CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): DISCUSSIONS ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 THE HAGUE 001633

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AC/CB, NP/CBM, VC/CCB, L/ACV, IO/S
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISP
JOINT STAFF FOR DD PMA-A FOR WTC
COMMERCE FOR BIS (GOLDMAN)
NSC FOR CHUPA
WINPAC FOR FOLEY
PARIS FOR SUE BREMNER AND ROZANNE OLIVER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL CWC
SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): DISCUSSIONS ON
RUSSIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS DESTRUCTION (CWD) ASSISTANCE

This is CWC-67-03.


1. SUMMARY: ON THE MARGINS OF THE OPCW EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
(EC)-33, U.S. DELOFF PARTICIPATED IN MEETINGS RELATED TO
RUSSIAN CWD ASSISTANCE THAT INCLUDED VIKTOR KHOLSTOV, THE
RECENTLY APPOINTED DIRECTOR-GENERAL (D-G) OF THE RUSSIAN
MUNITIONS AGENCY (RMA). U.S. DELOFF EMPHASIZED THE URGENT
NEED FOR ADDITIONAL INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO DESTROY THE
NERVE AGENT-FILLED ARTILLERY MUNITIONS STORED AT SHCHUCH'YE
(PLANOVY) AND KIZNER. SHE ALSO URGED RMA PROGRESS ON THE
PRACTICAL PLAN FOR RUSSIAN NERVE AGENT DESTRUCTION. CANADA
AND UK REAFFIRMED THEIR INTENDED CONTRIBUTIONS UNDER THE G-8
GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP (GP) FOR RUSSIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS
DESTRUCTION (CWD). HOWEVER, ITALY AND FRANCE REMAINED
NONCOMMITTAL. CANADA AND UK REPS PLANNED TO OFFER GUIDANCE TO
THEIR OFFICIALS PRIOR TO THE 30 JUNE GP SENIOR OFFICIALS
GROUP (SOG) MEETING IN PARIS.

--------------
DONORS MEETINGS
--------------


2. ON 23 JUNE, SUSAN RYAN, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE, COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION (CTR) POLICY,
PARTICIPATED IN A DONORS MEETING, CHAIRED BY AMBASSADOR AREND
MEERBURG, DUTCH MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA). OTHER
PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED: CANADA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, EUROPEAN
UNION (EU),GERMANY, ITALY, JAPAN, POLAND, RUSSIAN FEDERATION
(RF),AND THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK). THE PURPOSE OF THE
MEETING WAS TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION AMONG CURRENT AND
POTENTIAL DONORS.


3. PARTICIPATION OF NEW RMA D-G. KHOLSTOV ACTIVELY
PARTICIPATED THROUGHOUT THE MEETING. HE WAS CORDIAL,
COOPERATIVE, ACCOMMODATING AND APPEARED COMMITTED TO RUSSIAN
CHEMICAL WEAPONS (CW) DESTRUCTION. DURING HIS LATE MAY VISIT
TO THE CONSTRUCTION SITE OF THE SHCHUCH'YE CHEMICAL WEAPONS
DESTRUCTION FACILITY (CWDF),KHOLSTOV WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE
PROGRESS AND IS PREPARED TO "DO EVERYTHING REQUIRED" TO
PREPARE THE CWDF TO BECOME OPERATIONAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
HE ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT THIS WEEK HE PLANS TO DISTRIBUTE
PROJECT PROPOSALS TO SELECT GLOBAL PARTNERS FOR THEIR
CONSIDERATION. (COMMENT: UNLIKE HIS PREDECESSOR WHO, AT
TIMES, BECAME EMOTIONAL, KHOLSTOV REMAINED FOCUSED AND
OUTWARDLY CALM WHEN DISCUSSING RUSSIAN CWD ISSUES. END
COMMENT)


4. GORNIY CWDF. AFTER DESTROYING 400 METRIC TONS (MT) OF HD
(DISTILLED MUSTARD),THE GORNIY CWDF WAS TEMPORARILY SHUT
DOWN ON 29 APRIL 2003 FOR "FURTHER ACTIVITIES." ON OR ABOUT
20 JULY 2003, RMA PLANS TO OPERATE TWO DESTRUCTION LINES.
THIRTY MT OF HD WILL BE DESTROYED MONTHLY ON ONE LINE. THE
OTHER LINE WILL DESTROY 8.8 MT OF LEWISITE PER MONTH.
BLISTER AGENT STORED AT GORNIY SHOULD BE COMPLETELY DESTROYED
IN 2005.


