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Viewing cable 06BRUSSELS2647, BELGIAN COUNCIL OF MINISTERS FUND SEVERAL POSITIVE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06BRUSSELS2647 2006-08-01 13:19 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Brussels
VZCZCXYZ0027
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBS #2647/01 2131319
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011319Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0214
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0018
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0436
RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN 0221
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 7557
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 002647 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AF BE CG EAID EN KZ MARR MAS MOPS PBTS PGOV
PREL, SNAR, SU, XK, XL 
SUBJECT: BELGIAN COUNCIL OF MINISTERS FUND SEVERAL POSITIVE 
EFFORTS 
 
1. (U) Summary. The Belgian Council of Ministers meeting held 
July 20 approved and provided budgetary allowances for 
several economic, political and military initiatives. Of 
particular interest were a C-130 for Afghanistan, a NATO mine 
clearing operation in the Baltics, and continued 
participation in the fight against drugs in the Caribbean. 
End Summary. 
 
MILITARY DETACHMENTS 
-------------------- 
2. (U) The Belgian Minister for Defense, Andre Flahaut, made 
several suggestions at the July 20 Council of Ministers. At 
his request, many key initiatives were given budgetary 
authorization: 
 
Afghanistan: a C-130 detachment comprised of one C-130 and 17 
soldiers will be stationed at Kabul International Airport 
(KAIA) and placed under the operational control of ISAF 
commander (COMISAF). The detachment will be engaged for a 
four-month period, beginning September 15. Its missions will 
consist of support flights for transporting material and 
personnel, and medical evacuations. 
 
Baltic Sea: Contributing the Belgian NS Narcis and 46 
soldiers, the Belgian Royal Navy will participate in the 
search and destruction of marine mines and explosive devices 
in the territorial waters of Estonia and its exclusive 
economic zone (ZEE).  Entitled Open Spirit 2006, this 
operation will be under the control of the Estonian Navy. 
 
Caribbean Sea: The Belgian frigate Westdiep and 159 soldiers 
will participate in an operation monitoring sea traffic 
attempting to identify ships transporting illegal substances. 
The frigate will provide administrative, logistic and 
operational support for a legal detachment of the U.S. Coast 
Guard charged with boarding suspect vessels. 
 
DR Congo: Forty-one soldiers will be remain in Kalemie, 
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC) to ensure the smooth 
transition between training underway for Congolese integrated 
brigades to technical training planned for general-purpose 
engineers. The detachment force will increase to 67 soldiers 
beginning August 22. 
 
NEW NATO HQ 
----------- 
4. (U) The Council agreed to undertake a feasibility study 
pertaining to the construction of the new permanent head 
office of NATO in Brussels. As agreed in the December 8, 2004 
Memorandum of Agreement signed between Belgium and NATO, 
Belgium will assume management of the project. The Council 
selected the PM, FM, and MoD as signatories to the Memorandum 
of Agreement with the Secretary-General of NATO. 
 
DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION 
------------------------ 
5. (U) The Minister of Development Cooperation, Armand De 
Decker, won approval from the Council of Ministers for the 
third management contract between the Belgian State and 
Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC). BTC is a public law 
company that has the exclusive authority to formulate and 
implement Belgian direct bilateral cooperation as a public 
service task. This contract is aimed at the optimal 
harmonization of international assistance. This would require 
a higher degree of ownership on the part of the country 
partner receiving assistance, in the hopes of eliminating 
redundancies and other inefficiencies during all stages of 
the development process. 
 
PREVENTATIVE DIPLOMACY 
---------------------- 
6. (U) FM De Gucht suggested financing several preventative 
diplomacy efforts. The Council approved initiatives in Sudan, 
Kazakhstan, and several Central American states. Through the 
NGO "Close the Gap", 300 computers will be delivered to the 
Sudanese Parliament and ministries in the south of the 
country. Special NATO funds will be allocated for the 
destruction of a stock of 27,000 light and small gauge 
weapons (ALPC), and portable air-defense systems (MANPAD) in 
Kazakhstan. A public awareness campaign developed by the 
Oscar Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Development will 
educate Central American teenagers on the impacts of weapons 
on their lives. All of these projects were approved for 
funding. 
 
BRUSSELS 00002647  002 OF 002 
 
 
IMBRIE 
.