VZCZCXRO0899
RR RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHYG
DE RUEHTL #0219 2120650
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 310652Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0052
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0001
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0001
RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN

UNCLAS TALLINN 000219 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR S/SRAP KAREN HANRAHAN 
DEPT FOR SCA/A ARIELLA VIEHE 
DEPT FOR EUR/RPM AARON COPE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: NATO PREL MOPS MARR AF EN
SUBJECT: Estonia Assistance to Afghanistan Beyond the Elections 
 
REF: STATE 74362 
 
¶1. Polcouns and DATT delivered reftel demarche to Paul Teesalu, 
Director of the MFA's Security Policy Division, and to Kadri 
Peeters of the MOD's America's desk on July 29.  Teesalu stated 
that Estonia would be unlikely to increase its troop contributions 
after the August elections.  The GOE doubled the number of Estonian 
troops in Afghanistan, to 289, when it deployed an additional 
mechanized infantry  company for election support in RC South 
(Helmand) from July through December.  With this additional 
company, Estonia now has 13.5% of its military deployed abroad - 
possibly the highest of any NATO or ISAF country.  Estonia is also 
unable to prolong the deployment of the mechanized infantry 
company, as in January 2010 that company is slated to participate 
in the NATO Response Force.  In summer 2010, after the NRF, this 
company will redeploy to Afghanistan as part of Estonia's regular 
presence in Helmand. 
 
 
 
¶2. Both Teesalu and Peeters stressed that Estonia is committed to 
helping Afghanistan.  Estonia has its largest military and civilian 
missions in Afghanistan, and regularly lobbies within the EU for 
more resources to help Kabul.  The GOE intends to keep its health 
specialist in Helmand, and is considering funding new projects to 
train Afghan doctors and to provide health training to the populace 
through women's NGOs.  Estonia may also soon send a fact finding 
team to the Afghan parliament to look into the possibility of 
helping Afghanistan develop some e-government capabilities, but 
this depends on whether the GOE judges Afghans would be able to 
take advantage of this sort of high technology.  The GOE also has 
an on-going project in which it sends Members of Parliament and MOD 
officials to Afghanistan to explain civilian control over the 
military.  Although Estonia's overall development assistance is 
shrinking during the current economic crisis, from 60 million EEK 
in 2008 to 40 million EEK in 2009, Teesalu assured that the current 
6 million EEK [USD 541,000] for Afghanistan will not be reduced for 
¶2010. 
DECKER