5. KAMBARKA CWDF. CONSTRUCTION OF THE KAMBARKA CWDF IS
SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETE BY 2005. SOCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN ONGOING FOR THREE YEARS.
RUSSIA HAS ALLOCATED OVER ONE BILLION RUBLES THIS YEAR FOR
KAMBARKA.


6. SHCHUCH'YE CWDF. SUSAN RYAN STATED THAT U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE (DOD),THROUGH THE CTR PROGRAM, IS SERIOUSLY
CONSIDERING OBLIGATING ABOUT $60 MILLION IN PRIOR-YEAR CTR
FUNDS FOR SHCHUCH'YE CWDF CONSTRUTION ACTIVITIES. SHE
CAUTIONED THAT BEFORE THESE FUNDS COULD BE OBLIGATED, THEY
FIRST MUST BE RENOTIFIED TO THE CONGESS. IN ADDITION, AN
AMENDMENT TO THE CTR CWD IMPLEMENTING AGREEMENT WOULD NEED TO
BE CONCLUDED BY DOD AND RMA BEFORE THESE FUNDS COULD BE
OBLIGATED. RYAN EMPHASIZED THAT THIS POTENTIAL PLUS-UP WOULD
BE INCLUDED IN THE TOTAL COST OF $887.3 MILLION FOR THE CTR
SHCHUCH'YE CWDF PROJECT. SHE STATED THAT THE U.S. HAD ALREADY
OBLIGATED $399 MILLION FOR DESIGN, SITE PREPARATION, AND
CONSTRUCTION OF THE CWDF. AFTER RYAN REVIEWED THE
PROLIFERATION THREAT POSED BY CW STORED AT PLANOVY AND
KIZNER, SHE SHOWED PHOTOGRAPHS OF CWDF CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS
AND HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO
FUND ENGINEERING INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS COSTING OVER $130
MILLION THAT ARE CRITICAL TO THE SUPPORT AND OPERATION OF THE
CWDF. SHE ALSO STATED THAT INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO
CONSTRUCT THE $175-MILLION SECOND DESTRUCTION (DRILL, DRAIN,
AND NEUTRALIZE) BUILDING AND TO TRANSPORT CW FROM KIZNER
SAFELY AND SECURELY INTACT ARE ALSO URGENTLY NEEDED.


7. CANADA. UNDER THE GP, CANADA PLANS TO CONTRIBUTE
APPROXIMATELY $240 MILLION (300 MILLION CANADIAN DOLLARS)
OVER TEN YEARS TO RUSSIA CWD. TREVOR SMITH OF CANADA'S GP
PROGRAM SHARED CURRENT CANADIAN THINKING: PROVIDE
APPROXIMATELY $24 MILLION TO CONSTRUCT THE RAILROAD BETWEEN
PLANOVY AND THE SHCHUCH'YE CWDF; FUND WITH THE UK PART OF THE
SECOND DESTRUCTION BUILDING AT SHCHUCH'YE (TOTAL ESTIMATED
COST OF CONSTRUCTION, TRAINING, AND SYSTEMIZATION IS $175
MILLION); AND, POSSIBLY CONSIDER FUNDING ENHANCED PHYSICAL
SECURITY AT LEONIDOVKA. HE STATED THAT CANADA INFORMED RMA
THAT OTTAWA WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TOWARD BUILDING A
NEUTRALIZATION FACILITY AT LEONIDOVKA.


