDS OF AFGHANISTAN TO MEET AGAIN JANUARY 22 
 
REF: A).08 UNVIE 615, B).08 UNVIE 478, C).08 UNVIE 466, D).08 
SECSTATE 91864, E). WARSAW 23 
 
1. (U) This is an action request for IO, INL and SCA.  Please see 
Para 8. 
 
2. (U) The French Mission will host the next meeting of the Vienna 
Friends of Afghanistan Group (Ref A) on January 22.  The draft 
agenda includes corruption, precursors, UNODC Independence 
Evaluation Unit report on Afghanistan, and French debrief on the 
December 14 ministerial meeting in Paris on Afghanistan and its 
neighbors. The French Mission has also invited Francis Maertens, 
UNODC's Director of the Division of Operations, and his deputy 
Bernard Frahi, to give a brief presentation on the different agenda 
items. 
 
3. (SBU) France was a strong advocate for including Russia in the 
Group (Ref B), but the former Afghan charge opposed Russia's (and 
Pakistan's) inclusion.  As host of the next meeting, France has 
asked our views about inviting Russia and Poland to the meeting. 
The newly-arrived Afghan ambassador in Vienna, Abdul Mohammad 
Shoogufan, is expected to attend the meeting, although France is 
still waiting for a formal reply. 
 
4. (SBU) At the inception of the Friends group back in August 2008, 
Afghanistan, along with the U.S., U.K.,  France, and Italy, decided 
on the current list of Friends, based on a country's contributions 
to ISAF and to UNODC, as well as its pledges at the June 2008 Paris 
meeting on Afghanistan (Refs B and C).  Russia ranks low on these 
three factors.  It is considered an "emerging donor" to UNODC, 
contributing around half a million USD in 2008.  However, it is a 
G-8 member and a major regional force on UNODC issues related to 
Afghanistan, including the Paris Pact Initiative, and in other 
international arena on Afghanistan, such as the NATO-Russia Council. 
 In Vienna especially, Russia has been keen to highlight a strong 
history fighting terrorism and our bilateral CT relationship. 
 
5.  (SBU) However, Russia in the OSCE has blocked projects to 
improve border control between Afghanistan and its Central Asian 
neighbors (e.g., Tajikistan).  The former Afghan charge's hostility 
towards Russia stemmed partly from his frustration in dealing with 
it in that forum. (Note:  Russia has separate missions in Vienna, 
one to the OSCE and one to the UNODC. Afghanistan's Ambassador is 
accredited to Austria and all the Vienna organizations.  End Note.) 
 
6.  (SBU) Poland, with 1140 troops, is the 8th largest contributor 
to ISAF (followed by Australia with 1100 troops). It is one of our 
strongest NATO allies.  However, it is not active in the UNODC 
substantively or financially (contributing USD 100,000 in 2007). It 
ranked 23rd in pledges at the June 2008 Paris conference. Given its 
intention to increase its engagement in Afghanistan (Ref E), it 
could be a good addition to the Friends group. 
 
7. (SBU) Per earlier Washington guidance (Ref D), Mission had 
advised the Group to postpone inviting Russia (Ref B).  Assuming 
Washington's agreement to involving Russia at this stage, Mission 
believes that France should first discuss with the new Afghan 
ambassador the idea of inviting Russia and Poland, and then with the 
Friends Group. 
 
8. (SBU) Action Requested:  Mission requests Department guidance on 
the proposed agenda topics and on including Russia and Poland in the 
Friends Group.  End Action Requested. 
 
 
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