Cablegate: Albania Suppports Trasition to Afghan Lead

VZCZCXRO4865
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHTI #0045 0220828
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220828Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8747
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0857
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS TIRANA 000045

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MOPS NATO PREL AF AL
SUBJECT: ALBANIA SUPPPORTS TRASITION TO AFGHAN LEAD
PROVINCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

REF: SECSTATE 4108

1. (U) Ambassador Withers delivered reftel talking points
to Foreign Minister/Deputy Prime Minister Ilir Meta. Meta
expressed his full support for our Afghanistan strategy and
will stress the suggested points in his public remarks and
in his participation at the January 28 London Conference.

2. (SBU) The British Embassy in Tirana contacted Post to
relay that they had received similar instructions and had
been told to coordinate their demarche with the U.S.
Embassy. The U.K. Embassy was especially keen to urge the
Government of Albania to contribute to the Reintegration
Fund that will be presented at the London Conference. The
Ambassador mentioned the fund to Meta. Meta noted that UK
Foreign Minister David Miliband also called him January 20
to urge Albanian support for the London Conference and the
Fund. Meta stated that the GOA would consider what it could
contribute but had to be realistic about its capacities,
given it is already contributing at levels that exceed its
relative size compared to other contributors.
WITHERS

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