VZCZCXRO6041
PP RUEHBW RUEHIK RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #1114 1270730
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 060730Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3802
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS KABUL 001114 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, PRM 
PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR JWOOD 
OSD FOR SHIVERS 
CG CJTF-101, POLAD, JICCENT 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PTER PK AF
SUBJECT: SPANTA'S APRIL 22-23 COUNTERPARTS TRIP TO ISLAMABAD 
 
Ref:  Kabul 1064 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  The MFA's Pakistan desk said Foreign Minister 
Spanta made his April 22-23 trip to Islamabad to "open a new chapter 
in relations with the GoP."  Spanta invited his Pakistani 
counterpart, Foreign Minister Qureshi, to Kabul.  Spanta pressed 
Qureshi to name representatives to a Peace Jirga follow-up meeting 
and reminded him of a late-2007 bilateral agreement to enhance 
intelligence-sharing. 
 
¶2. (SBU) According to the MFA, Spanta's visit was intended as a 
signal to Pakistan that Afghans had put their anger over past 
Inter-services Intelligence Directorate meddling behind them. 
Afghans are eager to open a new chapter in their relations with 
Pakistan.  The MFA reported Spanta urged the Pakistanis to view the 
two countries "like twins."  If one is harmed, Spanta said, the 
other would be harmed, too.  Both countries confront a common enemy 
in terrorism, he argued; they must respond in a joint, coordinated 
manner.  Spanta reminded the Pakistanis of their unrealized 
agreement of late last year to share intelligence with Kabul. 
Qureshi emphasized the use of economic and social means, in addition 
to military action, to defeat terrorism. 
¶3. (SBU) Spanta pressed Qureshi into a promise that Pakistan will 
soon identify its 25 delegates to a Peace Jirga follow-up meeting. 
Qureshi endorsed the Canadian-led G-8 project to promote IRoA-GoP 
bureaucratic communications and cooperation. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The MFA rather excitedly confirmed press reports that 
Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India had agreed in 
principle to build the TAPI pipeline, which is to convey Turkmen gas 
to the other three countries.  The Pakistanis' registered with 
Spanta their concern that Turkmenistan's existing delivery 
commitments to Russia could so restrict the availability of gas that 
the pipeline would not be commercially justifiable.  (Comment:  We 
are unsure of the significance of "agreed in principle;" our 
working-level contacts are not aware of any new movement for the 
reason the Pakistanis cite and because of the security challenge of 
protecting a natural gas pipeline during an insurgency.  A recent 
internal Afghan ministerial-level tour d'horizon of the country's 
energy situation extensively discussed Uzbekistan and Tajikistan's 
exports to Afghanistan, but ignored Turkmenistan as a possible 
provider of natural gas.) 
 
¶5. (SBU) Qureshi pressed Spanta to accelerate refugee returns, 
according to the MFA.  Spanta apologized for Afghanistan's 
insufficient refugee resettlement resources.  Qureshi surprised 
Spanta by offering to join the Afghans in a Paris Conference request 
for earmarked international funding to develop the latter's capacity 
to absorb refugees.  Spanta agreed. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  In addition to Qureshi, Spanta met with Musharraf, lower 
house Speaker Fahmida Mirza, Pakistan Peoples Party regent Ali 
Zardari and Awami National Party chief Asfandya Wali Khan. 
 
WOOD