Published by Wikileaks & Bivol.bg
date: 2/22/2010 14:43 refid: 10SKOPJE75 origin: Embassy Skopje classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY destination: header: VZCZCXRO9825 RR RUEHIK DE RUEHSQ #0075/01 0531443 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 221443Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8901 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0610 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3781 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC ----------------- header ends ---------------- UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000075 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MASS, MOPS, MARR, PREL, AF, MK SUBJECT: VISIT OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE VERMONT NATIONAL GUARD TO MACEDONIA SKOPJE 00000075 001.2 OF 002 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 1. (SBU) Summary: Macedonia is prepared to take on increased risk in its joint deployment beginning next month with the Vermont National Guard (VTNG), GoM leaders told visiting VTNG Adjutant General Dubie during his Feb 13-17 visit to Skopje. President Ivanov said he understood that success in Afghanistan was directly relevant to his country's security. Def Min Konjanovski expressed his appreciation for the recent support voiced by SECDEF and SACEUR for Macedonia's NATO membership. (End Summary) 2. (U) Major General Dubie, the Adjutant General (TAG) of the Vermont National Guard (VTNG) visited Macedonia 13-17 February. Since 1995, the Vermont National Guard has been the state partner of Macedonia under the National Guard Bureau's state partnership program. The purpose of this visit was to discuss aspects of the upcoming combined deployment of the Vermont 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) with elements of the Macedonia Armed Forces to Afghanistan beginning on 27 February. MG Dubie, accompanied by Ambassador Reeker, conducted meetings with the President of Macedonia, the Minister of Defense, and participated in a meeting and lunch with the deploying Macedonian contingent at Illinden Barracks. The President also hosted the Ambassador and General Dubie at an official dinner at his Villa Vodno Residence in Skopje. General Dubie met separately with the Chief of Defense and the Director of the GoM's Crisis Management Center. ----------------- Deployment Update ----------------- 3. (SBU) The combined deployment of the 86th IBCT and the elements of the Macedonian Armed Forces is on track. The 79-soldier Macedonian contingent, consisting of a Ranger platoon, a military police platoon, and command and control section will begin deployment to Afghanistan on 27 February. After more than a year of planning, exchanges, and combined training, the lead six person advanced party from the Macedonia contingent will depart on 27 February for Afghanistan and link up with the lead elements of the Vermont National Guard Brigade. The main body of the Macedonia contingent is expected to deploy via U.S. military air lift at the end of March. The nine-month deployment will raise Macedonia's ISAF contribution to 242 soldiers, with the other elements currently serving in Regional Command Capital and Regional Command North. The 86th IBCT with its embedded Macedonian contingent will conduct full spectrum operations in Regional Command East. -------------------------- Ivanov: Risks Are Worth IT -------------------------- 4. (SBU) MG Dubie briefed the President on the change in focus of the Afghan deployment from a training and mentoring mission to a partnering and full spectrum operations mission. The TAG also told the President about the seriousness of the situation in Afghanistan and the significant risk Macedonian soldiers would face during the Afghanistan deployment. President Ivanov was confident, based on consultations with the Army's General Staff, that the Macedonian soldiers were ready for this deployment. The General Staff had briefed him on the risks inherent in this deployment and he understood that the risk for casualties would be higher than previous missions. The President also spoke about the need to be prepared in the event of casualties. He spoke of the requirement to coordinate and share information quickly so that the government could get ahead of expected media and public reactions to casualties. He asked that the VTNG and the ARM's General Staff work to clearly establish procedures for casualty notification. 5. (SBU) The President explained why stabilizing Afghanistan was important to Macedonia's national security, noting that extremist and radical elements were present in Afghanistan and these elements could export this dangerous ideology to the Western Balkans. Additionally, the flow of drugs from Afghanistan to Europe also posed a significant concern for Macedonia. Thus, Macedonia is acting preventively to help stabilize Afghanistan. The President mentioned that he was disappointed in the less than serious attitudes of unnamed European leaders on the Afghan security challenge. The Ambassador informed the President that his letter to President Obama voicing support for the new Afghanistan strategy was very well received. The USG very much appreciates Macedonia's contributions and support in addressing the many global security issues that both countries face. Working together is the best approach in solving these serious global security challenges. --------------------------------------- Konjanovski: Deployment Job One for MOD --------------------------------------- 6. (SBU) Def Min Konjanovski said that the deployment is the most SKOPJE 00000075 002.2 OF 002 important event for his Ministry, and has the full support of the government and the Parliament. He understood the additional risks this deployment presents, but thought that the risk was mitigated by pre-deployment training. The Macedonian contingent has conducted several training events and exchanges with elements of the Vermont 86th IBCT. This included participation in the brigade's Joint Readiness Training Center rotation during October-November 2009 at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The MOD mentioned that he had a brief discussion with SECDEF Gates on the margins of the NATO Ministerial in Istanbul and proudly reported that the SECDEF had applauded the contributions of the Macedonian soldiers and Macedonia as a valued partner. He also said that the SACEUR had expressed his desire for Macedonia to join the Alliance ASAP. The Def Min shared that the Ministry desired to develop its own pilot training center and hoped to participate in a UK and French transport helicopter initiative. He also announced the Ministry's plans to renovate the Army's winter training facility at Popova Shapka through a tender being announced over the next few days 7. (SBU) The Ambassador pushed the MOD to consider what is next after this deployment. The Ambassador pointed out that the current technical agreement with U.S. Central Command includes a provision for Macedonia to continue the established rotation with the follow-on U.S. Brigade that will replace the Vermont 86th IBCT. MG Dubie indicated to the MOD that a Brigade from the Iowa National Guard has been identified to replace the Vermont Brigade. Minister Konjanovski told the Ambassador that the Government was considering what is next after the current deployment, but no decisions have been made. The Ambassador and MG Dubie both thanked the MOD for Macedonia's contributions not only to the current deployment but to the past deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan. REEKER
