Cablegate: Gof Considering Modest Increases in Afghanistan

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OO RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHHE #0021 0151624
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O 151624Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5384
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000021

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/RPM AARON COPE, S/SRAP, AND SCA/A

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2020
TAGS: AF FI MOPS PREL
SUBJECT: GOF CONSIDERING MODEST INCREASES IN AFGHANISTAN
EFFORTS

REF: SECSTATE 4108

Classified By: CDA MICHAEL BUTLER, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D)

(C) Charg raised reftel points on January 15 with Finnish
Special Envoy for Afghanistan Elina Kalkku. Kalkku related
that she had met earlier in the day with the UK AMB and that
the GOF was in complete agreement regarding underlining the
difference between province-by-province transition of
security responsibility to Afghan forces and the completion
of ISAF's mission. She thought it would be important for the
distinction to be made in the written conclusions of the
London Conference and she undertook to spread the message in
the Finnish media post-London.

(C) Moving on to Finland's contributions in Afghanistan,
Kalkku predicted that the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and
Security Policy, to meet January 22, would approve increases
in military, civilian, and financial contributions. While
"not everything we wanted", this would be a "better than
expected" result. NOTE: Post understands that in a January
12 luncheon for EU Chiefs of Mission FM Stubb stated his own
desire for across the board increases in Finnish
contributions in Afghanistan, including military, diplomatic,
and development involvement. END NOTE. Kalkku also revealed
that the MFA was planning to double the size of its embassy
in Kabul (we understand there are about three diplomats there
now who focus on development), feeling the need for more
political and military reporting. Kalkku and Security Policy
and Crisis Management Unit Director Timo Kantola will conduct
a backgrounder with Finnish press on Monday afternoon but
will not be making any new announcements.
BUTLER

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