8. UK. THE UK REITERATED ITS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED GP COMMITMENT
TO PROVIDE, IN PRINCIPLE, UP TO $100 MILLION OVER TEN YEARS
FOR RUSSIAN CWD. USING PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED FUNDING, THE UK,
PARTNERED WITH NORWAY AND THE EU, IS PROVIDING EQUIPMENT TO
OPERATE AN ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION THAT WILL SUPPORT THE
SHCHUCH'YE CWDF. UK IS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING PARTIAL FUNDING
OF THE SECOND DESTRUCTION BUILDING AT THE SHCHUCH'YE CWDF.
ON 2 JUNE 2003, BRITISH OFFICIALS INFORMED KHOLSTOV THAT THE
UK WOULD NOT FUND THE PROPOSED NEUTRALIZATION FACILITY AT
MARADYKOVSKIY. (NOTE. ON THE MARGINS BRITISH REPS INDICIATED
THAT KHOLSTOV EXPRESSED NO ANGER OR CONCERN OVER THE UK
DECISION TO REJECT RMA'S PROPOSAL OFFERED UNDER PAK'S
LEADERSHIP. END NOTE.)


9. ITALY. ITALY STATED THAT THE GP-RELATED INFORMATION
PROVIDED DURING THE 18 MARCH DONORS MEETING HAD NOT CHANGED.
(COMMENT. NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE ON THE POCHEP PROPOSAL.
END COMMENT.) ITALIAN REP ANNOUNCED THAT ITALY RECENTLY
SIGNED AN AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE 5 MILLION EUROS TO FUND
ADDITIONAL GAS PIPELINE AT SHCHUCH'YE.


10. FRANCE. FRANCE WAS NOT REPRESENTED AT THE DONORS
MEETING. ON THE MARGINS OF THE EC, FRENCH DELEGATION MEMBER
OLIVIER BOULARD STATED THAT FRANCE'S PLANS, UNDER THE GP,
APPEAR TO BE "SECRET," AS HE HAS NOT HEARD ANY INFORMATION
SINCE EARLIER THIS YEAR. (COMMENT. BOULARD SOON IS RETURNING
TO PARIS AND INDICATED HIS NEXT ASSIGNMENT WILL INCLUDE GP
ASSISTANCE-RELATED ISSUES.)


11. GERMANY. GERMANY PLANS TO PROVIDE 24 MILLION EUROS IN
2003 FOR "TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT" FOR KAMBARKA.


12. JAPAN. JAPANESE REP REITERATED THAT TOKYO WILL PROVIDE
ONLY ASSISTANCE FOR THE DISMANTLEMENT OF RUSSIAN NUCLEAR
SUBMARINES. JAPAN DOES NOT INTEND TO CONTRIBUTE TO RUSSIAN
CWD OWING TO ITS CWD RESOURCES DEDICATED TO DESTRUCTION OF
ABANDONED CW IN CHINA. (COMMENT. NONETHELESS, JAPAN IS
ROUTINELY REPRESENTED AT THE DUTCH-LED RUSSIAN CWD DONORS
MEETINGS. END COMMENT.)


13. EU. THE EU JOINT TASK ACTION PROGRAM IS PROVIDING
ASSISTANCE TO THREE CWDFS, IMPLEMENTED THROUGH SPECIFIED
MEMBER STATES-GERMANY AT GORNIY AND KAMBARKA, THE UK AT
SHCHUCH'YE. EU REP MENTIONED THAT THE 20-21 NOVEMBER 2003
CONFERENCE IN STRASBOURG, FRANCE WILL INCLUDE EU
PARTLIAMENTATIANS AS WELL AS THOSE FROM GP STATES.


14. THE CZECH REPUBLIC. CZECH REP ANNOUNCED THAT PRAGUE
INTENDS TO MAKE A "MODEST" CONTRIBUTION TO RUSSIAN CWD USING
THE EU JOINT TASK ACTION MECHANISM BUT DID NOT ELABORATE.
LATER TEREZA STEFKOVA INDICATED THAT ASSISTANCE FOR
SHCHUCH'YE IS BEING CONSIDERED BUT DID NOT DIVULGE THE
FUNDING AMOUNT.


