VZCZCXRO3609
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #0470/01 0381430
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071430Z FEB 10 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5425
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000470 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV AF
SUBJECT: US-JAPAN WORK TO ADVANCE COOPERATION IN AFGHANISTAN 
 
KABUL 00000470  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: Ambassador Wayne, USAID Mission Director Frej, and 
Embassy representatives met with Japanese Ambassador Shigeyuki 
Hiroki and his team on February 4 to solicit views on how Japan 
plans to disburse $5 billion in assistance to Afghanistan over the 
next five years.  Ambassador Wayne encouraged a regular dialogue 
between our missions.  All agreed that good areas for possible 
US-Japan cooperation include: assistance for Kabul city (in 
preparation for the upcoming Kabul conference as well as the 
longer-term), police training, infrastructure, reintegration, 
agriculture, education and health.  Ambassador Hiroki noted Japan's 
broad plan for spending an initial tranche of $500 million to be 
disbursed over the next three months, which will be largely spent 
through UN agencies and focus on three main areas: 1) enhancing 
Afghanistan's capability to maintain security; 2) assistance for 
reintegration of grass root level soldiers; and 3) assistance for 
Afghanistan's sustainable and self-reliant development. End 
Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
BACKGROUND: JAPAN'S ASSISTANCE TO AFGHANISTAN 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Since 2002, Japan has hosted five international conferences 
in Tokyo in support of Afghanistan reconstruction and assistance, 
supported counter-terrorism maritime interdiction activities 
(replenishment support to vessels), provided civilian assistance 
(130 Japanese civilians based in Afghanistan as of November 2009) 
and implemented more than $1.8 billion in development assistance. 
Japan's development assistance to Afghanistan has centered on 
democratic processes, security improvement, human resources 
development, economic infrastructure and humanitarian assistance, 
including for Kabul city.  On November 10, 2009 (just prior to 
President Obama's Tokyo trip), Japan pledged $5 billion in 
assistance to Afghanistan over the next five years (also pledging $2 
billion in assistance for neighboring Pakistan).  The pledge 
catapults Japan to the number two provider of donor assistance in 
Afghanistan behind the U.S. 
 
----------------------------- 
AREAS OF US-JAPAN COOPERATION 
----------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Ambassador Wayne outlined key areas of possible U.S-Japan 
assistance cooperation in Afghanistan including assistance to Kabul 
city, police training, infrastructure, reintegration, agriculture, 
education and health, and narcotics prevention and treatment.  In 
preparation for the Spring Kabul conference, USAID Mission Director 
Frej highlighted the need to work with Japan and other donors to 
identify measures we can take quickly to help improve life in 
existing Kabul, indicating that Ambassador Eikenberry will in the 
near future host a meeting with Afghan and Kabul government 
officials and key donors such as Japan, World Bank, Germany and 
Turkey to discuss priorities and possible donor cooperation. 
Ambassador Hiroki and his team explained that they have been 
exploring Kabul's needs, and shared with us an assessment that among 
other things showed that the city will run out of water at current 
population growth rates unless it spans out to the north. 
 
¶4. (U) The U.S. delegation commended Japan's support to the 
UNDP-managed Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA) to 
cover police salaries.  International Narcotics and Law Enforcement 
(INL) Director Drew Quinn stressed it is important that Japan and 
other donors coordinate with NATO Training Mission Afghanistan 
(NTM-A), the Ministry of Interior (MOI), and other police 
coordination bodies to avoid duplication and to ensure 
sustainability. 
 
