VZCZCXRO6262
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHBS #0493/01 0441545
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 131545Z FEB 07
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 000493 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EUN AF PK
SUBJECT: EU FOCUSES ON PAKISTAN, WARY ON AFGHANISTAN, 
UNSURE ON CENTRAL EUROPE 
 
Classified By: USEU PolMinCouns Laurence Wohlers for 
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C/NF)  SUMMARY:  Assistant Secretary of State for South 
and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher met with senior 
officials from the European Commission and Council and with 
Representatives of the European Council Political and 
Security Committee January 25-26 to discuss Afghanistan, 
Pakistan, and Central Asia.  European Union interlocutors 
recommended highlighting positive achievements in Afghanistan 
to counter negative perceptions that the war,s end is not in 
sight.  While EU representatives expressed concerns about 
Pakistan,s commitment to the Global War on Terror and its 
actions along the border with Afghanistan, all recognized the 
importance of enhanced EU-Pakistan engagement, especially in 
the political arena.  The need for a well-designed and 
well-funded Central Asian strategy and concerns about 
Uzbekistan were foremost on EU minds in discussions related 
to that region.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Afghanistan:  Showcasing continued commitment 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C/NF) Assistant Secretary Boucher met European Union 
Director General for Foreign and Security Policy Robert 
Cooper on January 25 to discuss developments in Afghanistan. 
Cooper told Boucher the EU is concerned that &Afghanistan is 
not winnable.8  A more forceful positive message of recent 
accomplishments achieved in Afghanistan is needed to dispel 
the negative perception held by some Europeans, who wonder if 
real gains can be made. 
 
¶3. (C/NF) EU interlocutors appeared impressed with the 
financial magnitude of the recent multi-billion U.S. dollar 
budget request to support Afghan stabilization.  The EU,s 
proposed Afghan Police Support Mission, characterized as 
&modest8 by Cooper, will likely move forward, but will not 
be joined with a judicial sector reform package. 
 
¶4. (C/NF) In a January 26 address to the twenty seven-member 
EU Political and Security Committee, Boucher began by stating 
that we need to &win the war and win the peace.8  It is not 
&just about money, but about people.8  Political and 
Security Committee Representatives listened intently to 
Boucher highlight accomplishments in Afghanistan in 
education, where girls have achieved a 40 percent enrollment 
rate, road network expansion and increased access to health 
care.  He informed the Committee that the 10.6 billion U.S. 
dollar investment, when approved by Congress, would be used 
to increase police support, expand and train the Afghan army 
and police, develop electrical grids and roads, and expand 
governance to outlying areas.  Boucher also noted that the 
substantial commitment was aimed at countering the Taliban,s 
threatened &Spring Offensive.8 
 
Pakistan:  EU will expand dialogue 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C/NF) Cooper informed Boucher that the EU is planning to 
expand political cooperation with Pakistan and increase 
assistance.  An EU-Pakistan high-level dialogue planned for 
February 8 is intended to elevate EU-Pakistani engagement. 
EU Counter-terrorism Coordinator Gijs DeVries,s planned 
visit to Pakistan February 7-8 will focus on increased 
cooperation in the War on Terror.  EU representatives have 
expressed separately that Pakistan uses its progress on 
counter-terrorism efforts and accommodation of Afghan 
refugees as bargaining chips to push for greater EU market 
access.  Pakistani representatives have communicated to the 
EU that EU &trade, not aid8 is what Pakistan desires most. 
 
¶6. (C/NF) In a separate meeting with European Commission 
Director General for Asia Jim Moran, Boucher was told that 
Pakistan has prioritized trade as one of its greatest areas 
of interest with the EU.  Moran said the EU would provide 
approximately 200 million euros over a four-year period. 
Reconstruction opportunity zones, assistance in rural 
development, environmental rehabilitation and resettlement of 
Afghan refugees are areas under consideration.  Moran added 
the Commission would send an election observation mission to 
cover the elections planned for the fall. 
 
¶7. (C/NF) The Italian Political and Security Committee 
Representative questioned Boucher whether applying public 
pressure on Pakistan makes it more difficult for Musharraf to 
act in tribal areas and frontier provinces.  He wondered 
whether the worsening personal and political relationship 
between Afghan President Karzai and President Musharraf 
 
BRUSSELS 00000493  002 OF 003 
 
 
contributed to Pakistan,s ineffectiveness. 
 
¶8. (C/NF) There is a general feeling that Pakistan should do 
more to counter terrorism, but defining an effective strategy 
has been problematic, according to the Dutch Committee 
Representative.  Pakistan is frustrated by the West,s 
demands that it do more, and points to the approximately 
80,000 Pakistani troops, who patrol the Afghanistan-Pakistan 
border, as well as the mining of the border, as 
demonstrations of Pakistani commitment to the War on Terror. 
He wondered aloud what the EU could do to assist with 
Pakistan,s complaints about the millions of Afghan refugees 
who reside in camps. 
 
¶9. (C/NF) Boucher told the Political and Security Committee 
that Pakistan has become critical to the War on Terror and 
said he believed President Musharraf was personally 
committed.  Stabilization of Pakistan remains important, and 
it is critical that the international community support 
Pakistani moves toward democracy, he said.  The U.S. plans to 
increase assistance to Pakistan, especially in border areas. 
 
