Wikileaks - DXXVII
85719 11/15/2006 13:57 06HELSINKI1158 Embassy Helsinki CONFIDENTIAL 06STATE186256 VZCZCXYZ0016 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHHE #1158 3191357 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 151357Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2748 INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0102 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0031 RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 0005 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0174 RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 1109 RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 0056 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5489 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0550 RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 0050 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0374 RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 4058 RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN 0062 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0184 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0033 RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0101 RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 0047 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0180 RUEHLE/AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG 0404 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 1493 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4657 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0694 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0101 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE 0971 RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK 0266 RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA 0838 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0169 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0363 RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 0060 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 0400 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 8607 RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN 4145 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 1372 RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA 0103 RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 4660 RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS 3156 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 1848 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0079 RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 0073 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0926 C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 001158
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016 TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, NATO, PINS, AG, FI SUBJECT: DELIVERING ON NATO'S PROMISE TO AFGHANISTAN - FINNISH RESPONSE
REF: STATE 186256
Classified By: POLCHIEF GREGORY THOME FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D).
1. (SBU) PolChief delivered subject demarche to Kimmo Lahdevirta, Director of the Finnish MFA's Office of Security Policy. Lahdevirta expressed appreciation for US efforts to keep partners informed as the Riga NATO Summit approaches, and welcomed the fact that Afghanistan will feature prominently on the Summit agenda.
2. (C) Lahdevirta noted that Finland's commitment to the NATO/ISAF mission in Afghanistan remains solid "through the end of 2008 and beyond." Finland currently has about 105 troops in five locations in Northern Afghanistan, with the bulk of them serving in the Swedish-led PRT at Mazar-al- Shariff and the Norwegian-led PRT at Meymenah. The only change Finland is currently contemplating would be to increase its forces at those two locations by consolidating the small numbers of soldiers it currently has remaining in Kabul and two other locations. No decision on such a move has yet been made, and it would be carefully coordinated with other ISAF partners.
3. (C) Lahdevirta also commented on the issues of caveats and PRT leadership. He noted that Finland has no formal or informal caveats, and expected no changes to this posture. As for PRT leadership, Lahdevirta said that Finland currently has no intention of taking over leadership of either of the PRTs in which it participates, mainly because both Sweden and Norway have renewed their commitments. However, Finland remains open to the idea of leading a PRT, perhaps in 2009. HYATT
