VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLO #1146/01 1141430
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231430Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8341
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY

UNCLAS LONDON 001146 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL UK
SUBJECT: HMG REQUESTS FORMAL CONSULTATIONS REGARDING 
WIDEAWAKE AIRFIELD ON ASCENSION ISLAND 
 
REF: TREMONT-FREDERICK EMAIL 1/24/08 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary and Action Request.  Following up on ref a 
request for informal consultations, PolMiloff received a 
letter and non-paper April 22 from HMG requesting formal 
consultations on renewing the 2003 HMG-USG Agreement 
concerning the use of Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island. 
 Embassy London notes that according to the 2003 agreement, 
we are obligated to begin consultations within 60 days of 
this formal request.  Embassy requests guidance. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Begin Text of Letter: 
 
22 April 2008 
 
Pamela M Tremont 
First Secretary (Political) 
Embassy of the United States of America 
24 Grosvenor Square 
London W1A 1AE 
 
Dear Pam 
 
2003 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UK AND USA CONCERNING THE USE OF 
WIDEAWAKE AIRFIELD ON ASCENSION ISLAND 
 
As we have discussed, the 2003 Agreement between the 
Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 
Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of 
America concerning the use of Wideawake Airfield on Ascension 
Island by Civil Aircraft not engaged in Scheduled 
International Air Services (hereafter "the Agreement") 
expires on 30 September 2008.  This letter acts as a formal 
request for consultations under Article VIII (Consultation) 
of the Agreement with a view to extending the Agreement as 
envisaged under Article X (Entry into Force and Duration). 
 
The British Government would also like to take this 
opportunity to update the Agreement to take account of issues 
linked to the Saint Helena air access project that the 
British Government's Department for International Development 
(DFID) is funding, and to discuss longer term interests.  The 
British Government has six objectives for the future use of 
Wideawake Airfield by civil aircraft, which it would like to 
discuss with the US Government with a view to including them 
in future Wideawake agreements. 
 
These objectives are a mixture of short-term and medium-term. 
 The first two of these objectives would require negotiation 
and agreement before 1 October 2008 as part of the 
negotiations on the extension of the current Agreement. The 
remaining four are medium-term and we would not envisage 
being ready for negotiations on these for another 18 months 
by when the future prospects of the proposed Saint Helena 
airfield and potential commercial air services using it will 
be clearer.  We appreciate these objectives have more 
implications.  Details of these six objectives are contained 
in the attached non-paper that we discussed on 24 January 
¶2008. 
 
The FCO's Overseas Territories Directorate (OTD) would lead 
the UK team in negotiations on the Agreement, with 
participation from the Ministry of Defence, DFID, Department 
for Transport and the Ascension Island Government.  We would 
be happy to conduct the initial discussions by video 
teleconference if that can be arranged. 
 
I should be grateful if you could relay this request to your 
authorities, with a view to agreeing mutual acceptable dates 
for a consultation on the amendment and extension of the 
Agreement as soon as possible or, if that is not possible, 
within the timeframe envisaged under Article VIII of the 
Agreement i.e. within 60 days of receipt of this letter. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
Andrew Allen 
Acting Director 
Overseas Territories Directorate 
 
cc: Robin Twyman, OTD, FCO 
Catherine Duncan and Jessica Pogson, FCO Legal Advisers 
Nishi Dholakia, British Embassy, Washington DC 
 
End Text of Letter 
 
¶3. (SBU) Begin Text of Non-Paper: 
 
NON-PAPER ON THE 2003 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UK AND THE USA 
 
CONCERNING THE USE OF WIDEAWAKE AIRFIELD ON ASCENSION ISLAND 
BY CIVIL AIRCRAFT NOT ENGAGED IN SCHEDULED INTERNATIONAL 
SERVICES 
 
The 2003 agreement expires on 30 September 2008. 
 
The British Government would like to renew the agreement, but 
take the opportunity to update it to take account of issues 
linked to the St Helena air access project that the UK's 
Department for International Development is funding, and to 
discuss longer term interests. 
 
The British Government has 6 objectives for the future use of 
Wideawake Airfield by civil aircraft, which it would like to 
discuss with the US Government with a view to including them 
in future Wideawake agreements.  The objectives are as 
follows: 
 
Short-term (for negotiation before October 2008) 
 
¶1. To rollover the current allowance for "four civil aircraft 
movements (take off or landing) at Wideawake Airfield each 
week" (see Wideawake Agreement Article III(1)) 
 
¶2. To allow Wideawake Airfield to be designated as a 
diversion ("alternative landing") for a St Helena/Africa 
chartered service (for contractor workers on the St Helena 
airport project).  This would be included within the weekly 
movement limit, but actual use is likely to be low.  This 
would be required from end-2008. 
 
Medium-term (from 2011/2012, for discussions starting in 
around 18 months) 
 
¶3. To use Wideawake Airfield for a weekly scheduled or 
chartered domestic service between St Helena and Ascension 
Island.  We envisage that this would be required from 
2011/2012, when the St Helena airport is due to be complete, 
but is subject to tender and commercial operators providing 
the air service.  The market would be tourists, and St Helena 
workers on Ascension and the Falkland Islands. 
 
¶4. To allow international flights to St. Helena (either one 
of scheduled or charter) from the UK/EU to use Wideawake 
Airfield as a staging point. This has the potential to be a 
requirement from 2011/12, and would be subject to completion 
of the St. Helena airport and willingness of commercial 
operators to provide the air service. 
 
¶5. To allow Wideawake Airfield to be designated as an 
alternative landing for St Helena/South Africa scheduled 
service from 2011/2012.  Actual use is likely to be low.  It 
would be subject to completion of the St Helena airport and 
willingness of commercial operators to provide the air 
service. 
 
¶6. To allow Widewake Airfield to be designated as an 
alternative landing for other flights into St Helena from 
2011/2012 e.g., a regular charter from UK via various 
destinations.  Actual use is likely to be low.  It would be 
subject to completion of the St Helena airport and 
willingness of commercial operators to provide the air 
service. 
 
These objectives are a mixture of short-term and medium-term. 
 We would hope that objectives 1 and 2 would be addressed in 
the discussions about an extension or rollover of the current 
Wideawake Agreement.  These discussions would need to be 
completed before the current Agreement expires in September 
¶2008.  We would like to discuss objectives 3-6 with the US 
Government, which we appreciate have more implications, in 
about 18 months' time by when the future prospects of the 
proposed St Helena airfield and potential commercial air 
services using it will be clearer. 
 
The FCO's Overseas Territories Directorate (OTD) would lead 
the UK team in discussions on the Wideawake Agreement, with 
participation from the Ministry of Defence , Department for 
International Development, Department for Transport and the 
Ascension Island Government. 
 
This Non-paper does not represent a formal request for 
consultations within the meaning of Article VIII 
(Consultation) of the Wideawake Agreement.  The British 
Government plans to formally request consultations after the 
initial informal bilateral discussions. 
 
Overseas Territories Directorate 
Foreign and Commonwealth Office 
 
London 
24 January 2008 
 
End Text of Non-Paper. 
 
¶4. (U) Action Request. Embassy requests guidance. 
 
Visit London's Classified Website: 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom 
TUTTLE