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TO RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0000
RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0000
RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 0000
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0000
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 0000
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 0000
RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA 0000
RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 0000
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

UNCLAS STATE 099893 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MASS PARM AL BK BU HR KV MK MW SI ZL
SUBJECT: INVITATION FOR SOUTH EAST EUROPE NATIONS TO 
WORKSHOP ON REGIONAL APPROACH TO STOCKPILE REDUCTION 
 
REF: A. 2008 CDRUSEUCOM 12010907 
     ¶B. STATE 2919 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraphs 6-8. 
 
¶2. Summary and Action Request.  The idea for a regional 
approach to the common challenge of excess munitions disposal 
first emerged at the September 2008 Adriatic Charter Chiefs 
of Defense Conference.  Recognizing the benefits of continued 
regional dialogue and coordination on this issue, the 
Department of State will host a workshop on November 3-5, 
2009 in Budva, Montenegro aimed at continuing the &Regional 
Approach to Stockpile Reduction8 (RASR) in South East Europe 
which began in May of 2009.  Posts are requested to extend 
invitations to host governments.  End Summary. 
 
BACKGROUND 
 
¶3. (U) South East European countries have aging, excess, and 
unstable stockpiles of conventional weapons and munitions. 
These stockpiles pose dual threats of illicit proliferation 
and accidental explosion.  These threats could cause 
humanitarian disasters and/or destabilize individual 
countries or the region as a whole.  Since 2006, ammunition 
stockpile explosions in Albania, Bulgaria, and Serbia have 
caused large numbers of casualties and significant damage, 
displacing many civilians. 
 
¶4. (U) At the September 2008 Adriatic Charter Chiefs of 
Defense Conference, the Montenegro CHOD suggested a regional 
approach to the common challenges of excess munitions 
disposal.  U.S. European Command (EUCOM) agreed, believing 
that the Department of State should help create a forum where 
the governments of South East Europe could develop regional 
plans to address problems associated with excess and unstable 
stockpiles (ref A). 
 
¶5. (U) The Department of state supported EUCOM,s proposal 
and organized a workshop on the reduction of stockpiles of 
conventional weapons and munitions in Zagreb, Croatia on May 
of 2009 (ref B).  The workshop being held in November, 2009 
will continue the proactive and coordinated regional approach 
for addressing the destabilizing threats posed by excess, 
unstable, and loosely secured stockpiles of conventional 
weapons and munitions in South East Europe which was begun in 
May, 2009.  We seek to foster relationships between senior 
General Staff and MOD officials from the region so that they 
can periodically share information, advice, and lessons 
learned, as well as improve coordination in efforts, when and 
where appropriate, to reduce and destroy stockpiles. 
 
OBJECTIVES/ACTION REQUEST 
 
¶6. (U) Posts are requested to undertake the following: 
 
-- Extend invitation to the host nation MOD and General Staff 
on Embassy letterhead, using the text in para 9 and providing 
the concept paper, administrative details, and workshop 
registration form that will be sent via email.  Foreign 
Ministries should be provided copies.  The workshop agenda 
will be sent via email on October 2 with a reminder for 
participants to make hotel reservations and to submit 
workshop registration form by October 7. 
 
-- Coordinate with host government to determine which three 
host nation officials will attend the workshop.  While the 
MOD and General Staff should each send one representative, a 
third representative may come from any government agency the 
host nation interlocutors believe appropriate.  The ideal 
invitees will have responsibility for stockpile management 
and reduction policy, as well as the ability to discuss these 
issues in English.  If governments, workshop participants do 
not speak English, inform them that simultaneous translation 
will be provided. 
 
-- Ask host government officials to consider and be prepared 
to discuss their national priorities for action in each of 
the five issue areas on the agenda (see paragraph 4). 
 
-- Encourage participants to register for the workshop as 
soon as possible, and to plan on arriving in Budva, 
Montenegro in time to attend the opening reception on Tuesday 
evening, November 3. 
 
-- Inform participants that they must pay for their travel 
and lodging.  The USG will cover all administrative costs of 
the workshop (workshop venue, technical support, coffee 
breaks and working lunches, and the icebreaker reception). 
 
¶7. (U) During the RASR initiative,s inaugural Zagreb 
workshop in May 2009, participants identified the following 
five issue areas where the RASR can facilitate greater 
coordination among actors involved in conventional-weapons 
reduction: national and regional policy; infrastructure; 
training, education, and building related capacity; sharing 
information and best practices; and standardization.  The 
agenda for this Budva workshop will examine practical steps 
to be taken in these five areas.  Embassies are requested to 
invite host nation representatives attending the seminar to 
consider and be prepared to discuss their national priorities 
for action in each of the five issue areas. 
 
¶8. (U) Embassy Podgorica is requested to invite 
representatives from the Government of Montenegro to make 
brief opening remarks and to give a 15-20 minute presentation 
in English regarding its policies and plans for stockpile 
security and reduction.  The opening remarks will occur on 
the morning of November 4 after the US Ambassador,s welcome. 
 The presentation will be given during the working lunch on 
the same day. 
 
TEXT OF OFFICIAL INVITATION 
 
¶9. (U) On behalf of the Government of the United States, the 
U.S. embassy wishes to invite up to three representatives 
from the Government of (SPECIFY COUNTRY) to a workshop in 
support of the South East Europe Regional Approach to 
Stockpile Reduction (RASR). Hosted by the U.S. Department of 
State in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, the 
RASR workshop will be help on November 4 and 5, 2009 in 
Budva, Montenegro at Hotel Avala. The purpose of the workshop 
is to facilitate a regional approach to the reduction of 
excess, unstable, and loosely secured conventional weapons 
and munitions, which pose significant security and 
humanitarian threats to the countries of South East Europe. 
The idea for a regional approach to the common problem of 
unstable and unsecure stockpiles emerged at the September 
2008 Adriatic Charter Chiefs of Defense Conference. Inspired 
by this idea, this initiative will build on the success of 
the inaugural RASR workshop in Zagreb by next focusing on 
identifying practical and concrete national and regional 
plans for stockpile reduction and management. The workshop 
will give Defense Ministry and General Staff officials 
involved in stockpile management an opportunity to build 
relationships with their counterparts in the region, share 
best practices and lessons learned, develop regional 
stockpile reduction efforts, and coordinate when and where 
appropriate. They will also learn about technical and 
financial assistance available to help them meet their 
stockpile reduction goals. 
Governments are invited to send three representatives to the 
workshop, which will include an opening reception on the 
evening of November 3 and working lunches on November 4 and 
¶5. To reserve your place at the workshop, please fill out the 
attached registration form and submit it by fax or email to 
Brandon Sternquist at the Office of Weapons Removal and 
Abatement by October 7, 2009. Please make your reservation at 
Hotel Avala (Dijana Kustudic,  382 (0)33 441 554 (tel), 
conference@avalaresort.com) by October 7, 2009. When making a 
reservation, please mention that you will be attending the 
RASR workshop. The workshop presentations and discussions 
will be in English and simultaneous translation will be 
provided. Questions and faxes related to the workshop should 
be directed to Brandon Sternquist, U.S. Department of State, 
at sternquistbs@state.gov,  1 202-663-0091 (tel),  1 
202-663-0090 (fax). 
 
END INVITATION 
CLINTON