¶10. (C/NF) Increased high-level meetings between Afghan and 
Pakistani representatives were also a positive development. 
Boucher added that while we should be frank in communicating 
our concerns about effectiveness with Pakistan, we should not 
lose sight of the need to strongly support Pakistan,s move 
towards a moderate Muslim state. 
 
¶11. (C/NF) Boucher stated that Pakistan was cooperating with 
Canada to address concerns related to proposed landmines to 
prevent illegal movements along the border with Afghanistan. 
Refugee camps are a legitimate concern, he said, and the 
international community should design incentives for 
resettlement.  He added the EU should consider possible trade 
opportunities within a discrete geographic area, such as the 
border. The U.S. is considering assistance to facilitate 
movement of duty-free goods, linked to industry 
diversification (such as marble extraction).  Boucher noted 
that this more narrow type of EU intervention might be more 
marketable to EU Member States who are wary of a broad trade 
agreement with Pakistan. 
 
¶12. (U) An EU-Pakistan Ministerial was held in Berlin on 
February 8 and resulted in a Joint Declaration.  Both parties 
agreed to hold the first EC-Pakistan Joint Commission in 2007 
and to address trade as a part of that dialogue.  The 
Declaration noted further that both parties agreed to: 
-     development of a broad, formal political dialogue; 
-     political and regional director-level meetings in 
between ministerial meetings; and 
-     expert-level meetings in several policy areas, 
including:  interfaith dialogue, counter-terrorism, 
counter-narcotics, non-proliferation, human rights and good 
governance. 
 
European Commission on Central Asia:  Working on a Strategy 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶13. (C/NF) European Commission Director General for Eastern 
Europe and Central Asia Hugues Mingarelli informed Assistant 
Secretary Boucher that a new strategy for Central Asia is 
 
SIPDIS 
under preparation and will be presented in June by the EU 
German Presidency.  The intent is to elevate Central Asia in 
the view of EU Member States.  In response to Boucher,s 
question on how to sustain the German presidency,s focus on 
Central Asia after the presidency ends, Mingarelli 
acknowledged there was no guarantee they could. 
Recommendations made to Portuguese representatives stressed 
the importance of launching concrete initiatives, with 
financial backing, by June, to ensure continuity. 
 
¶14. (C/NF) Mingarelli confirmed the budget for Central Asia 
would increase, but told Boucher the exact amount remained 
unconfirmed.  He estimated an increase from 50 million Euros 
per year to between 80 to 100 million Euros per year for the 
five Central Asian countries.  He emphasized there was not 
yet a clear plan on how the funds would be expended, but 
believed expenditures for energy, transport, good governance, 
and environment appeared most likely. 
 
¶15. (C/NF) On transportation links within Central Asia, 
Mingarelli said the European Commission has been helping 
countries regularize their framework, with some success. 
They have ministerial level meetings each year to ensure 
there is a political &blessing8 of the experts, work, 
which is primarily focused on technical norms and the 
regulatory environment, he added.  Mingarelli added that 
 
BRUSSELS 00000493  003 OF 003 
 
 
Turkmenistan expressed an interest in EU assistance with 
education outreach, including exchanges, scholarships, and 
regional programs. 
 
¶16. (C/NF) A European Commission trip to Uzbekistan to 
discuss problems in the Andijon region went better than 
expected, according to Mingarelli,s staff.  The Uzbeks were, 
however, reluctant to discuss details of civilian deaths. The 
EU considered it &an opening,8 nonetheless, and a second 
informal discussion is planned.  In response to Boucher,s 
comments on the problems facing U.S.-funded non-governmental 
organizations that work in Uzbekistan, Mingarelli said 
EU-sponsored NGOs complained about difficulties, particularly 
in the area of NGO registration.  He was optimistic, though, 
that the EU could continue effective engagement, despite 
difficulties. 
 
¶17. (C/NF) Boucher concluded his comments by recommending the 
EU express appreciation to Kyrgyzstan for the use of Manas 
Air Base.  It is a contribution to the War on Terror and such 
acknowledgment would be welcomed, he added. 
 
¶18. (C/NF) In remarks to the Political and Security Committee 
on Central Asia, Boucher characterized the region as 
constituting struggling democracies with modest economic and 
educational opportunities.  He said there was great potential 
given the young population and the apparent desire for 
democracy.  He offered education, technology and the rule of 
law as possible areas of engagement.  Boucher reminded the 
Committee that countries of the region were particularly 
concerned about drug smuggling and terrorism. 
 
¶19. (C/NF) The German Representative asked how the U.S. dealt 
with Uzbekistan and the pace of democratization in 
Kazakhstan.  Boucher said the U.S. continues to pursue 
effective relations with Uzbekistan in the areas of 
exchanges, border control and anti-smuggling.  On Kazakhstan, 
Boucher said the U.S. continues to look for greater 
commitment by Kazakhstan and said Kazakhstan must be pressed 
to identify how its actions will exemplify the ideals of the 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. 
 
¶20. (U) This cable has been cleared by the Bureau of South 
and Central Asian Affairs. 
 
GRAY 
.