¶5. (U) In terms of infrastructure, Ambassador Wayne's   suggestion 
that Japan support the $200 million plus needed for asphalting the 
East-West Highway form Herat to Salma Dam to Chaghcharan as part of 
a consortium of donors, was well-received by Ambassador Hiroki. 
Hiroki also agreed that Japan would consider supporting construction 
of the entire highway as the Government's plans evolve (septel). 
(NB: Embassy Kabul will ensure Japan remains informed of GIRoA's 
meetings and plans for the highway.)  Both Ambassador Wayne and 
USAID Mission Director Frej also encouraged coordination in the 
health, education (including higher education) and agriculture 
sectors, requesting Japan to do more.  In the area of education, 
Ambassador Hiroki mentioned that he received a call from Education 
Minister Wardak requesting Japan support, following Ambassador 
Eikenberry's meeting with the Minister.  Director Frej encouraged 
Japanese participation in the Minister's upcoming donor meetings. 
In the area of health, Ambassador Hiroki noted Japan's interest in 
military hospitals, preventing and treating tuberculosis, and 
midwifery training.  In terms of agriculture, the Japan delegation 
noted its interest in research, specifically related to soy (in the 
north) and rice (in Nangahar Province). 
 
---------------------------- 
$500 MILLION IN THREE MONTHS 
----------------------------- 
 
 
KABUL 00000470  002.4 OF 002 
 
 
¶6. (U) In Ambassador Hiroki shared Japan's broad plan under its $5 
billion pledge, sharing their very UN-heavy spending plan (an 
initial tranche of approximately $500 million to be disbursed over 
the next three months), which will be focused in three main areas: 
1) support in enhancing Afghanistan's capability to maintain 
security; 2) assistance for reintegration of grass root level 
soldiers; and 3) assistance for Afghanistan's sustainable and 
self-reliant development. 
 
Pillar I: Assistance to enhance Afghanistan's capability to maintain 
security 
 
-- UNDP/Law and Order Trust Fund (LOTFA): Payment for police force 
remuneration, support to Afghan National Police (ANP) infrastructure 
(i.e. construction of training center in Ghor and support to drug 
rehabilitation center in Kabul), Support to financial and management 
capacity at the Ministry of Interior: $180 million. 
 
-- UNODC: Border control, capacity building of the justice sector, 
measures for drug addicts, alternative livelihood, etc.: $7 
million. 
 
Pillar II: Assistance for reintegration of grass root level 
soldiers 
 
-- UN-Habitat: National Solidarity Program (NSP) support to form 
clusters, irrigation, micro-hydro, wells, community roads, job 
training, etc.: $31 million. 
 
-- UNDP: ANBP: Recovery of ammunitions, community development, 
capacity building of DIAG unit, management of database, etc.: $5 
million. 
 
-- UNDP: National Area-Based Development Program (NABDP); capacity 
building of Community Development Councils (CDCs), irrigation, 
micro-hydro, wells, community roads, etc. :$10 million. 
 
-- World Food Program (WFP): Food for work, education, etc. $53.8 
million. 
 
Pillar III: Assistance for Afghanistan's sustainable and 
self-reliant development 
 
  Implementer   Project           Amount (US$ million) 
  UNHCR         Support for Refugees           22.8 
  UNMAS         De-mining                      12.8 
  UNICEF        Water Sanitation, nutrition, 
                Education                      26.5 
  IOM           Support for IDPs                6.1 
  UNOCHA        Humanitarian Assistance 
                Coordination                    1.5 
  IFRC          Support for Disaster 
                Prevention                      0.7 
  ICRC          Support for supply of 
                Water and medicine             16.9 
  UNDP          ELECT                          35.6 
  UNV           ELECT                           0.4 
  WFP           UNHAS                           3.0 
  NATO          ANA Trust Fund                 11.5 
 
¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: As the second largest donor to Afghanistan, Japan 
can make a big impact in key areas such as Kabul City assistance, 
higher education, and infrastructure, as well as police training. 
We will continue to discuss and coordinate our work in these areas, 
and help connect GIRoA and Japanese officials.  We believe that some 
of the multilateral vehicles they pursue (such as their insistence 
on using UNDP for their reintegration trust fund donations) are not 
optimal and would recommend them to contribute to the World 
Bank-administered Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) as in 
the past - Japan contributed $5 million to ARTF in 2002-2003.  This 
is a policy-level issue that Embassy Tokyo and Washington may wish 
to pursue with Japanese counterparts.  End Comment. 
 
EIKENBERRY