Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04BRUSSELS3067
2004-07-19 14:39:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:  

BRIEF READOUT OF EU-RUSSIA POLITICAL DIRECTORS

Tags:  PREL PGOV MD RS EUN USEU BRUSSELS 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 003067 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/RUS AND EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2009
TAGS: PREL PGOV MD RS EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: BRIEF READOUT OF EU-RUSSIA POLITICAL DIRECTORS
MEETING

Classified By: USEU POLOFF LEE LITZENBERGER; REASONS 1.4 (B,D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 003067

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/RUS AND EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2009
TAGS: PREL PGOV MD RS EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: BRIEF READOUT OF EU-RUSSIA POLITICAL DIRECTORS
MEETING

Classified By: USEU POLOFF LEE LITZENBERGER; REASONS 1.4 (B,D)


1. (C) Summary. According to an EU official present for the
July 16 EU-Russia Political Directors' meeting in Moscow, the
EU raised Yukos and Moldova. On Yukos, Deputy FM Chizhov
agreed that foreign investment will suffer, but said it was a
criminal case and will proceed. On Moldova, Chizhov said
Moscow was focused on the five-sided negotiations (which he
said were at a "fragile" state) said it was a "pity" the
Kozak plan did not work, and criticized the OSCE and HOM Hill
for not coordinating recently proposed confidence building
measures with Moscow. The EU pitched the need for pentagonal
talks; Chizhov was not opposed in principle, but said now was
not the time and said Moscow might prefer meeting bilaterally
with the EU and US instead. The EU, convinced Chizhov is
just stalling, is considering calling for a pentagonal
meeting, which it would offer to host. Our contact said that
Moscow is slowly getting more comfortable with putting
neighboring state issues on the agenda, but is not interested
in a real dialogue. End Summary.


2. (C) On July 19, EU Council Secretariat Russia Officer
Carl Hallergard offered a readout of the EU's July 16
Political Directors meeting with Russia in Moscow, which he
attended. The EU delegation, led by Dutch MFA Political
Director Hugo Siblesz, met with a Russian delegation headed
by Deputy Foreign Minister Chizhov, the EU's usual
interlocutor. Hallergard said the talks resulted in no major
progress on any issue; they were an opportunity to exchange
views. Hallergard said the MFA was consumed with the ongoing
reorganization of the ministry: Chizhov announced he would
be staying on; but there was still no word on who Russia's
new Ambassador to the EU might be.

Yukos: It's a Criminal Case
--------------

3. (C) As Siblesz told A/S Jones he would do at last week's
EU-US Political Directors meeting (reftel) he raised Yukos,
noting that the case would damage Russia's ability to attract
direct foreign investment. Hallergard said that Chizhov's

one-line response was, "We agree it will hurt investment. But
it's a criminal case and we will pursue it."

Moldova: EU pitches pentagonal talks
--------------

4. (C) Hallergard said Siblesz also made a pitch for
reviving the proposed pentagonal talks with the EU, US, OSCE,
Russia and Ukraine. The Russians said they were not against
consultations, or even a meeting in this format, but "this
was not the time" and said Moscow might prefer instead to
meet bilaterally with the EU or US. "Nobody is more
interested in seeing a solution to the Transnistrian conflict
than Russia," Chizhov said. He then cautioned however that
the current five sided negotiations are at a "fragile" state,
and it was important that no one take any "destabilizing
steps." Chizhov was very critical of OSCE HOM Hill, whom he
blamed for not coordinating with Russia and Ukraine on the
large packet of confidence building measures he recently
shared with Moldovan and Transnistrian officials. Hallergard
said that Chizhov claimed that the Transnistrians used the
package as an excuse not to attend the last meeting, saying
they needed time to study Hill's proposals. This kind of
action, Chizhov said, "distracts" the parties. (Comment.
Hallergard said the EU is now thinking of calling for a
meeting, having concluded that Moscow is just stalling. End
Comment.)

Kozak II?
--------------

5. (C) Hallergard said the Russians gave no indication that
they were working on a "Kozak II" plan for resolving the
Transnistrian crisis, but added quickly that this does not
mean they may not be working on one. Chizhov told the EU
that it was "a pity the Kozak plan did not work." Chizhov
said the Russians had met with Moldovan FM Stratan on July
15, and had focussed talks on the need to restore
negotiations.
Chizhov said they had also discussed the idea of a formal
Moldovan-Romanian "basic treaty" to guarantee Moldova's
borders, and commented that the EU could help on this.
Hallergard says this was not a new proposal, but something
the Russians have raised several times in the past. The EU
also expressed concern about the recent Transnistrian
decision to close a Moldovan school in Transnistria; the
Russian side did not respond.

EU-Russia dialogue still thin on substance
--------------

6. (C) Hallergard said the Russians appeared slightly more
comfortable talking to the EU about its near abroad. In
addition to the discussion on Moldova, the EU briefed Moscow
on its recent summit with Ukraine; Belarus did not come up.
On Moldova, the EU is eager to talk to Russia about border
issues and trafficking concerns, Voronin's proposed Stability
Pact, and on EU negotiation of an Action Plan with Moldova
under its European Neighborhood Policy initiative. But,
Hallergard concluded, while Russia seems to be tolerating
putting these items on the agenda, there is no interest on
Moscow's part for real engagement or dialogue.

McKinley