15. THE NETHERLANDS. THE DUTCH PLAN TO PROVIDE 2 MILLION
EUROS PER YEAR FOR KAMBARKA. THEY ARE CONSIDERING A PROPOSAL
TO PROVIDE POWER FOR KAMBARKA.


16. RMA-HOSTED DONORS COORDINATION MEETING. MEERBURG
SUGGESTED THAT AS COORDINATION OF SITE-SPECIFIC PROJECTS
BECOMES MORE COMPLEX, THE RF COULD HOST TECHNICAL
COORDINATION MEETINGS. KULEBYAKIN'S REACTION, A MUMBLED
"WE'LL CONSIDER IT," WAS QUICKLY OVERTAKEN BY KHOLSTOV'S
RESPONSE, "WE ARE PREPARED AT ANY TIME TO HOST A DONORS
COORDINATION MEETING IN MOSCOW."


17. NEXT DUTCH-LED DONORS MEETING. THE NEXT DUTCH-LED
DONORS MEETING WILL BE IN THE HAGUE ON 22 SEPTEMBER 2003.


18. INTERNATIONAL CWD CONFERENCES IN 2004. JAMES HARRISON,
UKMOD, ANNOUNCED THAT THE NEXT NONPROLIFERATION AND
DISARMAMENT COOPERATION INITIATIVE (NDCI) CONFERENCE WILL
TENTATIVELY BE HELD IN FEBRUARY 2004 IN LONDON. HE ALSO
ENCOURAGED WIDER PARTICIPATION IN THE UKMOD-HOSTED CWD
CONFERENCE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED TO CONVENE NEXT MAY IN ST.
PETERSBURG, RUSSIA.



-------------- --------------
BILATERAL DISCUSSION ABOUT PRACTICAL DESTRUCTION PLAN
-------------- --------------


19. DURING AMBASSADOR JAVITS-HOSTED DINNER WITH RUSSIAN
DELEGATES, RYAN, CITING DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
LISA BRONSON'S RECENT LETTER TO RMA, ASKED KHOLSTOV ABOUT THE
STATUS OF RECEIVING A COMPLETE PRACTICAL PLAN FOR NERVE AGENT
DESTRUCTION THAT IS REQUIRED TO FULFILL ONE OF THE U.S.
STATUTORY CWDF CONDITIONS. KHOLSTOV EXPLAINED THAT ON 11 JUNE
HE PROVIDED A PLAN FOR SHCHUCH'YE TO A CTR REP IN MOSCOW.
(NOTE. THE PLAN HAD YET TO BE PROVIDED TO CTR POLICY. END
NOTE.) AFTER RYAN CLARIFIED THE U.S. REQUIREMENT FOR THE
PLAN, KHOLSTOV STATED THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO COMPLETE
THE PLAN OWING TO UNCERTAINTY ABOUT ADDITIONAL INTERNATIONAL
ASSISTANCE FOR NERVE AGENT DESTRUCTION. RYAN SUGGESTED RMA
DEVELOP A PLAN THAT INCLUDES RUSSIAN FUNDING AS WELL AS KNOWN
U.S. AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND HIGHLIGHT
PROJECTS/AREAS THAT ARE UNFUNDED. SHE EXPLAINED THAT THIS
APPROACH WOULD NOT ONLY HELP TO SATISFY ONE OF THE CONDITIONS
BUT COULD SERVE AS A MECHANISM TO ATTRACT ADDITIONAL
ASSISTANCE.

-------------- --------------
ENCOURAGING ADDITIONAL GP ASSISTANCE FOR SHCHUCH'YE
-------------- --------------


20. NEXT STEPS TO ENCOURAGE GP ASSISTANCE. THE 30 JUNE GP SOG
MEETING WOULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SHCHUCH'YE DONORS TO
ENCOURAGE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OTHER GLOBAL
PARTNERS. CANADA AND UK REPS PLANNED TO OFFER A SIMILAR
RECOMMENDATION TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVES PRIOR TO THE 30 JUNE
GP SOG MEETING IN PARIS.


21. JAVITS SENDS.

SOBEL