C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002137

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/13/2013
TAGS: PREL EU BO OSCE
SUBJECT: GOI AGREES ON NEED TO COORDINATE "STEP BY
STEP"/BENCHMARKS PROCESS FOR BELARUS


REF: A) STATE 11642 B) MINSK 690

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINISTER COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON: 1.5 (B)(
D)


1. (C) MFA RUSSIA OFFICE DIRECTOR ROSA ANNA CONIGLIO SAID
THAT POINTS REFTEL, WHICH POLOFF ORIGINALLY DELIVERED MAY 6,
WERE USED AS FOOD FOR THOUGHT AT THE EU COEST MEETING (AT 25)
IN BRUSSELS THE FOLLOWING DAY. SHE SAID THAT ALL EU MEMBERS
AND ASPIRANTS AGREED - THE US "STEP BY STEP" AND EU
BENCHMARKS PROCESSES WILL BE FAR MORE EFFECTIVE IF
COORDINATION CONTINUES. THE GOI AGREES THAT THE US AND EU
MUST CONTINUE TO "KEEP THE PRESSURE ON" THE LUKASHENKO REGIME
TO ENACT REAL, VERIFIABLE REFORMS. EXCEPT FOR SOME MOVEMENT
ON SECONDMENT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER AT THE OSCE
MISSION, THUS FAR THERE HAS BEEN NO PROGRESS, ONLY RHETORIC,
FROM THE GOB.


2. (C) CONIGLIO WONDERED IF NEWLY APPOINTED FM MARTYNOV,
WHO HAS WORKED ON NATO AND EU ISSUES AND "KNOWS THE SCORE,"
REPRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PROGRESS; A SIGNAL THAT THIS
TIME MINSK WAS SINCERE IN ITS DESIRE TO REFORM. POLOFF NOTED
THAT MARTYNOV HAD AGREED IN PRINCIPLE, IN A LETTER TO THE
SECRETARY AND MEETING WITH EU PRESIDENCY REPRESENTATIVES, TO

SIPDIS
THE "STEP BY STEP" AND BENCHMARKS PROCESSES. HOWEVER,
RECENT, CONTINUED GOB EFFORTS TO CRUSH FREE EXPRESSION AND
THE WORK OF NGOS (REF B) IS A DISTURBING SIGN THAT THE
HARD-LINERS REMAIN THE DECISION MAKERS IN MINSK. CONIGLIO
AGREED. THERE COULD BE NO NEGOTIATION, EVEN WITH MARTYNOV,
ONLY DIALOGUE. ITALY WILL PUSH FOR LANGUAGE IN THE UPCOMING
EU TROIKA STATEMENT ON BELARUS TO REFLECT JUST SUCH AN
APPROACH.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME02137 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL